NIH Electronic Submission Process and Grants'gov

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NIH Electronic Submission Process and Grants.gov

• December 1, 2006
• Eric Cottington

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Agenda

• NIH plans for electronic submission
• Application process via Grants.gov
• Next Steps

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NIH Timeline for Electronic Submission
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NIH Receipt Dates Selected Grant Mechanisms
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NIH Application Process Through Grants.Gov
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Preparing for NIH electronic submission process

• Options for Macintosh Users
• Grants.gov has posted on their website an update
  on IBMs progress towards providing a PureEdge
  viewer compatible with Macs. They have included a
  link to an early-release of an IBM Workplace
  Forms (PureEdge) viewer for Macs on their
  Download Software page and have identified some
  of the limitations to this version of the viewer
  (e.g., compatible only with PowerPC based
  machines G4 and G5).  
• NIH-hosted Citrix servers allow non-PC users to
  prepare and submit applications using the
  PureEdge forms viewer.  This service has been
  used successfully by many applicants over the
  past year and has the capacity to handle the
  anticipated load for the electronic submission of
  R01s in February 20
• PC-emulation software commercially available
  products allow Mac users to run the PureEdge
  viewer.
• Grants.gov plans to unveil a new
  platform-independent solution based on Adobe
  forms in April 2007.  And NIH will migrate to the
  new Adobe forms sometime between early summer and
  October of 2007. 
• Information on further developments for Mac users
  and contact information for Grants.govs Customer
  Care Center may be found on the Grants.gov
  website.

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Application Process Find Grant Opportunities
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Application Process Find Grant Opportunities
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Application Process Find Grant Opportunities
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Application Process Find Grant Opportunities
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Application Process Find Grant Opportunities
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Application Process Find Grant Opportunities
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Application Process Find Grant Opportunities
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Application Process Find Grant Opportunities
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Application Process Find Grant Opportunities
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Application Process Find Grant Opportunities
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Application Process Find Grant Opportunities
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Application Process Find Grant Opportunities
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Application Process Find Grant Opportunities
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Application Process Find Grant Opportunities
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Application Process Find Grant Opportunities
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Application Process Find Grant Opportunities
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Application Process Find Grant Opportunities
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Application Process Find Grant Opportunities
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Application Process Find Grant Opportunities
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Application Process Find Grant Opportunities
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Application Process Prepare Application

• Two versions of the NIH application guides are
  currently available, each corresponding to a
  version of the SF424 (RR) forms.
• Version 1 of the application guide continues to
  be used for Funding Opportunity Announcements
  posted before June 15, 2006 unless and until such
  opportunities are reposted.
• Version 2 of the application guide is to be used
  only with Funding Opportunity Announcements using
  Version 2 or Version 2a of the SF424 (RR) forms
  (the updated application forms). These funding
  opportunities are clearly noted with a
  "Version-2-Forms" or Version-2a-Forms in the
  "Competition ID" field of the forms package. This
  field appears at the top left hand of the page
  when you open an application package with the
  PureEdge viewer.
• For more details on the transition from Version 1
  to Version 2 of the forms, see NIH Guide Notice
  NOT-OD-06-078.
• Link to Version 2 of the SF424 (RR) Application
  Guide (Nov. 15, 2006)The guide contains the
  detailed instructions for filling out the SF424
  (RR) Application Form.
• Link to Version 2 of the SBIR/STTR SF424 (RR)
  Application Guide (Nov. 15, 2006)The guide
  contains detailed instructions for filling out
  the SF424 (RR) Application Form to submit
  SBIR/STTR grant applications.

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Application Process Prepare Application
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Application Process Prepare Application
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Application Process Prepare Application
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Application Process Prepare Application

• Universal Face Page (SF424 RR)
• Documents (even those labeled PHS 398) differ
  greatly from conventional PHS 398 forms (to be
  phased out)
• Attachments must be pdf documents
• With respect to page limitations, NIH will take
  into account separate attachments that must fit
  within an overall page limit

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Application Process Check for Errors
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Application Process Check for Errors
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Application Process Correct Errors and Save
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Application Process Correct Errors and Save
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Application Process Correct Errors and Save
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Application Process - Submit

• The "Submit" button on the application package
  cover page will become active after you have
• downloaded the application package,
• completed all required forms,
• attached all required documents,
• checked for and corrected all errors, and
• saved your application package
• Once the Submit button is active, attach the
  PureEdge file to the Case electronic University
  Review Form (eURF)
• Once the eURF or print version of the eURF has
  been routed, Authorized Organizational
  Representative (AOR) will access eURF and click
  on attached PureEdge file to submit application.
• Given that errors are likely and will need to be
  fixed prior to the submission date, PureEdge file
  should be submitted ten calendar days before
  submission date.
• AOR/SO must successfully submit application to
  Grants.gov by 500 p.m. local time of applicant
  organization.

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Application Process - Submit
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Application Process - Submit
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Application Process - Submit
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Application Process Post-Submission
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Application Process Post-Submission
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Application Process Post-Submission

• Top Two Errors in Electronic Submission
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• Missing Commons User ID in the Credential Field
• The application did not Include the PIs Commons
  User ID in the field called Credential, e.g.
  agency login.
• This field is not marked as required on the
  government-wide form but is required by NIH, as
  noted in the SF424 (RR) Application Guide.
• The field is located in the first section called
  Profile Project Director/Principal
  Investigator on the Senior/Key Person Profile(s)
  component of the SF424 (RR) form. 
• PDF issues
• NIH only accepts attachments in PureEdge or PDF
  format. Do not submit attachments in other
  formats such as Microsoft Word, Word Perfect,
  etc.
• Do not put special characters in file names.
• Disable all security features in the PDF
  document.
• If you are having trouble fixing the PDF
  settings, simply cut and paste from the PDF
  document into a Microsoft Word document and then
  reconvert.
• One of the PDF tools that have been working
  without issue for most applicants is CutePDF.
• Note NIH had previously suggested that
  applicants not use active links in PDFs. NIH has
  since addressed the issue and applicants can now
  include active links in PDFs.

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Application Process Post-Submission

• Other common errors
• Do not include two PD/PIs
• Do not submit both modular and detailed budgets
• Start date for first budget year must be same as
  start date for proposed project start date
• Total Cost Does Not Equal Direct and Indirect
  Costs
• Missing DUNS number in the eRA Commons
  Institutional Profile
• Missing PI/PD info on Detailed Budget Page
• Fee exceeds 7 percent of total direct and
  indirect costs
• Fee entered in null area for subaward/consortium
  budgets
• The state code for US or Canada is invalid
• Foreign application indicator must be yes

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Application Process Post-Submission (NIH) PI
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Application Process Post-Submission (NIH) SO
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Application Process Post-Submission (NIH) SO
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Next Steps

• Review E-Application website
• http//era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/
• Review Cases Grants.gov Fact Sheet
• http//ora.ra.cwru.edu/OSPA/FYI/GrantsgovFacts.cfm
  
• Familiarize yourself with the forms and
  application guide(s)
• Preview versions of application packages and
  application guides are available at
  http//grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/index.ht
  m
• Must have PureEdge Viewer installed in order to
  manipulate the sample application packages.
• Be prepared for more changes
• Grants.gov has changed its system integrator,
  awarding a new contract to Anteon Corp. of
  Fairfax, Va.. Anteon replaces Northrop Grumman,
  who developed the current forms solution based on
  the PureEdgeTM forms.
• Grants.gov plans to unveil a new
  platform-independent solution based on Adobe
  forms in April 2007.  And NIH will migrate to the
  new Adobe forms sometime between early summer and
  October of 2007.  Until then, applicants relying
  on Grants.govs form-based solution will continue
  to use the PureEdge viewer.