Grants.gov | The Final Step in Securing Research and Program Support: How to Complete the Application Package Ramana Gosukonda Associate Professor of Agricultural Sciences Fort Valley State University

Agenda Complete the Application Overview of Grants.gov Functionality What does it mean to PI? Features: Find and Apply Getting started with Grants.gov How to register How to download application packages Complete the Application Tips for submitting to Grants.gov successfully Review grant notices and instructions carefully Register early; submit early; verify submission is OK

GIT Conference Grants.gov overview

Grants.gov at a Glance http://www.grants.gov One-stop shop for funding opportunities that allows the public to electronically: Find grant opportunities Apply for grants Manage grants Include funding opportunities from all 26 federal agencies as well as some state and local governments

Grants.gov provides robust functionality… For Grantors Post available grant opportunities Post related application packages Retrieve application packages Assign tracking numbers For the Grant Community Search for available grant opportunities and related application packages Download application packages Complete application packages offline Submit completed application packages Track the status of submitted applications

What does Grants.gov mean to PI ? All proposals must be in response to a specific Grant Opportunity. All Application Packages must be downloaded through the Grant Opportunity. No reuse of forms! All proposals must be developed in the Grants.gov Application Package PI/SPO submits the completed proposal through Grants.gov

What does Grants.gov mean to PI ? All proposals will be validated by Grants.gov prior to being accepted as submitted. Proposals will not be considered submitted until all the validation errors are fixed and an error-free proposal is accepted by Grants.gov prior to the published deadline of the Opportunity.

Grants.gov Key Features Find Grant Opportunities Apply for Grants

Quick Search Using Key Word Use Keyword search on Home Page for a quick search of grant opportunities When you search on Keyword, you may be brought to a list of Opportunities. A Grant Opportunity number will take you directly to the Opportunity.

Browse Opportunities In the middle of Grants.gov Home Page Find Open Grant Opportunities

Full Search – Basic Search Tool Click “SEARCH GRANT” tab then use “BASIC SEARCH” to find grant opportunities.

Getting Started With Grants. gov GIT Conference Getting Started With Grants. gov

Who Uses Grants.gov? Organizations (Ebiz POC) E-Business Point of Contact (AOR) Authorized Organization Representative Grant researcher Individuals Note: One person can and, in some instances, will serve in multiple capacities for the organization

Registering With Grants.gov (for Organizations) Step 1: Register Your Organization FVSU is Registered with Grants.gov Step 2: Register Yourself as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) Step 3: Get Yourself Authorized by your organization to submit grants Registration can take 5 or more days to complete Begin the registration process now; avoid the pressure of registering and applying at the same time.

Step 1: Register your Organization Obtain your organizations DUNS number Register your organization with Central Contractor Registry (CCR). Please note this registration must be updated annually. Identify your organization’s E-Business Point of Contact (e-Biz POC) Confirm your organization’s CCR M-PIN password (Marketing Partner ID Number (M-PIN) password)

Step 2: Register Yourself as AOR Obtain your username and password from the Grants.gov Credential Provider. Register username and password with Grants.gov Step 3: Get Authorized as an AOR Contact your E-Business POC to ensure your AOR Status Log in to Grants.gov to check your AOR status NOTE: An Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) is the person who submits the application for the organization.

Check your AOR Status Login to Grants.gov as an Applicant Check your AOR status in your user profile Approved status means your ready to submit

Finding Grant Opportunities:Three Ways Quick Search Using Key Word When you search on Keyword, you may be brought to a list of Opportunities. A Grant Opportunity number will take you directly to the Opportunity Browse Opportunities –in the middle of the page Browse Newest opportunities Browse by category Browse by agency Browse by Eligibility Full Search- Click on the SEARCH GRANTS TAB Basic Search - is useful if you have a specific Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) # and/or Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) # For example, to search for 84.215L – enter 84.215 Do not enter an alpha character after the CFDA

Finding Opportunity –Basic Search For Example, we searched on Grant Opportunity 84.051A From Search Results you click on the Opportunity Number to access the Grant Opportunity Application Page Click on the Opportunity Number and the View Grant Opportunity Page will appear with the Synopsis, Announcement, and How to Apply

Finding Opportunity (Cont.) View Grant Opportunity Page provides a summary of the Application Package. It has following TABS SYNOPSIS, VERSION HISTORY, RELATED DOCUMENTS, PACKAGE

Finding Opportunity (Cont.) On the View Grant Opportunity you can access the Full Announcement of solicitation by clicking on RELATED DOCUMENTS TAB Download Full Announcement from here

Finding Opportunity (Cont.) Click on PACKAGE TAB for Grants.Gov Application Double check if you have the correct Opportunity It is highly recommended that you enter your Email address in the fields so you can subscribe to the updates. You have an option not to provide your E-mail address Enter E-mail address

Finding Opportunity (Cont.) Download the Instructions and Save to your hard drive Download the Application Package and Save it to your hard drive Download Application Instructions and Package from here

Rename the Application When you download, rename the file as follows: PI Last Name_Agency Acronym.pdf E.g. Smith_NIH.pdf Eventually you will have more than one file with the same name. E.g. Smith_NIH. That’s ok. Just add a relevant date (102215) or keyword to maintain unique naming E.g. Smith_NIH_ 102215

This is Why We Need a Naming Convention Research Sponsored Programs receives at least four e-mails regarding each submission: First confirms receipt by Grants.gov. Second confirms validation by Grants.gov. Third confirms receipt by Sponsor. Subsequent emails from Sponsor regarding tracking through the Sponsor’s system (e.g. NIH Commons, DOE IIPS) or contact information.

Completing the Application GIT Conference Completing the Application

Applying for Grant Opportunities Getting Ready Before beginning the Application Package, Read the Application Instructions very carefully and follow them. Determine deadline: Both due date and time If you have programmatic questions about the instructions, please contact the Federal Agency Program Manager identified in the OPPORTUNITY. If you have questions regarding “how” to complete a form or policy questions, contact Office of External Affairs for guidance.

Applying for Grant Opportunities The first step in the Apply process is to open your Application Package and Instructions

What's in an Application Package? Application header Page Top Section – Opportunity Identifying Information is automatically pre-filled Middle Section – Application Filing Name Bottom Section – Select Forms to Complete Forms Mandatory Standard Form 424 (Research & Related) SF424 (R&R) is the set of standard forms used across all agencies. Other mandatory Budget, Personal etc. forms Optional Key contacts, Sub award Etc. forms Application header Page

Application Header Page It is the first page viewed each time the file is opened. It is the point from which you will navigate through to complete all forms Section 1: Opportunity identifying information Section 2: Application Filing Name Section 3: Mandatory and optional forms to be completed

Header Page (Section 1): Opportunity Identifying Information Opportunity Identifying Information is automatically pre-filled. DO NOT CHANGE Verify the Opportunity Identifying Information. If the Federal funding opportunity listed is not the opportunity for which you want to apply, close this application package by clicking on the “Cancel” button at the top of this screen. You will then need to locate the correct Federal funding opportunity, download its application and then apply. Verify the Opportunity Identifying Information. This electronic grants application is intended to be used to apply for the specific Federal funding opportunity referenced here.

Header Page (Section 2): Application Filing Name Check the box indicating that you will be submit an application on your own behalf (if applicable). The check box will only be shown on funding opportunities that are open to individuals. Enter a name for the application in the * Application Filing Name field. This field is required. This name is solely for you to track the application through the Grants.gov submission process; Funding agencies will not use the filing name. You may use any combination of letters and/or numbers to name the application file. Check this box if applicable Enter the name here

Header Page (Section 3): Select Forms to Complete Complete all of the documents listed in the “Mandatory” section. Complete the SF-424 (R&R) first. Data on the SF-424 (R&R) will populate other mandatory and optional forms where possible. To access a form or document, click on the form/document name. Alternatively, you need only scroll up or down, as appropriate, to locate the desired form/document. Click on the form or scroll down to access a particular form

Header Page (Section 3): Optional Forms to Complete Add and Complete Optional Documents These documents can be used to provide additional support for the application or may be required for specific types of funding opportunities. To add an “Optional” form/document to the application package→ simply check the box to the left of the desired form/document. To add, simply check the box to the left of the desired form/document.

Navigating and Completing the Forms The SF-424 (R&R) Cover Sheet and R&R Budget forms/documents are two or more pages in length. You must complete the mandatory fields on each page of the form/document. To navigate to the next page of a form/document, simply scroll down the screen. To go back to the first page of the form/document or to the Grant Application Package screen, simply scroll up the screen. You must save the application package from the Grant Application Package screen.

Completing the R&R Budget form You may enter up to five budget periods on the R&R Budget form/document. To add a new budget period, you must first complete Budget Period 1 including attaching a budget narrative. The “Next Period” button at top of page 3 of the R&R Budget form/document will become active once all the required fields in Budget Period 1 are completed.

Components of the SF424 (R&R) SF424 (R&R) Standard Components include: R&R Application cover component R&R Project/Performance Site Location (s) R&R Other Project Information R&R Senior/Key Person R&R Budget R&R Personal Data R&R Subaward Budget Attachment Form

File Attachments Many of the forms/documents in the application package require you to attach files. All attachments must be submitted in Portable Document Format (.pdf) format. All attachments also must have a unique name to identify them. Attachment file names should indicate the file contents (e.g., Project Summary).

Accessing Help Accessing Help Tips- To access help tips scroll over a field on the form/document to reveal the help text for that field. Not every field has a help tip.

Saving the Application Saving the Application- you save the application package after you complete each form/document. by clicking on the “Save” button at the top of the Grant Application Package Screen. Note that the application package will be saved to the last active directory on your computer. Therefore, you should save the application package to your hard drive where it can be easily accessed.

Saving the Application Click here on the (save button) header/first page to save the application package

Check Package for Errors To initiate the Grants.gov edit check process, simply click on the “Check Package for Errors” button at the top of the screen. This process will identify all mandatory fields that you have not been completed. These errors will be displayed one at a time. Click here on the Check Package for Errors button) on header page to save the application package

Error Message Window First line identifies the form Specific Errors. To fix errors go to the specific form, and specific field to resolve the error

Once you resolve errors it should display “Complete” for each form

SR424 Cover page (Field 1) Mandatory fields are highlighted with Yellow and Red border. - You must fill in these fields with info. Field 1: Select a Type of Submission a type of submission. If this submission is to change or correct a previously submitted “New” application, click the Changed/Corrected Application box and enter the Grants.gov tracking number in the Federal Identifier field. If this submission is to change or correct a “resubmission”, “renewal”, “continuation”, or “revision” application, leave the Federal identifier field as previously filled with the existing identifier (e.g. Award number). Select “New” or Application if it is new submission

SR424 Cover page (Field 2 and 3) Field 2: Enter Date Submitted and Applicant Identifier Enter the date the application is submitted to Federal agency (or State if applicable). Please use mm/dd/yyyy format (e.g., 10/22/2015). Use the Applicant Identifier field when an institution has its own system for tracking applications. This field allows the applicant to enter their application identifier on the application, if applicable. Enter the Applicant’s control number (if applicable) in the Applicant Identifier Field 3 : Enter Date Received by State and State Application Identifier Enter the date received by state (if applicable). Enter the state application identifier (if applicable) in the State Application Identifier field. You could leave it blank if not applicable

SR424 Cover page (Field 4&5) Field 4: Enter Federal Identifier New project applications should leave these fields blank. If not new Federal Identifier: If this is a continuation, revision, or renewal application, enter the assigned Federal identifier number (for example, award number)—even if submitting a changed/corrected application. Agency Routing Identifier: Enter the agency-assigned routing identifier per the agency-specific instructions. This is an optional field. Previous Grants.gov Tracking ID: Enter the previous Grants.gov tracking number, if applicable. Field 5: Enter Applicant Information Enter the DUNS or DUNS+4 number of the applicant organization in the * Organizational DUNS field. This field is required. FVSU’s DUN is : 0734590830000 Refer FVSU’s OSP-SOP-Manual-2015.pdf 0734590830000

SR424 Cover page (Field 5&6) Field 5: Applicant information For the Legal Name field enter the legal name of the applicant organization or individual i.e., Fort Valley State University Street 1, City, State, Country, and Zip/Postal Code fields are required. Enter the nine-digit Postal Code Zip: 31030-4313 County: Peach Field: The Person to be contacted on matters involving this application Enter PI details Field 6: Employer Identification (EIN or TIN): Enter either TIN or EIN as assigned by the Internal Revenue Service. If your organization is not in the U.S., type 44-4444444. This field is required FVSU TIN is : 58-6002062 FVSU DUN is 0734590830000 Enter FVSU details here Enter PI details here FVSU TIN is : 58-6002062

SR424 Cover page (Field 7-10) Field 7: Select the appropriate applicant type code. This field is required. FVSU is HBCU Higher Education State Government Field 8: Select Type of Application • New or Resubmission or Renewal or Continuation or Revision Field 9: Name of Federal Agency This is the name the Federal agency from which assistance is being requested by this application. This information is pre-populated from the opportunity package. Field 10 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number and Title under which assistance is requested. This information is pre-populated from the opportunity package. DoEd. requires 0734590830000 Enter FVSU details here Enter PI details here New - An application that is being submitted to an agency for the first time. • Resubmission - An application that has been previously submitted, but not funded, and is being resubmitted for new consideration. Renewal - An application requesting additional funding for a period subsequent to that provided by a current award. A renewal application competes with all other applications and must be developed as fully as though the applicant is applying for the first time. Continuation - A non-competing application for an additional funding/budget period within a previously approved project period. Revision - An application that proposes a change in - 1) the Federal Government's financial obligations or contingent liability from an existing obligation; or, 2) any other change in the terms and conditions of the existing award. FVSU TIN is : 58-6002062

SR424 Cover page (Field 11-13) Field 11: Enter Descriptive Title of Applicant's Project This field is required. USDA has 140-character-maximum including spaces. Field 12 : Enter Proposed Project Start Date – Enter the proposed start date of the project. This field is required. Use mm/dd/yyyy format (e.g., 10/01/2015). Ending Date – Enter the proposed end date of the project. This field is required. Use mm/dd/yyyy format (e.g., 09/30/2018). Field 13: Enter Congressional Districts Enter the Congressional District in the format: 2 character State Abbreviation - 3 character District Number. For FVSU it is GA-002 0734590830000 Enter FVSU details here Enter PI details here The proposed duration for which support is requested must be consistent with the nature and complexity of the proposed activity. In some situations, a funding opportunity may limit the duration of requested support. In such cases, RFA will address the limitations. Specification of a desired starting date for the project is important and helpful to our staff; however, we may not always be able to meet the requested dates. In such cases, Funding agencieswill consult with you. If outside the US, enter 00-000. To locate your congressional district, visit the Grants.gov web site. This field is required. FVSU TIN is : 58-6002062 FVSU’s CD is GA-002

SR424 Page 2 (Field 14&15) Field 14: Enter Project Director/Principal Investigator Contact Information Mandatory fields require input. Field 15 : Enter Estimated Project Funding Total Federal Funds Requested: Enter total Federal funds requested for the entire project period. Total Non-Federal Funds: Enter total non-Federal funds requested for the entire project period. If none, enter 0.00 Total Federal & Non-Federal Funds: Enter total estimated funds for the entire project period, including both Federal and non-Federal funds. Estimated Program Income: Identify any Program Income estimated for this project period if applicable. If not enter 0.00 Enter Project Director or PI details here The Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) means the single individual designated by the awardee in the application and approved by the Authorized Departmental Officer who is responsible for the direction and management of the project. To facilitate communication with NIFA, the person designated in Field 14. will be considered the contact PD/PI

SR424 Page 2 (Field 16-21) Field 16: Is Application Subject to Review by State Executive Order 12372 Process? If yes, check box. If the announcement indicates that the program is covered under Executive Order 12372. If no, check appropriate box. Field 17 : Complete Certification Field 18 : Enter SFLLL (Disclosure of Lobbying Activities) or Other Explanatory Documentation You will receive one by the Office of Sponsored Programs. Attach it here. Field 19: Enter Authorized Representative Dr. Melody L. Carter Vice President for External Affairs Huntington Halle, phone 4788256450 Email: Carterm@fvsu.edu Field 20: Enter Pre-Application Field 21: Cover Letter is optional Enter Project Director or PI details here If the announcement indicates that the program is covered under Executive Order 12372, applicants should contact the State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for Federal Executive Order 12372. If no, check appropriate box. One selection is required. If submitting a pre-application, provide a summary description of the projec.t in accordance with the announcement and/or agency-specific instructions and attach here. FVSU authorize representative details Vice President for External Affairs Dr. Melody L. Carter Email: Carterm@fvsu.edu 4788256450

Form: Research Related Senior/Key Personnel Captures personal profile information on the PD/PI, Key Personnel, and Other Significant Contributors Biosketch should be attached for each person Check page limit of the funding agency It could be 2 page or 4 pages

Form: Research Related Senior/Key Personnel Profile: Project Director All fields are easy and straightforward Upload Biographical Sketch Upload Current and Pending Support. Profile: Senior/Key Person 1 All fields are easy and straightforward Upload Biographical Sketch Upload Current and Pending Support. Add Senior/Key Person by clicking <New Person> button Delete Senior/Key Person by clicking <Delete Entry> button

Form: Research & Related other Project Information Includes information on involvement of Human Subjects, Vertebrate Animals, Environmental Impact, Foreign Involvement Includes separate PDF attachments for Project Summary/Abstract Project Narrative Separate component developed for Research Plan Bibliography & References Facilities & Other Resources Equipment resources

Form: Research & Related other Project Information 1. Are Human Subjects Involved? If activities involving human subjects are planned at any time during the proposed project at any performance site, check yes. If no, skip the rest of block 1. 2. Are Vertebrate Animals Involved? If activities involving vertebrate animals are planned at any time during the proposed project at any performance site, check yes. If no, check no and skip the rest of block 2. Check yes, even if the proposed project is exempt from Regulations for the Protection of Human Subjects. Exemption Number – If human subject activities are exempt from Federal regulations, provide the exemption numbers corresponding to one or more of the exemption categories. The six categories of research that qualify for exemption from coverage by the regulations are defined in the Common Rule for the Protection of Human Subjects. These regulations can be found at: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2013-title45-vol3/xml/CFR-2013-title45-vol3-part690.xml. Indicate an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) review is pending. This field is required is yes is checked to the question “Are vertebrate animals used?” 3. Is Proprietary/Privileged Information Included in the Application? Check yes or no. 4. Does this Project Have an Actual or Potential Impact on the Environment?

Form: Research & Related other Project Information 5). Is the Research Performance Site Designated, or Eligible to be Designated, as a Historic Place? 6). Does this Project Involve Activities Outside the U.S. or Partnership with International Collaborators? 7). Attach Project Summary/Abstract This Summary must not include any proprietary/confidential information. To attach a Summary/Abstract, click “Add Attachment”. 8). Attach Project Narrative Provide Project Narrative in accordance with the announcement and/or agency-specific instructions. To attach it, click “Add Attachment”. 9.) Attach Bibliography & References Cited. 10 & 11.) Attach Facilities & Other Resources, and Equipment

Form: Research & Related Budget Even if you have a zero budget for a particular line item, it is recommended that you enter value ‘0’

Field C Enter Equipment Description Equipment is defined as an item of property that has an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more (unless the organization has established lower levels) and an expected service life of more than one year. General-purpose equipment, such as a personal computer, is not eligible for support unless primarily or exclusively used in the actual conduct of scientific research. List each item of equipment separately and justify each in the budget justification section. Allowable items ordinarily will be limited to research equipment and apparatus not already available for the conduct of the work. General-purpose equipment, such as a personal computer, is not eligible for support unless primarily or exclusively used in the actual conduct of scientific research.

Form: Research & Related Budget Materials and Supplies: List total funds requested for materials and supplies. Indirect Cost Type - Indicate the type of base; e.g., Salary & Wages, Modified Total Direct Costs, Other Indirect Cost Rate (%): Indicate the most recent Indirect Cost rate(s) FVSU charges 33% Period Covered by the Indirect Cost Rate Agreement: 7/1/2014 -6/30/2016 Approving Agency Department of Health and Human Services Enter Fee (Field J on the Form) Generally, a fee is not allowed on a grant or cooperative agreement. Do not include a fee in your budget unless the program announcement specifically allows the inclusion of a "fee" (e.g., SBIR/STTR). If a fee is allowable, enter the requested fee. Inclusion of fees (profit) in a budget is allowable only if specifically authorized by a NIFA program solicitation. The budget justification detail should follow the same order as the budget. While you should provide information for each item of the budget, you must justify the following budget categories, where applicable: salaries (justification is to include the Base Annual Salary for each key person), equipment, travel, participant/trainee support and other direct cost categories. Only one file may be attached. Attach Budget Justification by clicking Add Attachment

Form: Project/Performance Site Location Enter for the Project/Performance Site Location 1 the information required for the Project/Performance Site Primary Location. If it is necessary to enter information for additional sites, click on the “Next Site” button.

TIPs for submitting Application GIT Conference TIPs for submitting Application

Quick Tips Start early! not new data, just new forms, so you’ll get through it, only slower. route your completed proposal several days in advance. when naming application file, follow the naming convention (pi last_agency.pdf). Attachments must be un-editable .pdf files when naming attachments, don’t use spaces, hyphens, special characters, or long file names.

Quick Tips (Cont.) Be sure and read both the agency solicitation and the Grants.gov instructions. You may find mismatches. You need to save the application package file to your hard drive BEFORE you begin entering info in the file. Complete the 424 (R&R) first. It populates other components. The file does not automatically save. You have to click on to save the data entered.

Tips to Submit Successfully Review notices carefully Application notice indicates if program is using Grants.gov Review funding Agency deadlines, both due date and time Due by 4:30 p.m. Washington, D.C. time Submit early; allow extra time Grants.gov date-and-time stamps application and then completes validation after it is fully uploaded Enter DUNS number of FVSU on the application If a different DUNS is entered submission may be rejected

Winning Reminders Register early Submit early Verify submission is OK Register before the program application is available Verify registration steps are complete Submit early Allow time for uploading and unexpected issues Plan to submit several days before the deadline if possible Verify submission is OK Check that application is received & validated by Grants.gov Don’t rely solely on e-mail notifications