November 15, 2016

eRA Reminder: Please Update Your Browsers by Nov. 30 to Continue Using eRA Modules

eRA Reminder: Please Update Your Browsers by Nov. 30 
Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Just a reminder that on Wednesday, November 30, 2016, eRA is updating access to all its publicly-accessible websites to use ‘https only’ secure connections per federal mandate (OMB M-15-13, dated June 8, 2015). Please update your browsers to continue using eRA Commons, ASSIST, IAR and iEdison.

NOTE: This update will not impact System-to-System connections or security certificates. 

Original message below sent Wednesday, October 26, 2016 at 8:26 a.m. ET. 



eRA Information: Please Update Your Browsers by Nov. 30 to Use eRA Modules; New Security Mandated For Websites
Wednesday, October 26, 2016

eRA has been working on strengthening the security of its modules, web services and websites to the federally mandated ‘https only’ secure connection required for all federal agencies. 

The ‘https’ connection offers “the strongest privacy and integrity protection currently available for public web connections,” the Office of Management and Budget wrote in mandating federal agencies adopt this standard by the end of 2016.

Effective November 30, 2016, all eRA modules (eRA Commons, ASSIST, IAR and iEdison), web services and websites will use ‘https only’ secure connections.  

What This Means for You

You may need to update your web browser to continue using eRA modules:

  • With this policy, some browser versions will no longer work. 
  • Here is a list of browsers and versions that will still work properly following the update:
    These three are also the browsers eRA uses to develop and test its modules for browser compatibility, as listed in the eRA Browser Compatibility statement. While lower versions are listed below, we encourage you to upgrade to the versions listed in our browser compatibility statement above to ensure you have an optimal experience when using eRA modules.


    • Google Chrome®  version 4.0.211.0 and higher
    • Firefox® version 4 and higher; with Firefox 17, Mozilla® integrates a list of websites supporting the new protocol
    • Internet Explorer® 11 on Windows® 8.1 and Windows® 7 when KB 3058515 or higher is installed (Released on Windows Update in June 2015). 
    • Chromium®  
    • Opera®  version 12 and later
    • Safari® as of OS X Mavericks
    • Microsoft® Edge™ and Internet Explorer® 11 on Windows® 10
The last four are the other browser versions that will work with the security upgrade, but are not included in the in the eRA Browser Compatibility statement:


More information is available at https://https.cio.gov/ and OMB M-15-13.

Joe Schumaker
eRA Communications 
Division of Communications and Outreach
NIH Office of Extramural Research

Questions? If you have a question about this email, please contact the eRA Service Desk at http://grants.nih.gov/support/  (preferred method of contact) or call 1-866-504-9552/301.402.7469.