Grants.gov at UMB

1. Grants.gov at UMB Last updated: June 29, 2006 Prepared by: Janet Simons Dawn R. Wilkins Jeanne Galvin-Clarke Office of Research and Development

2. What is Grants.gov? • Web-based electronic system that provides a simple, unified electronic storefront for interactions between grant applicants and the Federal agencies that manage grant funds • Data transfer via a common portal • Main goal is to provide a single, secure and reliable location for finding and applying for Federal grant funds online

3. What is driving this change? • The Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 1999 (Public Law 106-107) and the President's Management Agenda have been driving Federal Agencies to • Simplify Federal financial assistance application requirements • Improve coordination and consistency among Federal grant-making agencies • The Grants.gov Program is one of 24 Federal cross-agency E-Government initiatives focused on improving access to government services via the Internet

4. What does this mean for us? • New instructions, new forms, new software • Start earlier on preparation and routing • “Our viability as a research institution and as individual investigators depends upon successfully meeting this requirement.” (Dr. Bruce Jarrell)

5. NIH Transition • Grants.gov submission already required for • R13 (conference grants) • R15 (AREA) • S10 (Shared Instrumentation) • R03 (Small grants) • R21, R33, R34 (Exploratory/Developmental Grants; Clinical Trial Planning Grants) • See NIH Transition Plan for schedule http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/strategy_timeline.htm • February 1, 2007 - R01 applications • Once a mechanism transitions to Grants.gov, paper submissions are no longer permitted for that mechanism

6. Getting Started with Grants.gov • DO NOT register on Grants.gov or in CCR - the University is registered as an institution • ORD staff are registered as Authorized Organizational Representatives (AORs) • Faculty applying for NIH grants must register in NIH eRA Commons • Contact Colin Hunter (chunter@umaryland.edu) to get logins for NIH eRA Commons, NSF FastLane • The PI will also need a login for the web-based routing form • PIs may request username and login online via the link at: https://ord2.umaryland.edu/uom/index.lasso

7. Getting Started • Download PureEdge Viewer - free via the Grants.gov website • http://www.grants.gov/DownloadViewer • The Grants.gov Grant Application Packages can only be viewed with PureEdge Viewer • Mac/Non-Windows users will also need to purchase Windows emulation software (recommended) or install the Citrix client application to access the free Citrix server • Ensure that you have software to create PDF files (to convert from Word or other applications to PDF)

8. A quick introduction to Grants.gov Your Grant Application Grants.gov Federal Agency Submitted by ORD via web interface Application retrieved from Grants.gov by Agency

9. Find and Apply • Try the “Find Grant Opportunities” function on Grants.gov - http://www.grants.gov/search/searchHome.do • Do not use the CFDA# to search for NIH funding opportunities • For NIH grant announcements, we recommend the NIH website: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/index.html • HINT: The NIH now refers to the general, investigator-initiated program opportunity as the “PARENT” - eg “Parent R03”

10. Find and Apply (continued) • You must download the Grant Application Package for a specific Funding Opportunity Announcement, and save it on your computer for completion. • The Grant Application Package is specific to a given Funding Opportunity Announcement • For example, the Grant Application Package downloaded from an R03 Program Announcement may not be used for an R21 application. • Also download the Instructions as well as a copy of the Funding Opportunity Announcement. Follow any links within these documents for additional information.

11. What is a “Grant Application Package”? • The Grants.gov Grant Application Package is comprised of documents (forms) containing data entry fields and fields for attachments • The Grant Application Package is a PureEdge application file which has an .xfd extension

12. The Grant Application Package • The Grant Application Package can only be viewed using the PureEdge Viewer application • The Grant Application Package is saved on your hard drive or server. Re-save as you add information (similar to working with a Word document - save early and often!) • When you Save, be sure that you are “overwriting” the same file, to avoid creating multiple copies in various places.

13. A quick introduction to the Grant Application Package • The next slide is a screen-shot of what you see when you open the PureEdge file, identifying the specific Funding Opportunity Announcement, and the required and “optional” documents for that program/mechanism. • Fields in Yellow are mandatory fields in Grants.gov. • The yellow field called “Application Filing Name” on the next slide is to be used for our internal tracking purposes and appears in Grants.gov emails and status tables. Please include the PI last name as part of this field. • To open a document (form), highlight the form name and then click the open form button. • Then, complete fields and add required attachments. Be sure to look for a “Next” button because some forms have more than one page.

15. Attachments • You will create attachments in Word or similar applications. Once they are final, convert the attachment to a pdf format (more on this later). • We recommend using file names for your pdf attachments relevant to the application section, eg, “ProjectSummary.pdf” or “BudgetJustification.pdf” • Upload attachments to the Grant Application Package. Be sure to “save” the Grant Application Package as you add attachments. • Once you have added an attachment, your pdf file name will appear in the field and the “Delete Attachment” and “View Attachment” buttons will be activated. You should then be able to open and view your pdf file, or delete it and upload the correct or updated pdf file.

16. Ready to Submit • As you complete forms, move them from the box marked “Mandatory Documents” or “Optional Documents” to the corresponding “Completed Documents” box. • Click the “Check Package for Errors” button - PureEdge will tell you if you missed any of the Yellow fields. • However, it will not check for requirements of the funding agency or the specific Funding Opportunity Announcement.

17. Ready to Submit Submit button will become activated after the following steps have been completed: • All Mandatory Fields have been completed • All Mandatory Documents have been completed and moved to the Completed box • All applicable Optional Documents have been completed and moved to the Completed box • Check Package for Errors button has been clicked and reveals No Errors

18. Ready to Submit • Electronic submission through Grants.gov means that PIs no longer submit the application to NIH or other Federal agencies: this is now ORD’s responsibility. • The School of Medicine has implemented a grant routing policy - other schools have similar policies • Grants to Dean’s Office 9 business days before the deadline • Grants in FINAL form to ORD by 7 business days before the deadline

19. Submission Timeline The next slide depicts the review and submission timeline. • Provide to ORD the FINAL version of the Grant Application Package at least 7 business days before the deadline (follow your School policy). • ORD reviews within 3-4 days (this anticipates heavy volume of applications, eg major NIH deadlines) • ORD notifies PI and/or department if corrections need to be made • ORD submits the application via Grants.gov - this is the official date/time of application receipt (unless a changed/corrected application is submitted) • Grants.gov receives, validates • Agency retrieves, validates • Errors identified by Grants.gov or Agency must be fixed and the application resubmitted. • ORD submits changed/corrected application - this then becomes the official date/time of application submission. • Submission of a changed/corrected application must occur before the Agency deadline unless the Agency has provided different information about corrected applications.

20. Submission Timeline FINAL Grant Application Package to ORD 3 to 5 days Receipt Validation Retrieval Errors/Warnings? Resubmission Deadline Proposal submission

21. Routing (or, how does ORD get the PureEdge file?) • Use the UMB web-based routing form • https://ord2.umaryland.edu/uom/index.lasso • Complete and “submit” the form. The PI will receive an emailed PDF of the routing form, with signature lines • Print out the emailed PDF routing form and attach (hard copy) the budget and a DRAFT of the proposal to obtain signatures • Upload the FINAL completed PureEdge file (Grant Application Package) to the existing routing form • Email your ORD contact person to advise that the FINAL file has been uploaded for ORD review.

22. The Big Picture Routing form & print-out of budget, draft proposal Routing for signatures PI/Dept prepare application forms & attachments; Web-based routing form is completed Grants.gov review/ validation Agency receipt/ error check ORD review ORD submits application Upload to web-based Routing Form Resubmission, when required PureEdge Grant Application Packet

23. Save form data and send PDF: instructs the program to send Routing Form pdf to PI and other contact person to be printed out for routing. Screen shot of routing form

24. Click on View Routing Forms to access an existing routing form. Then, click on “Upload Files”.

25. Upload the Budget in the first field, and the PureEdge Grant Application Package in the next field

26. In Review • ORD accesses the uploaded PureEdge file via its database, and opens each form and attachment for review • This takes 60-90 minutes per application • ORD reviews, as usual, the budget and administrative parts of the application, focusing on agency requirements. ORD verifies that attachments are in PDF format. • The BUDGET should be supplied as an Excel spreadsheet, to provide detail to the Dean’s Office and ORD not included in the Grant Application Package, and to allow ORD to verify the budget information in the application. • ORD notifies the PI and administrator of any concerns.

27. In Review • ORD can make minor corrections to data in the form fields. • ORD cannot correct or change the content of PDF files. • If substantive changes are needed, such as revised PDF attachments, ORD may request that an updated PureEdge file with the necessary corrections be provided to ORD. • Upload the corrected PureEdge file to the existing routing form, and email ORD to advise that the file is available. • ORD requests that you give the revised PureEdge file a new file name (such as “SmithR03Version5.xfd”)

28. Submission! • ORD submits the application through Grants.gov • A confirmation page is provided on the website, then a series of email messages are sent by Grants.gov and usually from the agency as well, to confirm receipt and validation by Grants.gov and the agency. • ORD forwards emails to the PI and Administrator

29. ERRORS & WARNINGS • An application with an ERROR will not go forward for review • Applications with Errors must be corrected and resubmitted via Grants.gov prior to the agency deadline • Warnings may be important or minor - review and correct as required. Applications with Warnings will go forward for review. Corrected/changed applications must be resubmitted via Grants.gov prior to the agency deadline. • Most Warnings have been minor and have not required correction/resubmission.

30. NIH’s Most Common Errors • Missing PI’s Commons User ID on the Senior/Key Person form, “Credential” field • PDF issues • NIH only accepts attachments in PureEdge or PDF format. Do not submit attachments in other formats such as Microsoft Word, Word Perfect, etc. • Do not put special characters in file names. • Disable all security features in the PDF document. • Do not send PDF documents with editable fields (fields that can be changed). • http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/pdf_guidelines.htm

31. Review in NIH eRA Commons • If an application has no Errors, NIH assembles a PDF file from the data and attachments transmitted via Grants.gov and posts the pdf document in eRA Commons. • NIH allows 2 business days for the PI and Signing Official (SO) to review the application in eRA Commons, during which time the SO may reject the application. • This option should be used if the PI or SO determines that warnings should be addressed. • A changed/corrected application must be submitted within the two day viewing window. • Per NIH on 6/29/06, “business days” means “weekdays” and includes holidays • If no action is taken within the 2-day period, the application will automatically move forward in the NIH review process.

32. Notes on checking the assembled application (NIH - eRA Commons) • Log on to Commons (https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/ ) • Click the Status tab, then click on “e-applications” on the left • If the application is acceptable to the PI, notify ORD - no further action is necessary in Commons. • Only the AOR/SO (ORD Contract Officer) has the ability to “reject” the application within the two business days to address warnings or if the assembled application in eRA Commons does not correctly reflect the submitted application package due to system issues with eRA Commons or Grants.gov (i.e. some part of the application was lost during the submission process or did not transfer correctly). • NIH states that applicants will not be penalized for NIH or Grants.gov system issues. From http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/

33. Rejecting in NIH eRA Commons and Resubmitting • If the AOR/SO rejects the application before the submission deadline, a changed/corrected application can be submitted to Grants.gov within the two-day viewing window. • If the AOR/SO rejects the application after the submission deadline for some reason other than system issues, a changed/corrected application can be submitted to Grants.gov but it will be subject to the NIH late policy and may not be accepted. A cover letter will need to be attached to the application package, explaining the reason why the application is late. From http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/

34. Other Agencies • ORD currently recommends that if an agency does not have a validation/verification process (as do NIH and NSF), the PI/department should contact the Agency Program Office to verify that the application with all required components was received.

35. QUESTIONS??? Contact your ORD Contract Officer or: Jeanne jclarke@umaryland.edu Dawn dwilk001@umaryland.edu Janet jsimons@umaryland.edu

36. Resources • ORD website • http://www.ord.umaryland.edu/electronic_submissions/electronic_submissions.html • Grants.gov Customer Support website • http://grants.gov/CustomerSupport • NIH eRA Commons website • http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/ • NIH - Avoiding Common Errors • http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/avoiding_errors.htm