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Progress Reports

Quick Links:
Progress Report FAQs
NIH RPPR
NIH RPPR FAQs
NIH RPPR Common Errors and Warnings
Assist/HSS FAQs

References & Resources


Principal Investigators (PIs) on sponsored projects are responsible for the management and conduct of sponsored activities. As part of that responsibility, PIs are required to understand and comply with the technical/programmatic reporting requirements of their awards, which involves becoming familiar with reporting due dates, formats, templates, and any online submission portals. Every sponsor generally requires a technical report, so acceptance of sponsored funding will result in the requirement to submit a report(s) to the sponsor based on a predetermined time period.

For progress reports that require the signature of an Authorized Official, or submission by an Authorized Official through a sponsor portal, please send the progress report/progress report information and UFIRST award ID to ufawards@ufl.edu and a member of the DSP Award Team will review and reach out to you within 2 business days.

PLEASE NOTE THAT PROGRESS REPORTS CANNOT BE SUBMITTED WITH ERRORS AND THE REVISION PROCESS MAY DELAY TIMELY SUBMISSION.

If you still have questions or concerns after researching how to prepare and submit your reports, please email DSP at ufawards@ufl.edu.

If DSP is notified that a technical report is overdue DSP will escalate as needed to the respective Department Chair, Associate Dean of Research or Center Director and Stephanie Gray. Federal regulations allow corrective actions that have a negative impact on PIs and the University. For example, sponsors may: withhold payments to the University or suspend/terminate an award.

Progress Report Requirements

  • If the report is covering a budget period within the award’s competitive segment, use the current F&A rate. Federal awards require that UF apply an F&A rate for “the life of the award.”
  • Even if a report does not require an institutional officer to submit, we remind you that your statements and provision of documents that include full and accurate statements are binding on the institution. If you have any questions on anything you are submitting such as actual effort expended, budget and balance projections, performance of subrecipient partners, and changes in all persons Current and Pending/ Other Support documents or any other binding components, please email ufawards@ufl.edu for assistance.
  • Do not communicate financial information. If it is required as part of the form, contact C&G for appropriate data to be included.
  • Do not disclose unpublished data.

Progress Report FAQs

Progress Report FAQs

What should I do if due dates are not listed in the executed award terms and conditions?
Many sponsors do not list technical report due dates in the award document but instead rely on the FOA, Policy Guides or other resources. We suggest you consult those policy guides, ask your Research Administrator, or reach out to ufawards@ufl.edu if you are unclear on reporting obligations.

What should I do if I cannot meet technical report deadlines?
If you cannot meet technical report deadlines, you should first contact your Program Manager / Technical Contact to see if it’s possible to obtain a deadline extension. Your Program Manager / Technical Contact is not required, or may not have authority, to grant an extension.

Can DSP help me submit my technical reports or obtain due date extensions?
While DSP is happy to help you understand the terms and conditions of your award, including technical report due dates, it is your responsibility as a PI to prepare the technical reports by the deliverable due date and obtain technical report due date extensions from your Program Manager / Technical Contact, if necessary. If you still have questions or concerns after researching how to prepare and submit your reports, please email DSP at ufawards@ufl.edu.

Who submits financial reports? What about property reports? Invention reports?
Most requests come to ufawards@ufl.edu. While DSP will assist with triaging, financial reports are handled by UF Research’s Contracts and Grants Accounting (C&G), property reports are handed by UF F&A Property Management, and Invention Reports are handled by UF Innovate | Tech Licensing.


NIH Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPR)

DSP must submit the RPPR for non-SNAP awards (including the Interim or Final RPPR). All NIH non-SNAP progress reports, which contain detailed budgets, should be routed in eRA Commons to Stephanie Gray no less than 2 days prior to the NIH deadline.

For SNAP awards only, the PD/PI is delegated the ability to submit directly to NIH.

The PI and any delegated assistants (ASST role) can initiate and edit the RPPR. PIs will need to delegate “Progress Report” and “Status” authority to each individual with the ASST role in order for the ASST to access the RPPR. The PI is the only user who will be able to submit SNAP RPPRs directly to NIH.

NIH RPPR flowchart


Types of NIH RPPRs Due Date
Interim RPPR: Used when submitting a renewal (Type 2) application. If the Type 2 is not funded, the Interim RPPR will serve as the Final RPPR for the project. If the Type 2 is funded, the Interim RPPR will serve as the annual RPPR for the final year of the previous competitive segment. The data elements collected on the Interim RPPR are the same as for the Final RPPR, including project outcomes. 120 days from period of performance end date
Annual RPPR: Used to describe a grant’s scientific progress, identify significant changes, report on personnel, and describe plans for the subsequent budget period or year.

SNAP = 45 days before the next budget period start date

NON-SNAP = 60 days before next budget period start date

Final RPPR: Used as part of the grant closeout process to submit project outcomes in addition to the information submitted on the annual RPPR, except budget and plans for the upcoming year. 120 days from period of performance end date

NIH RPPR FAQs, Common Errors and Warnings and Assist/HSS FAQs

NIH RPPR FAQs

How do I know if an NIH award is SNAP eligible?
The Notice of Award (NoA) Section III – Terms and Conditions should detail if the award was issued under the Streamline Noncompeting Award Process (SNAP).

How does a PI get Submit Authority for SNAP eligible RPPRs?

  • If you are a PI affiliated with more than one institution, check which institution is currently selected when you log into Commons using the help guide located here: https://www.era.nih.gov/erahelp/commons/Commons/access/chg_affiliation.htm
  • If you are still unable to submit please email to request your delegation.

Why am I unable to “edit” the RPPR?
Make sure you are the “current reviewer” of the RPPR. If not, press the “recall” button and the edit button should now be active. If you are not the Signing Official or PI you will need an Assistant role, requested through this form, and the “Progress Report” and “Status” authorities, delegated by the PI user.

What do I do if I get an error or warning?
Era Commons will not allow RPPR submission if there are errors. A warning will still allow submission. If unable to clear errors, please review the Common Errors and Warnings and References & Resources section of this website.  Contact the eRA Help Desk if errors persist.

How do I submit the RPPR to agency?
If submitting a SNAP RPPR, instead of Route please use the Submit button located under the ellipsis menu.

Who should I list as the Signing Official and Administrative Official?
Stephanie Gray

Can other support be signed with a wet signature or typed name?
No, wet and typed names will not be accepted as signatures. Electronic signatures are required. UF recommends DocuSign or Adobe Sign.

Common Errors and Warnings

Era Commons will not allow RPPR submission if there are errors (red text box). A warning (yellow text box) will still allow submission.

  • If you receive an error regarding Section A.2. Personal Profile please ensure the SO and AO selected is Stephanie Gray
  • If you receive an error regarding Section D. Participants:
    • Individuals with ‘0’ calendar months of effort should not be listed in this section.
    • The PI, as well as those listed on the NOA efforts should be listed.
    • Respond to this often overlooked question: Is the individual’s primary affiliation with a foreign organization.
    • ALL Undergraduate and/or Graduate Student Roles MUST have a complete eRA Commons account profile, their commons User ID must be included in the participants section before submitting to NIH.
      • If this was not done or the student has left the university, this can be overridden by changing their role to “other” in section D and manually entering Undergraduate or Graduate student.
    • If you receive a warning regarding Section C, publication compliance, please work with your department’s UF library liaison: https://uflib.ufl.edu/specialists/
    • If you receive a warning regarding section G, it is likely because the human subjects data in ASSIST has not been submitted. ASSIST applications must be submitted prior to the RPPR.
      • No cumulative enrollment data
        • “G4.b No cumulative enrollment data has been provided to the Study #XXXX, is this correct? If enrollment has not begun, you may proceed and submit the RPPR. If participants have been enrolled, navigate to section G4.b and update inclusion enrollment data…”
      • Updates to Inclusion Enrollment Data have not been made
        • If the Human Subjects System Clinical Trial form was not submitted in ASSIST before the RPPR submission, the RPPR will not reflect the Inclusion Enrollment updates.

Assist/HSS FAQs

How do I update my ASSIST application?
If in a Submitted state, the record will need to be reopened to Work in Progress for changes to be made. Note: Revision must be completed BEFORE submitting in order for the updated HSS information to appear in the RPPR.

How do I enter my human subject data?
Please refer to the NIH ASSIST guidance.

How do I notify DSP that the ASSIST application is ready to submit?
A delegated principal investigator can submit the application to NIH. Otherwise, update the submission status of the application to Ready to Submit.

References and Resources