Grants.Gov in Higher Ed

1
Grants.Gov in Higher Ed

• May 24, 2007

2
Grants.gov Overview

• Status
• New System Developments
• Specific Sponsor Points
• Submission Points
• Institutional Considerations
• Technological Considerations
• Challenges and Goals
• Brief Live Tour of Grants.gov Website

3
Status of Grants.gov
4
Federal Goals
The goal is to increase access to Federal grant
opportunity application packages through a single
site (FIND) as well as provide the grantee the
option to submit applications electronically
(APPLY) In 2006, Federal agencies were required
to make at least 75 of discretionary grant
opportunities available for electronic submission
through APPLY with 100 of the program synopses
listed in FIND. This utilization goal was
increased to 100 in FY07.
5
Authorized Organization Representatives
(AORs) Registered By Quarter
Total AORs for FY07 Q1 and Q2 increased 354 from
FY06 Q1 and Q2 totals

6
Submission Growth By Quarter
Total submissions for FY07 Q1 and Q2 increased
293 from FY06 Q1 and Q2 totals

7
Highlights of Agency Participation
8
Grants.gov Today

• May 11, 2007 Grants.gov Surpasses 100,000
  Submissions!
• Since it first went live in October 2003,
  Grants.gov has grown from a first-year record of
  17 agencies with 1,140 submissions to 26 agencies
  and over 90,000 submissions in FY 2006. For FY
  2007 through May 8th the total number of
  submissions is 101,281.

9
Grants.gov As Is

• Must download IBM PureEdge software package
• Navigating through package is awkward
• Cannot print easily
• Is not natively compatible with Macs
• Doesnt allow for data capture or S2S

10
New System Developments
11
Grants.gov Improvements

• Grant.gov has continually implemented
  technologies to improve the grantor and grantee
  experience. With continuing input from the entire
  grant community, the Grants.gov Program
  Management Office looks forward to even greater
  accomplishments in the future.

12
2007 System - Features

• Adobe Forms (platform independent)
• Enhanced System-to-System (S2S) support for all
  applicants and agencies
• Google search
• Search is not limited to text data
• Both synopsis data and attachments (MS Word, PDF,
  and Excel) are searchable

13
New System Deployment

• Near Deployment original schedule extended to
  incorporate end-user feedback
• Transition period begins mid-May
• Agencies that have already posted application
  packages in PureEdge do not need to immediately
  replace them with Adobe forms packages
• Applicants use a single link to click to apply
  regardless of whether an application package was
  posted with PureEdge or Adobe forms
• Applicants that have downloaded and completed
  application packages with PureEdge forms can
  submit them unchanged through the transition
  period
• Agencies and applicants get a consolidated view
  of applications that includes applications
  submitted to the old system as well as the new
  system

14
Transition to Adobe Format

• Adobe Day
• May 3, 2007 200 300 p.m. ET
• Hear from Adobe on the technology platform
  supporting Adobe 7.0.9
• Learn about using the free Adobe Reader to
  complete grant applications
• Learn how the new forms will look and act when
  completing your application
• View New Grants.gov Adobe Screenshots
• Discuss Changes between PureEdge and Adobe

15
Adobe Day

• Grants.gov Adobe Day - New Date To Be Announced
• We are rescheduling the May 3, 2007, Adobe
  eSeminar - Learn About Grants.gov. We experienced
  unforeseen connectivity issues with the server.
  The Grants.gov website and Adobe forms were not
  affected as a result of this technical
  issue.Grants.gov utilized a third party to host
  this eSeminar. Please check our website for the
  new date and time. We will also be emailing each
  registrant details on the rescheduled eSeminar.

16
Training Material

• Grantor and Applicant User Guides Being Updated
• User Guides Will Include Transition to Adobe
• Once Complete, Material will be Updated on
  Grants.gov
• http//www.grants.gov/help/user_guides.jsp
• Material Includes Input from Testing
• Outreach Training Material Being Updated

17
Other hoped-for Improvements

• Full application viewing and printing, including
  attachments
• Double-click on a form to open it
• Allow more than 5 budget periods
• Pre-populate forms with Institutional data
• Ability to transfer data from one form to another
• Ability to use scroll-wheel on mouse

18
Submission Points
19
Submission Points

• While all Federal Agencies will have to convert
  to Grants.gov submissions by October 1, 2007,
  there may continue to be exceptions
• Some agencies/programs still provide the option
  of paper, email/other electronic submission, or
  Grants.gov submission (e.g. ARO, AFOSR, NSF)
• Some require both a hard-copy and a Grants.gov
  submission (examples DoD?)
• There are also non-federal sponsors using their
  own electronic programs
• Industry sponsors e.g. Microsoft, Inc.
• Foundations
• NIWR (National Institute of Water Resources/USGS)

20
Institutional Considerations
21
Process Overview

• Insitution Registers with Grants.gov, and sets up
  AORs who will be authorized to submit Grants.gov
  applications on behalf of the institution (see
  http//www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.js
  p)
• Institution informs and educates appropriate
  personnel on campus about Grants.gov (Faculty,
  Business Managers, Sponsored Programs staff,
  etc.) and puts some protocols in place
• Faculty find and download the application package
  of interest, fill it out and submit it for
  submission to the Sponsored Programs Office
• SPO reviews and submits the proposal
• SPO and PI receive up to 4 emails as the package
  moves through Grants.gov receipt, validation,
  sponsor receipt and sponsor acceptance phases
• During these stages the SPO or PI may need to
  make corrections and resubmit
• The application is deemed received and complete
  by the sponsor

22
Institutional Considerations

• Parallel Paper and Electronic processes
• Adjust internal processes to include electronic
  applications
• Additional burden of formset review on proposal
  reviewers
• Internal office workflow (when is it complete,
  wheres the beef?)
• Electronic routing of proposals

23
Submission Process

• Recommendations to meet submission deadline
• The department chair or dean designates one or
  more staff at the department level to attend a
  Grants.gov workshop, becoming Super-Users
• As soon as possible, the PI informs the
  appropriate departmental designee of intent to
  apply via Grants.gov
• The PI or designee makes contact with Sponsored
  Programs if help is needed
• Reading the Full Announcement and program
  specific instructions is VERY important to
  successful preparation

24
Submission Process (Continued)

• Recommendations to meet submission deadline
• Institution determines a cutoff date by which the
  PI must convey the Grants.gov application, a
  detailed internal budget, and an Internal
  Processing Form, if necessary, to Sponsored
  Programs (i.e. of working days before the
  deadline)
• It is highly recommended that the PI makes every
  attempt to convey the completed application to
  Sponsored Programs as early as possible as it may
  be necessary to make several submissions in order
  to correct unintentional errors. To avoid
  explaining a late submission, we need to start
  early
• Once the official version has been conveyed, any
  further changes should be made by Sponsored
  Programs

25
Technology Points
26
Technology Points

• Grants.gov applications can be submitted on CD or
  USB flash drive device (less preferred, due to
  file size, as an email attachment, or central
  computing clearinghouse)
• Currently version control is done at UMass
  through file naming conventions and directory
  structure on the shared network
• Version Control - File naming conventions used
• PI Last Name revision _OGCA Number
• Ex Smith_Rev3_106-1202 or
• PI Last Name Sponsor acronym revision
• Ex Smith_NSF_Rev2
• Grants.gov applications can be quite large, 10
  MB, so file storage capacity can become an issue
• Version clean-up is recommended after submission

27
Mac Viewer Update

• Macintosh Viewer Update - IBM provided the
  Special Edition Mac Viewer for PPC to the
  Grants.gov PMO. The viewer was posted to the
  Grants.gov site on Thursday December 21, 2006.
  The product is a general release product and is
  not supported publicly, however, IBM has arranged
  for a help line for the Grants.gov PMO to address
  questions.
• Grants.gov would like to thank NSF, NIH, FDP,
  COGR and Mr. Bob Beattie from the University of
  Michigan for their assistance in testing this
  product.

28
Technology Points (Continued)

• Current Grants.gov application system (PureEdge)
  has been problematic for Mac users. Work-arounds
  exist
• IBM Workplace Forms Viewer for Macs (see link
  below)
• Macintosh Viewer Update - IBM provided the
  Special Edition Mac Viewer for PPC to the
  Grants.gov PMO. The viewer was posted to the
  Grants.gov site on Thursday December 21, 2006.
  Mac Citrix Solution (less satisfactory)
• Shhhh.. borrow a PC
• Adobe Software Grants.gov has a list of third
  party products for PDF conversion at
  http//www.grants.gov/resources/download_software.
  jsp
• Institution may want to consider a S2S provider -
  UMass partnering with ERASS, the GAMS vendor, to
  pilot test a system to system Grants.gov
  application process

29
Challenges and Goals
30
Challenges/Goals

• Prepare Sponsored Programs staff for Grants.gov
  implementation
• Determine proper timing for Grants.gov training
• Develop Super-Users in each Department
• Communicate to PIs the need to anticipate the
  deadline and start preparation well in advance
• Provide institutional outreach through various
  communication channels broadcast email,
  website, workshops
• Implement a Pre-Award Grant System or S2S?

31
Handy Grants.gov URLs

• Stakeholder presentations
• http//www.grants.gov/resources/stakeholder_commun
  ications.jsp
•  Adobe solutions and Mac IBM Workplace Forms
• http//www.grants.gov/resources/download_software.
  jsp
•  Training materials supplied by Grants.gov and
  the Newsletter
• http//www.grants.gov/resources/training_materials
  .jsp

32
Handy URLs (continued)

•  The NIH SF424 User Guide and Sample Forms
• http//grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/index.ht
  m
• Please note the statement Do not use the PDF
  samples from the PHS398 application page. Those
  are fillable-PDF forms which will cause an error
  in the electronic submission of an SF424 (RR)
  applications.
•  NSF Grant Proposal Guide and Grant Policy Manual
• http//www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/papp/gpg07140.p
  df
•  UMass Grants.gov Website (not comprehensive but
  maybe helpful)
• http//www.umass.edu/research/ogca/era.htm

33
Grants.gov

• Questions?

34
Live Tour of Grants.gov

• Thank you.