grants.gov

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Overview

• What is the Grants.gov program?
• Which organizations are involved with Grants.gov?
• How do I find grant opportunities?
• Downloading an application package
• Submitting a proposal
• Grants.gov tips and hints

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The Grants.gov Program

• Is a cross-agency E-Government initiative,
  spanning 1000 grants programs and over 400
  billion in annual awards made by all 26 Federal
  grant making agencies
• Will produce a simple, unified storefront for
  all customers of Federal grants to
  electronically
• Find grant opportunities
• Apply for grants
• Is one of the outcomes of Public Law 106-107 and
  the President's Management Agenda mandating
  government-wide streamlining activities
• Implementation agencies must go electronic

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Grants.gov centralizes access to grant
information and applications
Applicant 1
Applicant N
Applicant 3
..
Applicant 1
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• Now
• All agencies list all funding opportunities in GG
• All agencies provide the option to submit some
  or all applications via GG
• Some agencies require submission of all
  applications through GG
• Later
• All (?) agencies require submission of all
  applications through GG

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Registration and Roles UNH/OSR

• UNH/OSR has registered as an organization in
  grants.gov and has established the needed
  contacts/roles
• E-Business Point of Contact (POC )
• Gary Giarrusso (OSR FMG Mgr)
• Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR)
  OSR Grant and Contract Administrators (GCAs)
• GCAs also are registered as authorized
  officials in the various agencies electronic
  research administration eRA systems
• (Fastlane, NIH eRA Commons, NSPIRES, etc.)

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Registration and Roles Individual PIs/PDs

• Application Author (AA)
• Principal Investigator (PI) or Project Director
  (PD)
• AA DOES NOT register in grants.gov
• AA MAY need to register in the agencies
  electronic research administration eRA systems
  (Fastlane, NIH eRA Commons, NSPIRES, etc.)
• Registration in agency system may require GCA
  assistance and/or approval
• Registration in agency system can take up to 2
  weeks to be finalized
• Check w/GCA and agency website /or instructions
  for requirements

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Grants.gov provides many types of help and
support
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Getting Started

• Download and Install PureEdge Viewer
• (IBM Workplace Forms) or alternative
• Download from grants.gov website
• http//www07.grants.gov/resources/download_softwar
  e.jsp
• There is no cost for required software
• Computer type and operating system determines
  which Forms Program to use
• Instructions and support provided to download and
  install what you need

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Compatibility of G.G Forms Programs with Computer
Systems
http//www07.grants.gov/resources/download_softwar
e.jsp
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Adobe-based forms coming!

• Phased transition to platform-independent,
  Adobe-based versions of SF 424 RR forms began
  7/9/07
• PureEdge/IBM Workplace Forms on existing
  applications will be accepted/supported until
  further notice
• Current Transition Targets
• NIH does not plan to use the Adobe forms for new
  application packages until "late this year"
• It is likely that no PureEdge submissions will be
  accepted after 12/31/2008
• Target transition dates for each agency have been
  established . See chart

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Includes NIH
Includes NRI
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Adobe-based forms coming!

• Forms can be filled and saved using Adobe Reader
  8.1.2 (downloaded from G.G)
• Other versions of Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat
  Standard/Professional will not save forms
  properly
• Reader 8.1.2 can be downloaded and used side by
  side with Adobe Acrobat versions
• After download, youll need to be sure you open
  the application package in Reader 8.1.2
• Download can sometimes cause configuration
  problems, so install Reader 8.1.2 well ahead of
  time

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Receive Grant Opportunity Emails
Search Grant Opportunities

• Basic search
• Keyword, FON, CFDA
• Browse by category
• Funding activity category
• Browse by agency
• Advanced search
• 9 parameters, alone or combined

• Selected Notices based on Funding Opportunity
  Number
• Selected Notices based on Advanced Criteria
• All Grants Notices

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Advanced SearchComplete any combination of
fields and click the "Search" button
- Keyword - Open /Closed /Archived
Opportunities - Funding Opportunity Number -
Dates to Search All Dates Last 3 Days 1
week 2 weeks ? 8 weeks
- CFDA Number - Funding Activity Category -
Funding Instrument Type - Eligibility -
Agency Subagency
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Search Keyword food
Shows formats and titles of any documents that
accompany the application forms
Click here to resort
Funding Opportunity Number (FON)
Results sorted by
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Most recent version of synopsis always displays
Modifications are described here
Actual changes are highlighted in grey
throughout text
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• Downloading an application
• package requires a
• Funding opportunity number OR
• CFDA Number OR
• Funding opportunity competition ID

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SPACER
DOWNLOAD APPLICATION via APPLY
(1) Click here
(2) Click here
SPACER
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DOWNLOAD APPLICATION via APPLY
(3) Enter FON or CFDA
(4) Click here
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DOWNLOAD APPLICATION from SYNOPSIS
Click here
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DOWNLOAD APPLICATION via LINK IN SPONSORS
FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENT
NIH
Click here
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DOWNLOAD APPLICATION via LINK IN SPONSORS
FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENT
NEH
Click here
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All roads lead to Rome
Next, click here to download application
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Make sure to include your e-mail for any changes
to the application or messages from the sponsor
Make sure to download the instructions along with
the application package
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TIPS HINTS

• Check the grants.gov website for general
  instructions for using forms and system
• Check the agency website, RFP, and application
  instructions for guidelines for proposal
  preparation, filling out the forms, and naming
  files
• Check the RFP and application instructions for
  specific requirements of the program or
  exceptions to usual agency guidelines
• (incl. if/how to provide supplementary materials)
• Sign up to receive e-mail notices re
  application changes and other sponsor info

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Indicators that this is a PureEdge application
package
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Check the title, agency name, and opportunity
number
If there are blanks fields, dont worry the
agency wants it that way!
Sometimes, close date ? deadline date
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Use this SAVE button
Choose yes to save application package onto
your computer
Choose no to exit application package without
saving it
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Document will be saved as filename.xfd
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Use this SAVE button
Indicators that this is an Adobe application
package
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Document will be saved as filename.pdf
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TIPS HINTS When saving the application
package to your computer

• Use a descriptive file name that allows for
  version control
• For PDFs file name cannot have spaces or special
  characters
• Remember to save early and often as you work
• Remember to save a back-up copy in a different,
  secure location when you finish each work session

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When using PureEdge forms
To open a form, select from list
Then click on grey Open Form button
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SF 424 (RR) is cover page used most often for
grant applications
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More general SF-424 cover page sometimes used
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When using PureEdge forms
?
Activate the button, then hover your cursor
over a yellow field to get help with filling out
the field
?
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TIPS HINTS

• Yellow fields are required by grants.gov
• Type directly onto form (vs. cutting pasting)
• Avoid imbedded blanks or other extraneous
  characters
• Follow agencys instructions for characters
  allowed, formats, etc.
• The application filing name
• your project title in form designated by
  sponsor OR
• UNH your project title if sponsor gives
  no instructions
• Save your work early often!
• Remember, you are working on this application
  off-line!

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When using PureEdge forms
As forms are completed, they are moved from the
box on left side
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When using PureEdge forms
to the box on right side
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Documents you create are attached to application
using the form provided in the application package
Always convert documents to PDF format before
attaching to the form!
Check agency guidelines for if/when scanning is OK
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Once all your documents are completed, you can
send your proposal to OSR for completion of
assurances and submission.
This is how it looks when using PureEdge forms
SF424 (RR) Budget Information for
Non-Construction Programs (SF-424A)
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How do you send your application to OSR?

• You can send it to your Grant Contract
  Administrator via e-mail
• You can bring portable media (e.g., CD, memory
  sticks) to OSR
• You may be able to use the OSR Inbox in
  Blackboard
• (Check with your GCA to see if this option is
  available)

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What does OSR do with your application?

• GCA reviews application package to be sure that
• Required forms are completed
• Institutional information is correct (e.g., DUNS
  number)
• Required institutional approval forms and
  compliance-related forms are included
• All PDs files are attached and in pdf format
• For details of business process, see
  http//www.unh.edu/osr/e-proposals/support/epropos
  als_business_process_guide.pdf
• GCA presses the button to submit proposal to
  grants.gov
• GCA tracks progress of your proposal through
  grants.gov and to sponsor

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Within 48 hours of submission

• GCA receives 2 e-mails from grants.gov
• 1 Confirms receipt of your application by the
  Grants.gov system
• Assigns ID date/time stamp
• 2 Indicates that the application has either
  been successfully validated by the system prior
  to transmission to the grantor agency OR has been
  rejected due to errors

This will be your official submission
date/time IF your application goes through
validation w/o errors
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What can cause your proposal to be rejected
during grants.gov validation?

• Your attachments have a virus
• Not all of the forms have been filled out
• Incorrect University information (e.g., DUNS)
• PDF file names have spaces or other special
  characters
• Other bugs in the grants.gov system (rare)

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What happens after the sponsor retrieves your
proposal from grants.gov?

• Sponsor may have agency-specific validation
  process
• Check PI ID information (e.g., NIH eRA commons
  ID)
• Check for compliance to page and other format
  guidelines
• Other business process checks
• Sponsor may send GCA (and PI) e-mail notices of
  progress
• Final approval by GCA and/or PI may be required
• Once proposal is successfully received, it enters
  the review process

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What can happen if my proposal has errors
during grants.gov and/or sponsor validation?
If it is before the sponsors deadline (date
time) proposal can be retrieved, corrected
and resubmitted

• If it is after the sponsors deadline (date
  time)
• you cannot correct it and resubmit

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TIPS HINTS

• Grants.govs turn around time for validation can
  be up to 48 hours
• Only after validation will it be forwarded to the
  sponsoring agency
• The application is not considered officially
  received until the sponsor deems it error free
• This may take an additional 48 hours
• Submission of corrected proposal starts back at
  the beginning _at_ grants.gov
• So..

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TIPS HINTS
Allow extra time to correct errors and resubmit!
We urge you to send your completed proposal to
OSR no less than 5 business days before the
required SPONSOR RECEIPT DATE AND TIME
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What does grants.gov do with my proposal after
the agency picks it up?

• Grants.gov uses the assigned ID number to track
  the proposal only while it is in the g.g system
• Grants.gov does not track the proposal once it is
  forwarded to the sponsoring agency
• Applications are archived for 180 days on the
  grants.gov website

As with other submission methods, you can check
the status of your proposal through the agencys
eRA system or with the agency program contact
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http//www.unh.edu/osr
Explore the e-proposals page at the OSR
website
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http//www.unh.edu/osr/e-proposals/grants_gov.html
Explore the grants.gov page at the OSR
website
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http//www.unh.edu/osr/e-proposals/resources.html
Explore the grants.gov HELP page at the OSR
website
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OSR Resources and Contacts

• Grants.gov Info Assistance
• This presentation
• http//www.unh.edu/osr/e-proposals/resources.html
• Lynnette Hentges 862-2002
• lynnette.hentges_at_unh.edu
• OSR Grant and Contract Administrators (GCAs)
• Assigned by Project Directors department or
  center affiliation
• Find your department/center at
  http//www.unh.edu/osr/misc/contact_us.html