University Research Council Grants.Gov March 8, 2006

Grants.Gov

Grants.Gov: THE GOOD

4 Grants.Gov Brief History President’s Management Agenda Applicants for federal grants apply for and manage grant funds through a common site, to simplify grant management and eliminate redundancy.

5 Grants.Gov Brief History One of 24 federal e-Government initiatives designed to improve access to government services via the Internet

6 Grants.Gov Brief History The Case for Grants.gov: Cross-agency initiative programs 26 agencies + others >$400B annually awarded The Case for Grants.gov: Cross-agency initiative programs 26 agencies + others >$400B annually awarded

7 Grants.Gov Brief History A simple, unified “storefront” for all customers of federal grants to electronically: Find grant opportunities Apply electronically for grants A simple, unified “storefront” for all customers of federal grants to electronically: Find grant opportunities Apply electronically for grants

8 Applicant 1 Applicant N Applicant 3Applicant 2.…. Applicant 2 Applicant 3 Applicant N Agency 2 Agency 3 Agency N Agency 1 Applicant 1 Old Inefficiencies

9 Applicant 1 Applicant N Applicant 3Applicant 2.…. Old Inefficiencies Eliminated through “Trusted Broker” Agency 1 Agency 2 Agency 3 Agency N Applicant N Applicant 3 Applicant 2 Applicant 1

10 Benefits in Streamlining Reduces time & cost to find & apply for grants No need to learn multiple systems Eliminate costs associated with copying and mailing Single registration Reduces time & cost to find & apply for grants No need to learn multiple systems Eliminate costs associated with copying and mailing Single registration

11 Benefits in Streamlining Increased efficiency Limits need to interface w/multiple agencies Limits development and maintenance Reduces redundant info/data requests Increased efficiency Limits need to interface w/multiple agencies Limits development and maintenance Reduces redundant info/data requests

12 Why Submit Electronically? Eliminates the burden of paper-based data collection, improves data quality Reduces scanning, printing & data entry costs May allow agencies to shorten the cycle from application receipt to award

13 Another Way To Look At It What if each agency had its own mail service? They’d all need buildings & fleets And a unique ZIP code system What would postage cost? What about package tracking? What if each agency had its own mail service? They’d all need buildings & fleets And a unique ZIP code system What would postage cost? What about package tracking?

14 VAUSDANASACNCSDHSDoDDOEDOEdDOIDOJDOTHHSEPAHUDIMLSNARANEANEHNSFSBASSAStateTreasUSAID What About Curb Appeal? DOLDOC

15 Why transition to SF424 (R&R)? SF424 (R&R) is the government-wide data set for research grant applications Applicants can use standard forms regardless of the program or agency to which they are applying Reduces administrative burden on the Federal grants community

16 Grants.Gov: THE BAD

17 Why Bad? Additional hardware and software requirements. Additional software requirements for non- windows (Mac) users. Separate PI and Institution registration. Another new federal system to learn.

18 System Requirements: Hardware/Software Windows 98, ME, NT 4.0, 2000, XP 500 Mhz Processor 128 MB of RAM 40 MB Disk Space Internet Explorer 5.01 or higher, Netscape Communicator 4.5 – 4.8, Netscape 6.1, 6.2 or 7

19 System Requirements: Software PureEdge viewer downloaded (free) from Grants.gov site at Note: You must have administrative rights to your computer in order to download this software!! A step by step tutorial for properly downloading PureEdge Viewer will be available on the Office of Research website. PDF generation software –Grants.gov lists some available tools and software

20 System Requirements: Software for Non-Windows Users Grants.gov partnered with NIH to provide a Citrix Server for Non-Windows to view application packages Go to to locate the instructions for accessing the Citrix Server A non-windows version of PureEdge should be available November 2006 A Windows emulation program can also be used.

21 Registration Requirements – Grants.Gov Applicant organizations must complete one- time only registration. Pitt is registered!! Good for electronic submission to all Federal agencies Principal Investigators do NOT need to register with Grants.gov Registration not required to find funding opportunity or download application package, only to submit completed application

22 Registration Requirements – eRA Commons Applicant institutions must complete one-time only registration. Pitt is registered!! Principal Investigators (PIs) must work through their institutions to register. –The PI must hold a PI account and be affiliated with the applicant organization. –PIs currently registered only for Internet Assisted Review (IAR) must work through their institutions for full eRA Commons registration. Pitt Principal Investigators need to register through the Office of Research website at:

23 Submission Methods Applicant organization can submit applications to NIH through Grants.gov in one of two ways: Direct submission - using PureEdge Viewer System-to-system – using (XML) data stream to communicate with Grants.gov Pitt currently uses a direct submission method. A system to system method transition is planned.

24 Getting Started

25 Download PureEdge Viewer

26 Download Application Package

27 1. Search for Opportunity

28 2. Enter CFDA or Opportunity Number

29 3. Confirm and Click “Download”

30 4. Enter for Updates

31 5. Download

32 6. Save Application Package The PureEdge file is not web-basedThe PureEdge file is not web-based –You must save the file to your local drive or server as you make changes. –Be sure to save latest version over previous version after any changes.

33 Information in top section is automatically filled based upon the program selected. Application Package

34 Application Package (cont.) You must fill all highlighted spaces in all required forms.

35 1. Application Filing Name OR will add tracking number.

36 2. Mandatory Documents Must be completed.

37 2. Mandatory Documents (cont.) Select form

38 2. Mandatory Documents (cont.) Click to open

39 SF 424 (R&R) Remember to complete all highlighted areas on forms.

40 3. Complete Package Move completed documents to the right.

41 3. Complete Package (cont.) To move, select document…

42 3. Complete Package (cont.) …click arrow…

43 3. Complete Package (cont.) …document moves to right.

44 3. Complete Package (cont.) Check Package for Errors

45 3. Complete Package (cont.) If all forms are properly completed, you will receive a “No errors found” message.

46 3. Complete Package (cont.) If errors are found, correct them before proceeding.

47 4. Save Proposal Save proposal file and route as appropriate.

48 Create and save proposal file as shown.Create and save proposal file as shown. Route hard copy pages with form 136 as usual.Route hard copy pages with form 136 as usual. –In order to print forms and attachments, you must open them individually. –Save PureEdge proposal file to CD-ROM or zipdisk and route with form 136. –Also provide the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). This completes the PI/Department’s portion of the proposal process.This completes the PI/Department’s portion of the proposal process. 5. Route Proposal

Grants.Gov: THE UGLY

50 Why Ugly? Aggressive transition timetables (NIH). System takes longer than current hard copy system. Bugs in the system.

51 NIH’s Electronic Receipt Goal By the end of September 2007, NIH plans to: Require electronic submission through Grants.Gov for all NIH grant applications. Transition from the PHS 398 application form to SF424 family of forms data set Announced in the NIH Guide, Aug. 19, 2005:

52 Mechanism Abbreviation Key: C06/UC6 Research Facilities Construction Grants DP1NIH Director’s Pioneer Award Program D71/U2R International Training Cooperative Agreement/ Phase 2 of FIC mechanism D71 PResearch Program Projects and Centers R01 Research Project Grant Program R03 Small Grant Programs R10/U10 Cooperative Clinical Research Grants R13/U13 Support for Conferences & Scientific Meetings R15 Academic Research Enhancement Awards (AREA) R18/U18 Research Demonstration and Dissemination Projects R21/R33 Exploratory/Development Research R24/U24 Resource Related Research Projects R25 Education Projects R34 Clinical Trial Planning Grant Program R36 Research Dissertation Grant Program SBIR Small Business Innovation Research STTR Small Business Technology Transfer S06,S10,S11Biomedical Research S21,22Health Disparities Endowment Grants U Cooperative Agreement Awards X02Pre-application for Interdisciplinary Research Consortium  NIH will transition to the SF424 family of forms and electronic submission through Grants.gov by research program or funding mechanism.Grants.gov  As mechanisms are transitioned, Funding Opportunity Announcements will be issued in the NIH Guide and posted in Grants.gov. NIH’s goal is to post an opportunity a minimum of 60 days before the submission date.  ALL applications in response to these announcements will require electronic submission through Grants.gov. NIH Planned Transition Dates of Mechanisms for Electronic Submission using the SF424 (R&R) Resource (G), Career Development (K), S11, S21, S22 (Jun. 1, 2007) R03, R21/R33, R34 (June 1, 2006) R18/U18, R25, C06/UC6 (Oct. 1, 2006) Fellowship (F) (Aug. 5, 2007) Training (T&D), U45, D71/U2R (Sep. 10, 2007) Project/Center (P), M01, R10/U10, S06, U01, U19, U54, U56, R24/U24 (Oct. 1, 2007) S10 (Mar. 22, 2006) R15 (Feb. 25, 2006) R36 (Feb. 17, 2006) R13/U13 (Dec. 15, 2005) SBIR/STTR (Dec. 1, 2005) X02 (April 18, 2006) R01 (Feb. 1, 2007) Updated February 6, 2006 Potential R01 Multi-PI Pilot (Oct. 1, 2006) DP1 (Jan. 22, 2007)

55 NSF Submissions Applicant completes application package Authorized Representative (AR) submits application to Grants.gov Please note that the 5 p.m. local time standard STILL APPLIES Confirmations are sent by Grants.gov to AR

56 NSF Primary Goals NSF’s Grants.gov Proposal Integration provides a seamless process which: –Electronically downloads submitted application packages to NSF from Grants.gov; and –Inserts the data into FastLane

57 NSF Primary Goals Proposal submitted via Grants.gov will look the same as a proposal submitted via FastLane to programs and reviewers Confirmation s back to the PI and AO from FastLane.

Other Agencies Implementation of Grants.gov

Please note the system still has BUGS!!

60 Grants.Gov OR Follow-up Training: –Broad Training through Research Admin Forums already begun. –Specific Training for faculty and staff being developed. –Specific Training manual being developed. Central Server for document transmittal developed- currently being tested. Help Desk for IT questions. Grants.Gov webpage on OR website.

61 Grants.Gov Departing Notes Please notify us as soon as you know of a grant submission that will require the use of Grants.Gov. Please allow yourself enough time for unforeseen problems- this is a new and not yet perfected system. We value your feedback!!

62 Office of Research Points of Contact Office of Research Website: – eRA Commons and processing questions: –Jan Schaffner , Grants.Gov technical questions: –Mike Ranieri , Grants.Gov Application questions: –Please refer to your department’s assigned grants and contracts officer. This can be found at: