Electronic Submissions of Grant Applications Muhsin Aboud Principal Investigator, IEARDA Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences

Application Process Overview Prepare to Apply/Register Find an Opportunity Prepare an Application Submit, Track, View

Electronic Submission Electronic submission of grant applications is required for all competing grant applications to NIH* The process requires great attention to detail to ensure successful submission! * Except multi-project applications

Two Systems Working Together Grants.gov – Federal government’s single online portal to find and apply for Federal grant funding – Used by all 26 Federal grant-making agencies eRA Commons – NIH electronic research administration system that allows applicants/grantees to electronically receive and transmit application and award information – Used by NIH and other HHS components IMPORTANT: Each system has its own registration and application requirements.

Organizations Must Register to Apply Organizations must register in all the following systems: NCAGE (foreign only) DUNS SAM Grants.gov eRA Commons: PIs must work with their institution to register in the eRA Commons Check to see whether your organization is already registered.

Registration: NCAGE It is a 5-character code used to identify a given facility at a specific location Required for System for Award Management (SAM) registration Information on how to obtain NCAGE codes can be found at Phone: (269) Foreign organizations must obtain a NATO Commercial and Government Entity code

Registration: DUNS Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) provides a unique 9-digit identification number for your business/institution Free Begin the process at

Registration: SAM Register with SAM. Designate an E-business Point of Contact (E-Biz POC) who is responsible for approving requests for application submission authority. Annual renewal is required! SAM (System for Award Management)

Requires Registrations: Grants.gov Establish an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) profile on grants.gov and create a username and password Register multiple AORs Only a person with AOR status can submit an application to grants.gov Having more than one AOR offers coverage in case the primary person is not available Having more than one AOR allows multiple people to track the status of an application IMPORTANT!

Registration in the eRA Commons Applicant organization needs to register Applicant organization initiates PI registration in the eRA Commons – Or, if the PI already has an eRA Commons account, affiliate the PI with their institution PI completes registration process in the eRA Commons Both the applicant organization and the PI need to be registered in the eRA Commons

Find an Opportunity Funding opportunities are posted in: NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) guide for grants and contracts Grants.gov Read the guidelines and requirements Review the list of FOAs matching your criteria and find FOAs of interest Read and follow all announcement instructions Pay special attention to section IV: application and submission information

What is SF424 (R&R)? SF424 (R&R) is an application package made up of different components similar to PHS 398 Not all components are used for every Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) – Agencies create specific application packages for each FOA – Each FOA indicates which components are required

Completing the Application Follow FOA-specific guidelines (e.g., special attachments, specific section headings) Follow application guide requirements, including guidelines for fonts and margins Do not include page headers or footers; section headings as part of the text are encouraged Avoid 2-column and “landscape” formats Use PDF-formatted files Tips for Success

Submit, Track, View On-Time Submission: Error-free applications must be accepted by grants.gov with a timestamp on or before 5:00 p.m. local time of the submitting organization on the due date. A few important reminders: NIH recommends submitting early (days, not minutes!) to allow time for correcting any errors found during the application viewing window prior to the due date. NIH’s late policy does not allow corrections after the due date. All registrations must be completed before the due date.

The Notices First response from grants.gov: Application received, being validated. (Includes original file name and DUNS number.) Second response from grants.gov: Application validated, being prepared for grantor review. Third response from grants.gov: Application received by grantor agency.

Warnings and Errors First response from grantor agency: Application received. If warnings or errors found, further action needed – Warnings: not significant enough to affect process – Errors: significant enough to warrant resubmission Application will need to be resubmitted.

Guiding Principles NIH will not hold applicants accountable for grants.gov or eRA Commons problems Applicants are expected to: – Complete required registration processes prior to submission – Complete all steps of application submission in a timely way: Submit to grants.gov Correct any errors Review application image