Agency web site: www.grants.gov
Grants.gov is intended as a centralized web site for federal grant information and submission of grant proposals to federal agencies. Here are some guidelines and things to be aware of when submitting grant applications through Grants.gov.
Principal investigators do not need to register with Grants.gov or with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR). ADRFA has registered for the University. The Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) referred to on the Grants.gov site is not the P.I., but the institutional official who provides the final signoff on grants (i.e., Dr. Linda Toth, Associate Dean for Research). In some cases, however, principal investigators need to register with a specific funding agency to access its forms.
Not all federal agencies have converted yet to the Grants.gov system; some are still using their own electronic proposal submission systems (e.g., FastLane for most National Science Foundation programs). Check the program guidelines to see which system the program requires you to use. Be aware, however, that the conversion to Grants.gov will take place within the next few months at most federal funding agencies, including NSF, NIH, DOE, and USDA. Get as familiar as you can with the Grants.gov system now.
Also be aware that some agencies are having more difficulty integrating with Grants.gov than others are. Many agencies are still working out their Grants.gov procedures. There are glitches, and there is system down time. The situation is improving, but you need to allow some extra lead time in case your proposal gets delayed by an agency snag.
Your first step is to check the agency web site to see if it has a portal to Grants.gov. If it does, (i.e. NIH) proceed by clicking that link and following the directions. Pick up with step #8 below. If the agency web site does not provide a portal to Grants.gov, follow all the steps below.
1. From the agency web site, download to your computer desktop all of the agency-specific forms required for your proposal submission. Fill out these forms and save them; you will later need to attach them to your Grants.gov application form. (Warning: Some agencies' systems can only be accessed by PCs, and some require the use of Internet Explorer rather than other browsers.) At some point in the process you will usually need to enter something called the DUNS number, which is 837537372. At that point, some of the required information may be generated automatically from a centralized database.
2. If the agency does not give you a link to Grants.gov, access www.grants.gov and download PureEdge Viewer, the software package needed to complete Grants.gov applications. (Click on "Apply for Grants," then on the next page click on "Download PureEdge Viewer" in the left menu bar.)
3. Next, download the appropriate Grants.gov application and instructions to your computer desktop (not to a folder, or you won't be able to open the application). To locate the correct application package on Grants.gov, you will need the CFDA (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance) number or the funding opportunity number for the grant program. These can be found in the program guidelines, usually near the beginning. Once you have downloaded PureEdge Viewer, the Grants.gov application, and the instructions for that particular program, you do not need to be online to complete the application.
4. Read the instructions carefully before getting started; agencies differ in their requirements and procedures. We recommend that you print out the instructions and bring them to ADRFA when you bring us your completed application.
5. Open PureEdge Viewer and the application you downloaded. The "Mandatory Documents" box partway down the page will list a number of Grants.gov forms that you must click on and fill out. Save these forms periodically as you work on them; be sure to give the system time to save each form completely, or you may lose data. To complete some of the certification forms, you may need to refer to numbers found on ADRFA's website under grant information.
6. You can doublecheck completed forms by opening them from the "completed" box. To make any changes, however, you must move the form back to the "Mandatory Documents" window before the program will allow you to edit the form.
7. When you have completed the mandatory forms, go down to the "Optional Documents" box and click on "Other Attachments Form." This will open a page that will allow you to attach your completed agency-specific forms to the Grants.gov application. Save the application after attaching the forms. You will now have one large file with an .xfd extension.
8. Submit the electronic file, a printout of the complete application and your completed, signed Goldenrod Form to ADRFA for review and processing. Because Grants.gov applications are large files, you will need to submit the file on a CD or memory stick, or put it in a WinZip file and e-mail it to Pam Helfert at ADRFA, phelfert@siumed.edu
9. Once the proposal and budget have been reviewed, The Associate Dean for Research will sign the application (if applicable) and the Goldenrod form and your proposal will be electronically submitted.
If you have questions or difficulties, contact Pam Helfert at 545-4549.
