NIH Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPR)
Helpful Hints for the UW Research Community
This document is meant as a tool for research administrators to collect information
from PIs for the new RPPR format and to give some tips/explanations for areas that
look/feel different than eSNAP. It is not meant as a step-by-step tool for filling out
the RPPR.
NIH has an RPPR Instruction Guide that explains every section in great detail as well
as a very helpful Webcast which is posted on OSP website.
What makes RPPR different from eSNAP?
 RPPR data fields are specific to your grant type and grant number only. This means
that all active sections are or can be relevant to your grant. Data fields not relevant
to your grant will be grayed out.
 After you have submitted the first RPPR, future applications will be pre-populated
with information from other databases, proposals and previous progress reports. If
you think that the pre-populated information is incorrect and the system does not
allow you to change it, then you can either change it in the source database or
contact NIH Program Official.
 Text boxes only accept rich text format. Do not enter any symbols. Scientific report
on accomplishments is attached as a PDF document and can include symbols.
 If the question is not applicable to your grant or if you have no change or progress to
report just select “noting to report.”
A. Cover page
Approval for any PD/PI change will have to be received from the sponsor prior to recording
it on RPPR.
A.4. Addresses, emails and phone numbers are pre-populated from the PI’s eRA Commons
profile. If you want to change this information please update your eRA Commons profile
first and the information will automatically be updated on the RPPR.
Recipient ID: Please enter the eGC1 number (if any) for UW internal tracking.
B. Accomplishments
Important note - Each part of this section, B1-B6, has to be distinct and non-repetitive. All
progress cannot be summarized in one text/word file.
B.1. What are the major goals of this project?
Major goals are the same as specific aims from the proposal document. These will
only have to be entered the first year of submitting RPPR. In subsequent years this
area will be pre-populated.
If there have been changes to the goals then written approval from the sponsor will
have to be received prior to recording it on RPPR.
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Even though maximum of 3 pages (or 8000 characters) of text is allowed in each
text box, NIH strongly recommends not exceeding one page.
B.2. What was accomplished under these goals?
Publications are not reported in this section. Please do not add them in the text.
They will not be recorded.
Uploadable PDF file. 2 page (6MB) maximum limit.
B.3. Are there any competitive revisions and administrative supplements related to this
award? What are these? (ARRAs belong here)
¼ page or 700 character limit.
B.4. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project
provided?
Include participation in conferences, workshops, seminars, and/or mentoring not
listed under major activities and accomplishments.
Response required for T, F, K, R25, R13, D43 and other training awards.
PDF attachment, no page limits.
B.5. Did your award include a requirement to disseminate information to any particular
community? If so, please describe. “Routine” websites, press releases, scientific publications
and the sharing of research resources do not apply.
3 page or 8000 character limit, 1 page preferred.
B.6. What do you plan to do for the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
3 page or 8000 character limit, 1 page preferred.
C. Products
C.1. Are there publications or manuscripts accepted for publication in a journal or
other publication (e.g., book, one-time publication, monograph) during the reporting
period resulting directly from this award?
This is the only place to report on publications. Any publication information
entered in other places will not be recorded as publications.
All publications reported in this section are drawn from MyNCBI site. The PIs
MyNCBI account and eRA Commons accounts must be linked (“partnering
accounts”) otherwise the publications will not auto-populate into RPPR.
If your publication is not in compliance with the NIH Public Access Policy or
in other words, does not have the PMCID number then you can still upload
the RPPR and you have 10 days to bring those publications into compliance
in MyNCBI. It will automatically change their status on RPPR.
C.2. Website(s) or internet site(s) – list the URL for any site that disseminates the
results of the research activities in the past reporting year and provide a short
description.
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Only for awards designed to create one or more websites.
3 page or 8000 character limit, 1 page preferred.
C.3. Technologies or techniques – identify technologies and techniques that have
resulted from the research activities in the past reporting year.
Separate from accomplishments.
3 page or 8000 character limit, 1 page preferred.
C.4. Have inventions, patent applications and/or licenses resulted from the award
during this reporting period?
If yes, has this information been previously provided to the PHS or to the official
responsible for patent matters at the grantee organization?
C.5.a. Were there any other products developed under this project?
PDF attachment, no page limits. Do not repeat information provided earlier.
C.5.b. Resource Sharing plan – Does this award include a required resource sharing plan? If
yes, please describe how data has been shared.
PDF attachment, no page limits.
D. Participants
D.1. Participant effort must be rounded to the nearest whole person month.
If a PD’s/PI’s effort is 0.4 or less then it should be marked as 0. NIH will compare it
to the original proposal and will not consider the report non-compliant. Other
participants should have at least one whole person month of effort.
If a person has an eRA Commons user ID then most of the information will populate
automatically.
D.2.a. Will there be, in the next budget period, either (1) a reduction of 25% or more in the
level of effort from what was approved by the agency for the PD/PI(s) or other senior/key
personnel designated in the Notice of Award, or (2) a reduction in the level of effort below
the minimum amount of effort required by the Notice of Award? If yes, please explain.
This is the only occasion in this report where significant change is allowed without
prior approval from sponsor. Selecting “YES” is your request to the agency and the
issuance of a subsequent year funding constitutes agency approval of the request.
¼ page, 700 characters limit.
D.2.b. Are there, or will there be, new senior/key personnel?
PDF attachment of biosketches.
D.2.c. Has there been a change in the active Other Support of senior/key personnel since
the last reporting period?
Other Support will only be required if there has been a change.
PDF attachment, no page limits.
D.2.d. Are there, or will there be, new other significant contributors?
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PDF attachment of biosketches.
D.2.e. Will there be a change in the MPI Leadership plan for the next budget period? If you
had one.
This requires prior sponsor approval.
PDF attachment, no page limits.
E. Impact
E.1. What is the impact on the development of human resources?
Only applicable to education awards (D24, K30, R13, R25, RL5, T14, T36, U13, U2R)
E.2. Describe ways, if any, in which the project made an impact, or is likely to make an
impact, on physical, institutional, and information resources that form infrastructure,
including:

physical resources (such as facilities, laboratories, or instruments);

institutional resources (such as establishment or sustenance of societies or
organizations); or

information resources, electronic means for accessing such resources or for
scientific communication, or the like.
3 page or 8000 character limit, 1 page preferred.
E.4. Has any money from this grant been spent in foreign countries?
Dollar amount and country.
F. Changes
F.1. Changes in approach and reasons for change
Only applicable to Education awards (D24, K30, R13, R25, RL5, T14, T36, U13, U2R)
F.2. Actual or anticipated challenges or delays and actions or plans to resolve them.
Only Significant challenges need to be reported.
3 page or 8000 character limit, 1 page preferred
F.3.a-F.3.d. Only significant deviations, unexpected outcomes, or changes in approved
protocols to human subjects, vertebrate animals, biohazards and/or select agents need to
be reported.
PDF attachment, no page limits.
G. Special reporting requirements
G.1. Special NoA and FOA reporting requirements
Link to the NoA Notice of Award link for easy reference.
G.2. Responsible Conduct of Research education received
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Only applicable to K, F and other education awards
G.3. Mentor’s report/sponsor comments
Only applicable to K, F awards
G.4.b. Inclusion enrollment data
If your grant supports human subjects and a clinical trial then the system will
display one of two messages:
 “The RPPR does not have any Inclusion Enrollment Reports or the report
records have a status of Close”
 “You are required to complete Inclusion Enrollment Report for the
following studies:[list of all protocols]”
Follow their lead.
G.4.c. If it is a clinical trial it requires an NCT (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier) number.
G.5.Human subjects education requirement - Are there personnel on this project who are or
will be newly involved in the design or conduct of human subjects research?
Details of their training
G.6. Human Embryonic Stem Cells
Requires hESC registration number from NIH registry. Link to the registry provided
in the RPPR.
Has there been a change in the use of hESCs?
¼ page, 700 characters limit.
G.8. Is there a change in (primary) project performance sites?
If yes, provide addresses
G.9. Foreign component – NEW
Was significant scientific activity performed outside of the US, either by the grantee
or by researcher employed by a foreign organization, whether or not grant funds
were expended? The following grant related activities are considered significant and
must be reported:

involvement in human subjects or research with live vertebrate animals;

extensive foreign travel by grantee project staff to collect data, or conduct
surveys or sampling activities; or

any grantee activity that may have an impact on U.S. foreign policy.
Provide organization name and country and short description
¼ page or 700 characters limit.
G.10. Estimated unobligated balance
G.10.a. It is anticipated that an estimated unobligated balance (including prior year
carryover) will be greater than 25% of the current year’s total approved budget? And total
dollars.
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G.10.b. Explanation for estimated unobligated balance
¼ page or 700 characters limit.
G.10.c If authorized to carry over balance describe how you are going to use it
½ page or 1300 character limit
G.11 Is program income anticipated during the next budget period?
Total amount in dollars and sources
G.12 Is there a change in performance sites that will affect F&A costs?
½ page or 1300 character limit
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