HOW TO GRANTS.GOV WORKSHOP Presented by

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HOW TO GRANTS.GOV WORKSHOPPresented by

• The Office of Grants and Contracts Administration
• Cynthia Christian, Manager, Other Federal
  Agencies
• Ellen Johnson, Manager, NIH
• Jane Fant, Assistant VP for Sponsored Research
  Administration

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What is Grants.gov

• Grants.gov was created by the Office of
  Management and Budget in response to the Federal
  Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act
  of 1999, also known as Public Law 106-107
• The purposes of the Act are to
• Improve the effectiveness and performance of
  Federal financial assistance programs
• Simplify Federal financial assistance application
  and reporting requirements
• Improve the delivery of services to the public
• Facilitate greater coordination among those
  responsible for delivering services
• Grants.gov was created to provide a single
  website for all federal grant opportunities
• Simplify the grants management process by
  providing a central online system to find and
  apply for grants across the federal government
• 26 federal funding agencies

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The 26 Federal Grant-Making Agencies

• Agency for International Development (USAID)
• Corporation for National and Community Service
• Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• Department of Commerce
• Department of Defense (DOD)
• Department of Education
• Department of Energy
• Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
• Department of Homeland Security
• Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
• Department of the Interior
• Department of Justice
• Department of Labor

• Department of State
• Department of Transportation
• Department of the Treasury
• Department of Veteran Affairs
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Institute for Museum and Library Services
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration
  (NASA)
• National Endowment for the Arts
• National Endowment for the Humanities
• National Science Foundation (NSF)
• Small Business Administration (SBA)
• Social Security Administration

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Grants.gov Registration

• DONT
• OGCA and UAB are fully registered
• OGCA SUBMITS applications on behalf of UAB
• Investigators and their staff COMPLETE
  applications

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Getting Started With Grants.gov

• Download and Install the PureEdge Viewer on your
  computer
• http//www.grants.gov/DownloadViewer
• PureEdge viewer is required to open, complete and
  submit a grant application through Grants.gov,
  but it only works on Windows operating systems
• Mac users can purchase Windows emulation software
  or use the free Citrix server provided by
  Grants.gov to work on PureEdge forms
• http//www.grants.gov/MacSupport
• A non-Windows version of PureEdge is being
  developed

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Find Grant Opportunities

• www.Grants.gov
• Search by Keyword
• Search by Funding Opportunity Number
• Search by Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
  (CFDA) Number
• Search by Category
• Health
• Transportation
• Education
• Search by Agency
• Advanced Search
• Combination of variables
• Receive Grant Opportunity E-mails via Grants.gov

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Apply for Grants

• A Three-Step Process
• 1. Download the grant application package and
  instructions using the Funding Opportunity Number
  (FON) and/or CFDA Number that corresponds to the
  grant to which you plan to apply
• Read the instructions may be different even
  for the same sponsor

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Apply for Grants

• 2. Complete the selected application
• You can complete the application offline giving
  you the flexibility to complete grant
  applications when and where you want. It also
  enables you to easily route it through UAB for
  review, or completion of various components, just
  like any other e-mail attachment.
• Save your application on your computer hard
  drive. You will receive a Warning message
  because the application is not complete. Click
  Yes to proceed. Work from the saved
  application. SAVE after each work session.

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Name Your Grant Application/File

• PIs Last Name PIs First Name Funding Opp.
  Sponsor CFDA Type
• Christian.Cynthia.PAR06093.NIH.93389.xfd

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Apply for Grants

• 3. Submit the completed grant application
  package via e-mail/drop box to OGCA
• Jane Fant to discuss the specifics of UABs
  internal process

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Grants.gov Face Page
Check Pre-filled Information For Correctness
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Grants.gov Face Page
Application Filing Name First Required Field
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Grants.gov Face Page
Application Filing Name First Required Field

• This name is not used by the receiving federal
  agency
• It is used by UAB to track your Grants.gov
  submission
• PIs last name, PIs first name, UAB Link Number
• Christian, Cynthia, 123456
• Not the same as the name of your grant
  application/file saved to your hard drive

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Grants.gov Face Page
Mandatory Documents
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Grants.gov Face Page

• Mandatory Documents
• Must be completed
• Highlight to open
• Dont double click
• Must click the Open button
• Required Fields
• All Yellow Highlighted Fields with Asterisk Must
  Be Completed
• Move to the Mandatory Completed Documents for
  Submission box when completed
• You can work on documents in the Completed box

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Grants.gov Face Page
Optional Documents
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Grants.gov Face Page

• Optional Documents (if any)
• May or may not need to be completed
• Check your application instructions
• If moved to the Optional Completed Documents for
  Submission box, all required fields must be
  completed
• Yellow Highlighted Fields with an Asterisk
• Dont move or complete if not required
• May include two (2) budget forms
• Detailed and Modular
• Choose the correct one for your application
• Move to the Completed box

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Grant Application Package

• Standard Form 424 Research and Related
• SF424 (RR)
• Government-wide data set to be used with grant
  applications

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SF424 (RR) Page 1
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SF424 (RR) Page 2
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Components of SF424 (RR)

• Application/Cover Component
• Required by all agencies
• Our focus today
• Project/Performance Site Location(s) Component
• Other Project Information Component
• Senior/Key Person Component
• Budget Component
• Personal Data Component
• Sub-award Budget Attachment Component

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SF424 (RR) Application/Cover

• Click the upward pointing black arrow with the
  blue question mark icon then hover over any field
  in the SF424 to receive guidance on what is
  required
• Legal name University of Alabama at Birmingham
• Organizational Data Universal Numbering System
  (DUNS) 063690705
• Employer Identification Number (EIN)
  63-6005396
• Type of Applicant Public/State-Controlled
  Institution of Higher Education

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Grant Application Package

• Congressional Districts
• Applicant (UAB) 7
• Project (Primary location of work) 7
• Check guidelines. Some sponsors AL-7
• Estimated funding
• All line-items must contain a value even if zero
  (0)
• Is application subject to review by State
  Executive Order 12372 process No, program is
  not covered by EO 12372

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SF424 Budget Component

• Things to Remember
• IDC
• Type is Modified Total Direct Costs
• Rate field does not allow more than 3 characters
• Our rate of 45.5
• Enter 45 on the first line and calculate
• Enter .5 on the second line and calculate
• If no funds are requested for a line item, enter
  0
• Effort must be entered as months, not percentage

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SF424 Budget Months Snapshot
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SF424 Budget IDC Rate Snapshot
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Grant Application Package

• Authorized Representative
• Jane Fant
• Assistant Vice President for Sponsored Research
  Administration
• Phone [phone]
• E-mail grants.gov_at_uab.edu

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Attaching Text Documents

• Required format may vary by sponsor check
  instructions
• PHS agencies require non-protected, non-editable
  PDF documents
• All must have different names
• If not specified by sponsor, use PDF
• The free Adobe Reader will not convert documents
  to PDF

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Look of Application

• Different
• All electronic
• Not assembled by PIs office
• No Table of Content
• No Headers
• Assembled by the Grantor Agency

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Deadlines

• Check instructions for sponsors date and time
  deadlines
• For NIH, 5 pm local time (Central)
• If late, application may or may not be accepted
  by the sponsor

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Before Submitting to OGCA

• Save the grant application file
• Check Package for Errors button
• A message box will appear indicating the number
  of errors
• Only one error will be displayed at a time
• Keep checking
• Correct one at a time
• Correct all errors
• Cannot submit file until all errors are corrected
• Submit button will become active, but remember
  only OGCA can submit your application

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After Submitted by OGCA

• Various e-mails from Grants.gov to OGCA
• Received by Grants.gov
• Validated by Grants.gov
• Received by Grantor Agency
• Grantor Agency Tracking Number Assigned
• Rejected with Errors by Grantor Agency
• Accepted by Grantor Agency

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ALL GRANT APPLICATIONS TO FEDERAL AGENCIES
OGCA
PI
1st validation many e-mails
All 26 Federal Agencies
.

DHHS
NIH
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NIH as the Grantor Agency

• Presented by Ellen Johnson
• NIH Grants Manager
• ECJOHN_at_UAB.EDU
• 934-5266

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NIH ELECTRONIC GRANTS ADMINISTRATION (eRA)
COMMONS
QUESTIONS

WHY?
WHERE?
WHAT?
AND
WHO?
HOW?
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What is the NIH Electronic Research
Administration (eRA) Commons?

• The Virtual Meeting Place for all NIH Grant
  Related concerns.
• NIHs Electronic Research Administration System
  that allows applicants/grantees to
  electronically receive and transmit applications
  and awards.

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What are the expected benefits of electronic
submission?

• Facilitate efficiencies to shorten the cycle from
  application receipt to award.
• Provide clear, color grant images.
• Create a comprehensive repository of data that
  can be mined by knowledge management and other
  portfolio tools.

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What are the expected benefits of electronic
submission? (continued)

• Improve data quality (e.g., enforcement of
  business validations).
• Save gt200,000,000 pieces of paper/year and
  countless hours of human effort.
• Reduce scanning, printing and data-entry costs.

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Do you have to maintain a database at the
institution to use the NIH eRA Commons?NO.

• The information submitted to the NIH eRA Commons
  resides in the NIH Enterprise Database.

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Snapshot eRA Commons Website
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What are eRA Commons registration requirements
for the Institution?

• UAB must complete a one-time only registration.

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REGISTRATION

• UAB is already registered as an institution.
• OGCA currently has 770 faculty members registered
  in eRA Commons.
• 126 faculty members have had Accounts set up by
  OGCA, but have not responded to email
  notifications from eRA Commons.

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What is the registration process for Principal
Investigators?

• The PI completes an eRA Commons Account Form and
  returns it via campus mail, fax, email, hand
  delivery to OGCA.
• An account is set up by OGCA staff (Amber Croom).
• PI receives verification from eRA Commons that an
  account has been set up and a temporary password
  is assigned.

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What is the registration process for Principal
Investigators?(continued)

• If the account is not activated within 72 hours,
  the email notification will expire.
• If the PI has not received an email indicating
  that an account has been set up, please contact
  Amber Croom-OGCA. The initial email will be
  resent to the PI.
• PI will need to provide own password protection.

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How do I submit NIH applications through
Grants.gov? (Deadline June 1,
2006)R03-Small Grant ProgramsR21/R33
Exploratory/Development ResearchR34- Clinical
trial Planning Grant ProgramNIH TimelineNIH
Planned Transition Dates of Mechanisms for
Electronic Submission-SF424 (RR)
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(No Transcript)
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ALL GRANT APPLICATIONS TO FEDERAL AGENCIES
OGCA
PI
1st validation many e-mails
All 26 Federal Agencies
...

NIH
DHHS
2nd validation notification eRA Commons
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eRA Commons Electronic Receipt How it
Works?(Grantor Agency--NIH)

• Upon PI/OGCAs receipt of the NIH retrieval
  notice, the application will be scheduled for
  download into the eRA system for NIH validation.

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eRA Commons Electronic Receipt How it
Works?(Grantor Agency--NIH)

• Once NIH validation is completed, the NIH
  notification (not Grants.gov) will be emailed to
  the PI and OGCA/AOR named in the application.
• It is imperative that the PIs email address
  provided on the SF424 (RR) Cover component be
  current and accurate.

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eRA Commons Electronic Receipt How it
Works?(Grantor Agency-- NIH)(Continued)

• The NIH email notification will inform the PI and
  OGCA that the application has been received and
  processed by the NIH.
• It will indicate whether any errors or warnings
  resulted during the validation process.
• It will invite the PI and OGCA to log on the eRA
  Commons, to either
• View the application image (Is it complete?)
• Review the list of warnings/errors that were
  encountered during the NIH validation process.

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eRA Commons Electronic Receipt How it
Works?(Grantor Agency-- NIH)(Continued)

• Be aware of the distinction between errors and
  warnings.
• Errors will stop further application processing
  and are unacceptable.
• significant inaccuracies, inconsistencies,
  omissions, or incorrect formatting.

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eRA Commons Electronic Receipt How it
Works?(Grantor Agency -- NIH) (Continued)

• Warnings do not stop further application
  processing and are acceptable, but worthy of
  bringing to the applicants attention.
• It is the PIs discretion whether a warning
  condition will require any action.

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eRA Commons Electronic Receipt How it
Works?(Grantor Agency --NIH) (Continued)

• If there were no validation errors, the NIH email
  notification will also inform the PI and OGCA of
  NIHs accession number, which represents the
  agency tracking number.
• This number replaces the Grants.gov tracking
  number that was assigned when the application was
  first submitted.

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eRA Commons Electronic Receipt How it
Works?(Grantor Agency --NIH) (Continued)

• In subsequent interaction with the eRA Commons,
  the NIHs accession number will be used to refer
  to the application, not the Grants.gov tracking
  number.

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eRA Commons Electronic Receipt How it
Works?(2- Business Day Check)

• Once an application package has been
• Successfully submitted through Grants.gov
• Errors have been addressed
• The assembled application has been created in the
  eRA Commons
• The PI/OGCA have two days to view the application
  image.

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eRA Commons Electronic Receipt How it
Works?(2-Day Business Day Check continued)

• Emails are unreliable. Therefore, the PI and
  OGCA/AOR should periodically check on the
  application status in eRA Commons.

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eRA Commons Electronic Receipt How it
Works?(2-Day Business Day Check continued)

• If everything is acceptable, no further action is
  necessary. The application will automatically
  move forward for processing by the Division of
  Receipt and Referral after two business days.

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eRA Commons Electronic Receipt How it
Works?(Correcting Errors)

• Prior to a specified submission date, applicants
  may make corrections and resubmit an application
  through Grants.gov.
• After a specified submission date, if applicants
  make corrections and resubmit, the application
  will be considered late.

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eRA Commons Electronic Receipt How it
Works?(Correcting Errors) (Continued)

• Make whatever corrections necessary.
• Edit the PureEdge application forms to correct
  whatever problem or inconsistency noted.
• Check the Changed/Corrected Application box in
  Block 1 of the SF424 (RR) Cover component.
• Have the OGCA/AOR submit the revised PureEdge
  forms to Grants.gov again.

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eRA Commons Electronic Receipt How it
Works?(Correcting Error-Assignment)

• The application will only be assigned for
  scientific review once errors are resolved.
• In addition to the validations performed by the
  eRA system, further administrative review will be
  conducted by NIH staff.
• The PI and/or OGCA/AOR may be contacted for
  further corrections/clarifications.

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eRA Commons Electronic Receipt How it
Works?NIH Common Errors/Tips
Tools)HTTP//era.nih.gov/GOV/ElectronicReceipt/ti
ps_tools.htm
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eRA Commons Electronic Receipt How it
Works?SF424 (RR)(Cross Reference for Grant
Image Order for NIH Applications Using the SF424
(RR) Application)https//era.nih.gov/docs/SF424
_RR_Assembly.pdf
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eRA Commons ResourcesProcedures and
Instructions(Handouts)

• Instructions Regarding Forgotten Passwords
• Procedure for Updating Personal Profile
• NIH Planned Transition Dates of Mechanisms for
  Electronic Submission using the SF424 (RR)
• Hot Links

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Contact InformationNIH Area934-5266

• NIH Officers and Staff
• Geeta Chhabra, Grants and Contracts Officer
• Jan Hitchcock, Grants and Contracts Officer
• Sherre McMiller, Grants and Contracts Officer
• Sandra Peoples, Grants and Contracts Officer
• Amber Croom, eRA Accounts Representative (OSSIII)
• Jacinta Pollard, eRA Accounts Representative
  (OSSIII)

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How to . . . Grants.gov

• UAB Process for Review and Submission via
  Grants.gov

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Submitting via Grants.gov

• The Good News!
• OGCA has submitted several applications through
  Grants.gov
• Were ready!!

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Submitting via Grants.gov

• There will be two submissions to OGCA
• Paper copy with checklist and CIRB forms
• Electronic copy for submission to Grants.gov

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Submitting via Grants.gov

• What to submit to OGCA for initial review
• Paper checklist signed by the PI
• Paper CIRB forms
• Printout of all SF424rr forms
• Why paper? Many reviewers, administrators and
  Chairs are not prepared to review with PureEdge
  software. Many retain paper copies of the
  application.

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Submitting via Grants.gov

• Transition to an Electronic Drop Box is scheduled
  for early May
• Drop your PureEdge SF424RR in for review when all
  administrative pages are ready for review
• Drop your FINAL and COMPLETE copy for submission
  via Grants.gov

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Submitting via Grants.gov

• OGCA Tracking Log
• Yes, we will use the tracking log
• Reviewer comments will be returned to the
  investigator as usual
• Paper copies will not be returned to the
  investigator

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Submitting via Grants.gov

• Final version (PDF) must be sent to OGCA
  electronically for submission.
• By e-mail or CD To initial reviewer
• To Drop Box in development for early May

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Submitting via Grants.gov

• OGCA Officers will review and submit through
  Grants.gov
• Validation
• receipt of tracking information
• G.g tracking number to Tracking log
• Agency Tracking number to Tracking log

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Submitting via Grants.gov

• Timing -
• Paper Review - All administrative pages and rough
  draft of science 10-7 business days before
  deadline
• Electronic Submission - Final proposal must be
  received no later than 3 days prior to deadline

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Submitting via Grants.gov

• What can go wrong?
• Incomplete forms from investigator
• Officer will contact and request
  revised/completed forms
• Grants.gov server capacity
• Speed of submission will determine how many
  applications can be processed each day

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Submitting via Grants.gov

• What happens after successful G.g submission?
• Each federal agency has different acceptance and
  notification procedures
• Many have not announced their procedures yet.
• You, as well as OGCA, should check the agency
  website regularly.

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Submitting via Grants.gov

• NIHs Second validation
• Had been difficult and cumbersome
• They have changed the process
• There is now less of a burden on the PI than
  originally proposed.
• PI should sign on and view their proposal to
  insure that the entire file was transmitted
  accurately.

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Submitting via Grants.gov

• BE PREPARED FOR CHANGE
• At NIH
• At other federal agencies
• At Grants.gov
• At UAB

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Submitting via Grants.gov

• COMMUNICATING CHANGE
• Agency web pages
• OGCA listserve
• OGCA website
• UAB Reporter

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Submitting via Grants.gov

• June 1 reminders
• R03 and R21 electronic/SF424
• R01, P01 paper forms/PHS398

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Submitting via Grants.gov

• What can you do now?
• Download PureEdge software
• Select a practice Funding Opportunity
• Download the SF424RR
• Get familiar with the software and the forms