Reminder to Secure Your eRA Account with Two-Factor Authentication Today

Friday, September 10, 2021

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Dear eRA User,

We noticed that you have not yet made your eRA account more secure by making the switch to using two-factor authentication. Please take a few simple steps today to be sure you can continue to access your eRA Commons account.

Comply with this requirement in one of two ways:

• Use Login.gov

 It’s a simple, one-time, three-step process to associate your eRA         account with a Login.gov account. Go to the eRA Commons home screen,   click on LOGIN.GOV, and follow the on-screen prompts.

Figure 1:  A three-step process to associate your Login.gov account with your eRA Commons account.

Our cheat sheet provides detailed steps and screenshots so you can see how easy it really is!

• Use an InCommon Federated account

If you have an InCommon Federated account (this is when participating InCommon Federation organizations authenticate their own users), beginning September 15, 2021, you can securely log in to eRA systems using this account as long as your organization supports NIH’s two-factor authentication standards and you have it enabled for your account.

What happens if I am not able to make the switch right now?

Not to worry, we adjusted the deadline for enforcement to give you a bit more time (But we recommend you make the switch now. Not only will it make your account more secure, but with Login.gov you will also be able to log in to other government systems such as Grants.gov, SAM.gov and MyNCBI with your Login.gov credentials).

Starting September 15, 2021, eRA will begin requiring two-factor authentication for principal investigators and key personnel 45 days after the submission of an application (Type 1 or 2) or Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR).

Additional Tips for Associating Your eRA Account with Login.gov

• Make sure your Commons account is active and you know your password before you begin the process. If you need to reset your eRA account password, please do this first by using the Forgot Password/Unlock Account?
• Make sure to start from the eRA Commons home screen. Do not go straight to Login.gov or your Institutions’ login page.

Resources

• Webpage: Two-Factor Authentication: Accessing eRA Modules via Login.gov

         For a flyer, videos, FAQs and more

• Webpage: Accessing eRA Modules Via an InCommon Federated Account
• Guide Notice: NOT-OD-21-172
• Brochure: Transition Plan for Two-Factor Authentication Requirement for Accessing eRA Systems (August 6, 2021)
• FAQs

 Need Help?

• If you run into issues with associating your Login.gov or InCommon Federated account with your eRA account, please contact the eRA Service Desk at https://grants.nih.gov/support/index.html .
• You can also refer to Login.gov for additional help at https://www.login.gov/help/

Note: This is a genuine email from the electronic Research Administration (eRA) at the NIH Office of Extramural Research. Because we are using the Gov.Delivery platform, eRA links may appear different from the usual links.