Grants.gov PowerPoint Presentation

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Are You Ready for Grants.gov
Gain the tools to get started, apply, and submit
proposals through Grants. Gov. Learn to
successfully submit Grants.gov proposals and the
pitfalls to avoid. Co-Sponsored by the
Sponsored Projects Office the Berkeley Lab
Institute
Life Sciences Manfred Auer and group
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Are You Ready for Grants.gov
Presenters Jeff Weiner, SPO Manger Phyllis
Gale, Contracts Manager Sponsored Projects Office
Life Sciences Manfred Auer and group
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Overview

• What is Grants.gov?
• A Federal portal that allows users to
  electronically find, apply for, and manage
  Federal Grant Opportunities a common Store
  Front
• Grants.gov is THE single access point for over
  1000 grant programs offered by 26 Federal
  Granting Agencies.
• It is part of the Presidents Management Agenda
  and E-Government Initiatives.
• Further mandates are found in P.L. 106-107
• Grants.gov can be accessed via www.grants.gov

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Overview

• When do I have to use Grants.gov?
• Depends on the agency and program requirements.
• Some sponsors have already moved to grants.gov
  (e.g. NEH)
• Some are currently in transition (e.g. NIH) and
• Some have not yet to begin the transition (e.g.
  NSF)
• All agencies must transition by 10/1/2007

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Overview

• What does Grants.gov mean to LBNL?
• Primary area is NIH Grants (approximately 100
  proposals each year)
• Grants.gov does not replace the Federal
  Procurement Actions such as Broad Agency
  Announcements, etc.
• SPO uncertain about overall impact with Federal
  Interagency Agreements (IAG)

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Overview

• What does Grants.gov mean to the LBNL PI?
• New forms and process for proposal development
  and submission.
• 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 in PureEdge Viewer.
• SPO submits the completed proposal through
  Grants.gov

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Overview

• What does Grants.gov mean to the LBNL PI? (cont.)
• 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.

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Start Early

• LBNL is registered in Grants.gov. No further
  registration is required
• Software Requirements
• Web Browser Internet Explorer 6.0 and above is
  recommended
• Grants.gov Application Form Packages can only be
  viewed by the PureEdge Viewer software downloaded
  from Grants.gov
• It is Windows based with a MAC solution

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Start Early

• Software Requirements (cont.)
• LBNL has a solution for PC emulation for PureEdge
  on MACs
• Call the LBNL HELP DESK (x4357) and ask for Nat
  Stoddard or Bill Ou
• PDF generation software
• Many Agencies require attachments be in PDF
  format (e.g. NIH)
• Grants.gov Training Resources

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Start Early

• One time setup of the PureEdge Viewer software
• Download PureEdge Viewer from Grants.gov

Click here for the PureEdge Viewer Download page.
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Start Early

• Download PureEdge Viewer following the step by
  step instructions on Grants.gov.

If you have problems with the Download, please
contact the Grants.gov Help Desk http//www.gran
ts.gov/Contactus/contactus.jsp
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FIND

• What is a Grant Opportunity?
• A publicly available document by which a Federal
  agency makes known its intentions to award
  discretionary grants or cooperative agreements.
• Grant Opportunity announcements may be known as
  program announcements, notices of funding
  availability, solicitations, or other names
  depending on the agency and type of program.
• All Federal Agency solicitations, are required to
  be on Grants.gov and available through the Find
  functionality as Grant Opportunities.

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FIND

• You may search for Opportunities several ways
• Basic, Category, Agency, and Advance
• You can also sign up for Email Alerts

On the left, click on For Applicants and then
on Find Grants Opportunities
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FIND

• The Basic Find functionality uses Keyword,
  Grant Opportunity Number, or CDFA Number.

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.
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FIND

• For Example, we searched on Grant Opportunity
  No., PA-06-282
• From Search Results you click on the Opportunity
  to access the Grant Opportunity Application Page

Click on the Opportunity Title and the Grant
Opportunity Application Page will appear with the
Synopsis, Announcement, and How to Apply
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FIND

• Grant Opportunity Application Page provides a
  summary of the Application Package

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FIND

• On the Application Page you can access the
  Application Package by clicking on How to Apply

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FIND

• Download the Application Instructions and
  Application by clicking on download.

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FIND

• Double check if you have the correct Opportunity
• It is highly recommended that you enter your
  Email address in the yellow field so you can
  subscribe to the updates.
• Download the Instructions and Save to your hard
  drive
• Download the Application Package and Save it to
  your hard drive

Enter Email address here
Download Application Instructions and Package
from here
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APPLY

• Getting Ready
• Before beginning the Application Package, Read
  the Application Instructions very carefully and
  follow them.
• 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 your Proposal
  Analyst.
• You Proposal Analyst and contact the SPO
  Contracts Officer for guidance.

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APPLY

• The first step in the Apply process is to open
  your Internet Explorer and then the Application
  Package

• Open IE
• Open Application Package

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APPLY

• Completing the Application Package in PureEdge
  Viewer
• START EARLY especially if this is the first
  time
• As you complete each form or upload attachments
  into the PureEdge Viewer software, SAVE the
  Package.
• You cannot re-use the Application Package for a
  different submission.

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APPLY

• Application Package Header Page 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

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APPLY

• Top Section Opportunity Identifying Information
  is pre-filled. DO NOT CHANGE

Opportunity Identifying Information Opportunity
Title Offering Agency CFDA Number CFDA
Description Opportunity Number Competition ID
Opportunity Open Date Opportunity Close Date
Agency Contact
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APPLY

• Section 2 - Proposal Information This section
  includes the Application Filing Name and the
  Proposal Forms

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APPLY

• Navigating the Documents
• Open each form using the OPEN FORM button
• As you complete each form, move Documents from
  the Left Side to the Completed Documents on the
  Right Side
• You can check for errors and make corrections to
  Documents on either side.
• Remember to SAVE after any changes!

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APPLY

• Saving the Application Package in PureEdge Viewer
• On the Applicant Package Cover Page Click on the
  Save Button to open the Save Document window.
• Overwrite existing file with updated version OR
  you will have TWO Versions of the Application
  Package to track.

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APPLY

• What forms will be used in Grants.gov?
• The SF424 Form Sets have been adopted
• At LBNL expects to use the SF424 (RR) the most
  since it is designated to be used by agencies
  with research activities
• Complete the SF424 Cover Component first because
  it automatically pre-fills a number of other
  forms.

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Apply

• SF424 (RR) Cover Component (2 pages)
• Follow the instructions in the Application
  Instructions.
• Depending on the Sponsor, non-conformance with
  instructions could mean the proposal may not be
  reviewed.
• The Applicant is LBNL, not the Principal
  Investigator.
• Principal Investigators are now referred to as
  PD/PI
• PDProject Director

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APPLY

• SF424 (RR) Page 2
• PIs no longer sign cover/face pages
• Approval captured on Sponsored Projects Proposal
  Form (SPPF)
• The SPO Contracts Officer is the Authorized
  Representative.
• SPO will have examples on their website for
  reference in the next month.

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APPLY

• Uploading Attachments in the Application Packages
• Based on Application Instructions, specific
  documents (e.g.) budget justifications,
  biosketches, etc. may be uploaded as a PDF.
• Documents are completed outside of PureEdge
  Viewer software

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APPLY

• Checking for Errors
• Dont check for errors until the Application
  Package is complete (otherwise incomplete forms
  show as errors)
• At the top of the Application Package Screen,
  click on Check Package for Errors Button
• The error description will be displayed one at a
  time
• You must correct each error before you can see
  the next one.

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APPLY

• When there are no errors, the Submit Button will
  be Active

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APPLY

• Printing a hardcopy proposal from the Application
  Package
• It is recommended that each form is printed at
  the form level

• Do not use the Print Button at the Application
  Header level.
• The resultant printout has some format, but there
  are blank pages
• Uploaded documents do not print out.
• Using Internet Explorer, Print each form after
  the Application Package has been completely error
  checked and the Submit Button is activated.

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SUBMIT

• Submitting your proposal package with an
  Application Package to SPO
• Submit your proposal package including the
  Grants.gov Application Package 10 business days
  prior to the Sponsors deadline
• The Application Package can be submitted by
• Use SPO Grants.gov E-Room - preferred by SPO
• Email to SPO Contracts Officer
• Deliver CD to SPO Contracts Office
• All the same LBNL Proposal policies are in place

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SUBMIT

• Once the SPO review is completed and the
  Application Package is correct and error free,
  the SPO Contracts Officer will submit the
  proposal through Grants.gov by clicking on the
  Submit button.

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SUBMIT

• After the Submit button is clicked, the SPO CO
  will be taken to a Login Screen.
• When the Login is complete, the Application
  Package is submitted to Grants.gov.

Only SPO COs can submit proposals through
Grants.gov
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SUBMIT ? GRANT.GOV

• A Confirmation will appear on the computer screen
  indicating that the Application Package has been
  received by the server but the validation process
  has not yet begun.
• The PSO CO print screen the Confirmation for
  the SPO file.

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GRANTS.GOV

• Grants.gov will send 4 Email notifications for
• Successfully validated proposals to the SPO
• Contracts Office
• How do I know my application has been
• received by Grants.gov?
• The first two Emails record the Grants.gov
• Received indicates Grants.gov has received
• Validated indicates Grants.gov has validated

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GRANTS.GOV

• How do I know if the agency has
• retrieved my application?
• The SPO Contracts Officer will receive two
• more Emails
• Received by Agency indicates that the agency
  has confirmed receipt
• Agency Tracking Number indicates the agency has
  assigned a tracking number.
• Last action in Grants.gov
• Now all tracking done with Agency

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GRANTS.GOV

• What happens if my Application Package is
• not validated by Grants.gov?
• The SPO CO will receive a second message
• Rejected with Errors indicates Grants has not
  accepted Application and there are validation
  errors in the Application Package.
• Each validation error will be sent to SPO CO
  serially.
• To have a submitted proposal, all errors must be
  corrected prior to the Sponsors published
  deadline.

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GRANTS.GOV

• The Email for the Agency Tracking Number is the
  last action in Grants.gov
• Now all tracking done with Agency
• Questions?