Introduction To Data Standards

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Introduction ToData Standards
eRA SBIR Public Briefing March 4,
2002 paul.markovitz_at_nih.gov
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• Concept of operations
• Data (i.e., the what)
• Interface (i.e., the how)

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Prerequisites

• Applicant/Grantee is registered with the NIH
  Commons
• Electronic registration available
• Each key person on a grant application is known
  (i.e., has an account) on the NIH Commons
• Electronic account creation available to
  registered organizations

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Conceptually...
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Data (i.e, the What)
University/ 3rd Party Vendor
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Data - Transactions

• Core transactions
• Grant application
• Submission acknowledgment
• Business acknowledgment
• Notice of grant award
• Other transactions
• Professional profiles?
• Invention reporting?
• Financial reporting?

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Data - Content

• Grant application
• PHS 398
• Notice of grant award
• NIH notice of grant award email
• Acknowledgments
• To be defined...

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Data - Standards

• Data syntax
• XML
• DTD for grant application and award available
• fedcommons.gov/Docs
• EDI to XML translations via Federal Commons
• EDI mappings for grant application and award
• http//grants2.nih.gov/grants/era/era.htm
• Will provide similar XML mappings
• XML Schema in future?
• Enhancements to data syntax?

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Data - Issues

• Support test and live transactions
• Expect complete transactions
• Binary data embedded in XML document
• Binary Data Components
• Project description
• Professional profiles (Biosketch)?
• Project title?
• Project abstract?
• Others?
• Linking grant applications with professional
  profiles residing on the NIH Commons

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Conceptually...
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Interface (i.e., the How)
University/ 3rd Party Vendor
NIH
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Interface - Timing

• Grant application
• Application due date
• Submission acknowledgment
• Immediate or near immediate response to grant
  application submission
• Business acknowledgment
• When NIH assigns grant application number
• Notice of grant award
• Day of or day after NIH awards grant

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Interface - Submission Issues

• XML submission protocol
• Web (HTTP)?
• Secure email (S/MIME)?
• Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)?
• Others?

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Interface - Security Issues

• User authentication (protocol dependent)
• Passwords?
• Electronic (non-cryptographic) signatures?
• Digital signatures?
• When signed (protocol dependent)
• Prior to submission?
• At the time of submission?
• After submission?
• What signatures are required
• Authorized university official
• Principal Investigator?

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Interface - Acknowledgments Awards

• Delivery mechanism (depends, in part, on
  submission protocol)
• Web?
• Email?
• Email with URL?
• Others?
• Email preferences maintained in organizational
  profile
• Content of acknowledgments
• Security requirements

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Other Considerations

• OMB e-Gov initiatives
• e-authentication
• e-grants
• CIO Council XML Working Group
• Deployments at other agencies