1. NIH: ASSIST Submitting non-system to system nih grant applications
Intro – Use of ASSIST at MCW
ASSIST use is expanding at MCW from multi-project only
Introducing resources and provide an opportunity to answer questions, share comments, etc.
Repository for resources will be available on GCO website (by end of day 12/21)
Series of Youtube videos (single playlist on Youtube) to discuss process and impact at MCW
Handout to be used in discussion – also will be linked on website repository
All videos are linked in the slides for your future use of this powerpoint
If you’ve never worked in ASSIST before, highly recommend watching the “Getting Started in ASSIST” video – linked at end of presentation (approx. 15 mins)
Submitting non-system to system nih grant applications
December 21, 2017

2. What is ASSIST?
NIH’s online system for the preparation, submission, and tracking of grant applications through Grants.gov to NIH.
NIH system to complete online application SF424 forms

3. NOT eBridge S2S (see chart)
When to use ASSIST?
NIH Application
NOT eBridge S2S (see chart)
*Note: Applications submitted through ASSIST are not eligible for Separation of Science submission to GCO. The complete and final application PDF must be submitted to GCO 5 business days prior to the Sponsor’s submission deadline.
1. Quick overview of new resource on GCO site
2. Focus for today’s presentation = NIH  Any non-S2S mechanism
3. Two extra days to work on scientific materials is not allowable for applications that use ASSIST

4. How to use ASSIST?
8 Steps to Preparing and Submitting Your Single-Project Application in ASSIST
Find
Plan
Login & Initiate
Provide Access
Enter Application Data
Finalize Application & Prepare for Submission
Submit Application
Track Application
1. We are covering the first 6 steps today.
2. Walk through of videos & screenshots from the ASSIST User Guide to give overview of preparing a single-project application in ASSIST

5. Find Plan Login & Initiate ASSIST - Initiate Application (Video 3:33)
Provide Access
Enter Application Data
Finalize Application & Prepare for Submission
Submit Application
Track Application
ASSIST - Initiate Application (Video 3:33)
Sign-into ASSIST with eRA Commons Account User Name & Password.
Don’t have an account? Request one here.
Anyone with an eRA Commons ID can initiate an application.
Lead Applicant Organization name: MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN
Get to ASSIST via FOA/RFA or link above.
Types of accounts (ASST, PI)
Check FOA Information to make sure you’re replying to the correct FOA (this is especially important with the Forms E changes – i.e. clinical trials only FOAs)

6. Find Plan Login & Initiate ASSIST Welcome Page Initiate Application
Provide Access
Enter Application Data
Finalize Application & Prepare for Submission
Submit Application
Track Application
ASSIST Welcome Page
Initiate Application
Search for Application
Guides
Application Guides
ASSIST User Guide
1. Important items to note for resources and actions to take – all found on the ASSIST home page
2. Search by Application Identifier, Application Project Title, PI Name, Lead Applicant Organization, etc.

7. Provide Access Roles in ASSIST/eRA Commons: SO & AO = GCO
Find
Plan
Login & Initiate
Provide Access
Enter Application Data
Finalize Application & Prepare for Submission
Submit Application
Track Application
Roles in ASSIST/eRA Commons:
SO & AO = GCO
ASST = Department admin & support
PI = Faculty PIs
Roles & who will have them at MCW
This is important to note when you are reading through the ASSIST User Guide for guidance in your applications. Many references to actions only certain roles can take within the system.

8. Provide Access Maintenance Roles in Applications: Access Maintainer
Find
Plan
Login & Initiate
Provide Access
Enter Application Data
Finalize Application & Prepare for Submission
Submit Application
Track Application
Maintenance Roles in Applications:
Access Maintainer
GCO assigns Access Maintainer role to person who initiated application
Status Maintainer
Automatically granted to person that initiated application
Expected to be a dept/admin personnel
An online form to request the Access Maintainer role on your ASSIST application will be made available by COB 12/21 – GCO Website (much like Workspace/eRA Commons ID Roles).
Only ONE access maintainer should be listed on an application at any time.
Importance of the role of the ADRs and admin teams within the departments. Access may be available for certain actions, but it is the expectation that a department Admin is only requesting access for those that need it for each particular application.
Access maintainer must be requested for each new application/project going through ASSIST.

9. Add User to application
Find
Plan
Login & Initiate
Provide Access
Enter Application Data
Finalize Application & Prepare for Submission
Submit Application
Track Application
Add User to application
Access controlled by:
View/edit/none
Budget/non-budget data
1. This slide simply shows how to add a user to an application (via eRA Commons ID).

10. Budget/non-budget data
Find
Plan
Login & Initiate
Provide Access
Enter Application Data
Finalize Application & Prepare for Submission
Submit Application
Track Application
Add User to application
Access controlled by:
View/edit/none
Budget/non-budget data
Once you add a new user to the application, you can give them access to the application in a few different ways:
Budget/non-budget data
Drop down options are view/edit/none

11. Enter Application Data
Find
Plan
Login & Initiate
Provide Access
Enter Application Data
Finalize Application & Prepare for Submission
Submit Application
Track Application
Filling out the Forms are pretty straightforward & much like completing eBridge smartforms.
Make sure to click “Edit” on the top of each form as this opens the fields for editing and prevents others from editing the form simultaneously.
The forms of an application can be edited when the status of the application is Work in Progress.
Select the tab for the appropriate form and click Edit on the top of the form.

12. Enter Application Data
Find
Plan
Login & Initiate
Provide Access
Enter Application Data
Finalize Application & Prepare for Submission
Submit Application
Track Application
Important Navigation Notes on Applications in ASSIST *handout*
Available actions vary based on application context and user access level
Some actions are only available from the Summary tab
Check status of application here.
After submission, status will change on application
Tabs should be used to navigate between forms
Handy tips & system messages (e.g. errors/warnings) at top of screen
? Mark icon to access online help via the ASSIST User Guide
Status of Application

13. Enter Application Data
Find
Plan
Login & Initiate
Provide Access
Enter Application Data
Finalize Application & Prepare for Submission
Submit Application
Track Application
ASSIST - Add Optional Form (Video :55)
Optional Forms are custom to your FOA
Add as many Optional Forms as applicable to your specific application
The “Optional SF424 Forms” available are much like what is seen when completing a S2S application on the SF424 Opportunity Forms page in eBridge.
Select the forms you need based on your project

14. Finalize Application & Prepare for Submission
Find
Plan
Login & Initiate
Provide Access
Enter Application Data
Finalize Application & Prepare for Submission
Submit Application
Track Application
ASSIST - Validate Application (Video 2:09)
Check Errors & Warnings
Errors must be cleared prior to submission of application to GCO.
This validation runs against NIH business validations.
These are the same type of validations found when completing a S2S application in eBridge.
GCO expects that the ASSIST application is error free before it is sent to GCO for review (same expectation as S2S).
Save & Keep Lock vs. Save & Release Lock
To save the information and keep the form open for further editing, select the Save and Keep Lock button
To save the information and close the form, select the Save and Release Lock button
Selecting the Cancel and Release Lock button - followed by the Continue button on the confirmation - returns the form to read-only and does not save any of the entered information onto the form.
Warnings pop up if data is unsaved and user wants to move forward in application forms.

15. Finalize Application & Prepare for Submission
Find
Plan
Login & Initiate
Provide Access
Enter Application Data
Finalize Application & Prepare for Submission
Submit Application
Track Application
ASSIST - Preview Application (Video 2:17)
Provides a preview of your application in the format used by the NIH for review.
eBridge: Proposal Attachments page
Attach the Preview pdf from ASSIST
If applicable, these must be uploaded separately in your eBridge FP
Cover Letter
Assignment Request form
Appendix materials
Reiterate that a preview can be generated on the application at any point when completing the forms.
Anyone with access to the specific application is able to perform the Preview activity and generate the PDF needed for upload into eBridge.
NOTE from the ASSIST User Guide: Although unlikely, it is possible that another ASSIST user accessing the application at the same time could generate a preview request for the application while you are in the Generate Preview screen. If this occurs, you will see the following error message when you attempt to select the Generate Preview button while the other request is processing: A 'Generate Preview' request is pending for this application. You may generate another preview when all pending requests have processed
GCO has anticipated that the following will not be part of your final pdf: Cover Letter, Assign. Request, and Appendix (as applicable)
Therefore, new questions have been added to the Proposal Attachments page for adding those documents as needed.
The PDF generated here is exactly the PDF that the NIH reviewers will see and what will appear during the two day verification window after submission
Formatting issues, text edits, etc. must all be completed prior to submission to GCO for review

16. Finalize Application & Prepare for Submission
Find
Plan
Login & Initiate
Provide Access
Enter Application Data
Finalize Application & Prepare for Submission
Submit Application
Track Application
ASSIST - Update Status (Video 2:14)
Update Submission Status
Ready for Submission = Submit to GCO for review

17. Finalize Application & Prepare for Submission
Find
Plan
Login & Initiate
Provide Access
Enter Application Data
Finalize Application & Prepare for Submission
Submit Application
Track Application
Update Submission Status:
GCO
Department/Admin Support
Application initiator
Status Maintainer access
ONLY GCO will update submission status back to “Work in Progress” from “Ready for Submission.”
Departments & PIs should never update submission status back to “Work in Progress” from “Ready for Submission.”
ASSIST Application Status must read “Ready for Submission” when eBridge application has been forwarded to GCO for review or it will be returned.
1. The expectation is that each department (& PI) has support in place to assist with these applications. The Dept. ADR, BS, or PT members should be the Application Initiator/Status Maintainer on an application, not a PI.
2. If ASSIST application is not in “Ready for Submission” state – GCO Analyst will return FP and not review further until the status is properly updated in ASSIST. No exceptions.
3. GCO only will move an application back to WIP if changes are requested in eBridge during GCO Review.

18. Remaining videos on Actions in ASSIST playlist:
Find
Plan
Login & Initiate
Provide Access
Enter Application Data
Finalize Application & Prepare for Submission
Submit Application
Track Application
Remaining videos on Actions in ASSIST playlist:
ASSIST - Submit Application (Video – 1:58)
*GCO only submits
ASSIST - Track Application (Video – 2:52)
*Continue to track via eRA Commons
ASSIST- Multi-Project Structure (Video – 6:07)
1. Submit Application video is for GCO reference only
2. Users may use the Track Application video as a resource and another option, but tracking in Commons is expected
3. Multi Project video resource is available as an FYI. Multi-project application resources can also be found in the ASSIST User Guide, and will later be more fully developed by GCO.

19. ASSIST at MCW Retirement of PDF package eBridge – ASSIST – Workspace
2018 – Legacy packages no longer available for download
eBridge – ASSIST – Workspace
NIH
Federal non-NIH
Start using ASSIST for NIH non-S2S applications right away. If you have an application due after 1/1/18, please DO NOT download a PDF. Your application will be submitted using ASSIST!
Use ASSIST on your next non-S2S NIH application
GCO working on creating new pathways with all these changes being implemented (additional mechanisms S2S)
A quick note on transfer applications – If the GMS/NIH requests that a new transfer application be submitted using an “SF424” this will now go through ASSIST at MCW. We will be looking into the transfer process in the future as well.

20. Resources: TONS of Federal resources are available!
GCO can be an additional resource for specific questions or if you are having trouble with interpretation.
ASSIST User Guide
Actions in ASSIST Youtube Playlist (full)
Getting Started in ASSIST Video
NIH Website:
Preparing Your Single-Project Application Using ASSIST
Navigating ASSIST
ASSIST Resource (GCO Website)*
Add link to this presentation and new form for GCO website after presentation