MAPP PI Handbook
This document describes the process of maintaining your MAPP award, including guidance for submitting your annual or final reports, information about requesting a no-cost extension on your project, and requests regarding journal publications produced as a result of your research project.
All recipients of MAPP funding are expected to submit annual and final reports documenting research progress and achievements. These reports should include identification information about the project, research results and accomplishments for the previous year only (unless submitting a final report), resulting publications, next-year budget, and future work. Please follow the guidance below to ensure your work is duly represented as part of the MAPP program.
Checklist
General Reporting Requirements
- Each project should develop a single cross-project report during each reporting cycle – The lead PI on the project (regardless if they are the grant recipient or not) is responsible for creating a comprehensive project report for each reporting cycle
- Each grant recipient participating in that project will need to individually submit the report to eRA to satisfy their institution’s reporting requirement
- Reports should be submitted according to the schedule given by eRA
- Non grant recipients (e.g., BOPs, IATs) do not need to send report if activity is reported through main report organized by lead PI
- If your activity is not covered by a report submitted by a collaborator through eRA, you will need to email your report directly to oar.cpo.mapp@noaa.gov
- Read through guidance in section 5 “Frequently Asked Questions” before contacting program staff
Final Reports
- Because sub-components of projects may end at different times, each individual co-investigator, regardless of grant/BOP/IAT, should submit a final, cumulative report that specifically describes their institution’s contribution to the project
NO-COST EXTENSION REQUESTS
- For Grants, submit no-cost extension (NCE) request >30 days before project expiration; choose “prior approval waived” if first NCE; choose “prior approval required” if second NCE
- Instructions on how to do this on eRA: https://www.era.nih.gov/recipients/submit-no-cost-ext.htm
HIGH-IMPACT PUBLICATION REPORTS
- Notify us as soon as your paper has been accepted for publication, especially if it will appear in a major journal (e.g., Science, Nature) and/or will be of broad interest. Please email the MAPP team at oar.cpo.mapp@noaa.gov
Journal Publications From Funded Projects
Acknowledgements
We request that you acknowledge MAPP program support (including the award number, if applicable) in all publications supported by MAPP. A suggested statement: “This study was supported by NOAA’s Climate Program Office’s Modeling, Analysis, Predictions, and Projections program.” You should include the grant #, if applicable. We also request that you acknowledge your participation in any of MAPP’s Task Forces. If work in your journal article leveraged High Performance Computing support you receive from NOAA via MAPP, please acknowledge this, as well.
Publication notice
Please send us information when ANY papers supported through your MAPP award are accepted for publication (within 2 weeks of acceptance) by emailing oar.cpo.mapp@noaa.gov
Prior notice for major papers and events
Send MAPP program management (oar.cpo.mapp@noaa.gov) notice of upcoming major papers (and press releases) for MAPP funded work 2-3 weeks prior to their publication date (this is intended for major findings or papers in journals like Science, Nature, etc.). Such publications will be promoted to NOAA leadership and in some cases, to Department of Commerce or Executive Branch offices.
Also give us prior notice for any other major events of relevance to your MAPP project (special sessions/meetings that you are convening, special issues that will appear, etc.) that demonstrate your MAPP work and accomplishments.
If we receive prior notice we are able to alert CPO and OAR communication offices in a way that ensures maximum coverage for your papers/events. Also, please let us know if your work/event receives news coverage so we can highlight such coverage on the MAPP web page.
Requesting a No-Cost Extension
If your project is in its final year, it is your organization’s responsibility to ensure the funds are utilized before the end of the project. If funds will not be utilized before the project’s expiration, a no-cost extension to finish planned work may be requested. A “No-Cost Extension” request must be submitted 30 days prior the end of the project — no exceptions or extensions are possible if submitted past this deadline, and funds will be permanently de-obligated after this period. Each co-investigator is responsible for requesting their own no-cost extension; the lead PI cannot request one on behalf of the entire team. The request should include a progress report and financial spending plan for the leftover funds. For grants, this request MUST be submitted through the eRA System before the deadline. The eRA system will not approve No Cost Extension requests submitted outside of this window.
Failing to correctly submit a No-Cost Extension request will result in the expiration of the award and the closure of any leftover funds by NOAA’s Grants Management Division. For all awards, also send the request directly to the responsible Program Manager. A second no-cost extension may be granted in view of exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Program Managers. If you are requesting the grant’s first no-cost extension in eRA, prior approval is not necessary. If you are requesting a second (or more) no-cost extension, initiate a prior approval request.
Frequently Asked Questions
This informal guidance regarding administrative issues is based on program management’s past experience. However, NOAA’s current rules and regulations and special award conditions will take precedence if different from what is stated in this document.
General
I am having trouble accessing my eRA account or performing actions on this account; whom should I contact?
You should call the eRA Help Desk at 1-866-502-9552 or 1-301-402-7469 or e-mail them at helpdesk@od.nih.gov.
I need to re-budget some of the costs for my award; whom should I contact?
For grants, you should submit a revision request through eRA to rebudget. This request should include a new budget table, a new budget description, and a letter explaining the need for and nature of the budgetary change and a statement ensuring that the rebudgeting will help and not interfere with the team meeting the project’s objectives. Additional guidance is available here: https://www.era.nih.gov/erahelp/commons/Commons/status/RevRequestDOC.htm
How do I know if my award is a grant?
If you are at a non-federal institution, your award is likely a grant.
Reports
Do I really have to submit a report, and if yes, what’s the exact process?
Yes, anyone who receives funding from the MAPP program, whether they are federal or non-federal staff, must submit periodic progress reports.
To submit, please use the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) form; please do not upload a pdf report. We would appreciate the submission of an attachment that includes figures relevant to the progress of the report. Information on the RPPR form can be found here: https://www.era.nih.gov/recipients/submit-reports/rppr.htm
I have questions regarding how to prepare and submit my progress report, due dates or any other information in the table; whom should I contact?
You should send an email to oar.cpo.mapp@noaa.gov.
What happens if I don’t submit a report for my grant?
The eRA system will continue to send emails regarding your report notifying all relevant parties in your organization and at NOAA that your report is delinquent and your funding continuation will not be processed.
A report that is never submitted is subject to enforcement action by NOAA and may impact the eligibility of your institution to receive future funding.
My project is funded through a Cooperative Institute (CI); do I still need to submit a report directly to the MAPP program?
Yes, we ask that you submit a report according to the instructions in this document in addition to any report prepared for your respective CI, following any special award condition requirements.
Continuation of Funding and requesting No-cost Extensions
I have submitted my report but I still have not received continuation of funding for my project; whom should I contact regarding my funding?
After you submit your progress report, it may still take several months for the funding to arrive at your institution. You can contact Kathleen Palermo (kathleen.palermo@noaa.gov) for information regarding the status of funding for your project.
Based on recent experience, continuations are typically processed in the January-April timeframe.
I asked for a no-cost extension before the deadline. This was approved, but I still don’t see a change in the project duration in eRA; why is that?
There may be a lag between the no-cost extension approval and the change in the final date of the project in the eRA System. Ask the program manager responsible for your award to double check that the no-cost extension has indeed been approved and if so, just wait for it to appear in eRA. You can also call the eRA help desk with questions.
I asked for a no-cost extension after the deadline; is this likely to be approved?
No, no-cost extension requests that are made after the prior 30-day deadline will not be approved.
Contact Information
MAPP Staff
To email the entire MAPP staff use: oar.cpo.mapp@noaa.gov
Dan Barrie (Program Manager), daniel.barrie@noaa.gov
David Benson (Program Analyst), david.benson@noaa.gov
Amanda Chiachi (Program Analyst), amanda.chiachi@noaa.gov
CPO Administrative Staff
Diane Brown (Grants Administration Team Leader), diane.brown@noaa.gov
eRA: https://www.era.nih.gov/
eRA Online Help: Toll free: 1-866-504-9552 | Local (DC area): 301-402-7469 | Email: helpdesk@od.nih.gov
Or submit a web ticket at: https://www.era.nih.gov/need-help
Technical Readiness Levels
- RL 1: Basic research, experimental or theoretical work undertaken primarily to acquire new knowledge of the underlying foundations of phenomena and observable facts, without any particular application or use in view. Basic research can be oriented or directed towards some broad fields of general interest, with the explicit goal of a range of future applications (OECD, 2015).
- RL 2: Applied research, original investigation undertaken in order to acquire new knowledge. It is, however, directed primarily towards a specific, practical aim or objective. Applied research is undertaken either to determine possible uses for the findings of basic research, or to determine new methods or ways of achieving specific and predetermined objectives (OECD, 2015).
- RL 3: Proof-of-concept for system, process, product, service, or tool; this can be considered an early phase of experimental development; feasibility studies may be included.
- RL 4: Successful evaluation of system, subsystem, process, product, service, or tool in a laboratory or other experimental environment; this can be considered an intermediate phase of development.
- RL 5: Successful evaluation of system, subsystem process, product, service, or tool in relevant environment through testing and prototyping; this can be considered the final stage of development before demonstration begins.
- RL 6: Demonstration of a prototype system, subsystem, process, product, service, or tool in relevant or test environment (potential demonstrated).
- RL 7: Prototype system, process, product, service or tool demonstrated in an operational or other relevant environment (functionality demonstrated in near-real world environment; subsystem components fully integrated into system).
- RL 8: Finalized system, process, product, service or tool tested, and shown to operate or function as expected within user’s environment; user training and documentation completed; operator or user approval given.
- RL 9: System, process, product, service or tool deployed and used routinely.