THE BASICS 2011
Office of Sponsored Programs
Instructor
Craig Johnson
OSP Administrator
erfalas@uw.edu or 543-4043
Objectives
By the end of this class you will:
 Know what Grants.gov is and when to use it
 Understand the 2 options for submitted
applications from the UW
 Know how to find funding opportunities supported
by Grants.gov
 Understand the UW process for submitting
Grants.gov applications
 Gain hands-on experience using Grants.gov
Agenda
Grants.gov Overview
 Two ways to complete applications
 Preparation time

What info do I need?
 Where do I get it?

Finding & completing the Adobe formset
 Final Check and downloading
 Q&A

What is Grants.gov?

An electronic portal that allows users to find,
apply for, and manage over 1,000 grant
opportunities from 26 different Federal
agencies
When do I use Grants.gov?

Depends on the agency and program
requirements. Some sponsors (e.g., NIH, NOAA)
currently use Grants.gov; some (e.g., NSF) are
still in transition.
Two Ways to Complete Grants.gov Applications
#1 Adobe
 Search and download forms direct from Grants.gov
 Complete forms
 Attach to eGC1 and route
 OSP will upload and submit your application
 Errors and warning messages provided by OSP
Two Ways to Complete Grants.gov Applications
#2 SAGE Grant Runner
 Complete
the forms directly in SAGE
(combined with eGC1)
 Route for campus approvals
 OSP submits application with a click of a
button
 Errors and warning messages appear in
eGC1 History & Comments
Getting Started



NIH’s system is called ERA Commons.
In order to apply to NIH, every PI (or grad
student) must have an active account in
Commons.
Contact your Department Administrator to
request an NIH Commons login account.
Getting Started



Your computer is loaded with the most currently
supported version of Adobe (9.1.2.)
Search, download and become familiar with the
Program Announcement and instructions
Schedule so that submission is in compliance with
GIM19
Summary of Recent Changes (2009)




Research Plan PHS398 “Attachments” (Background &
Significance, Preliminary Studies/Progress Report,
Research Design and Methods) now “Research
Strategy”
 Research Plan reformatted and reduced
to 12 pages
Other Project Info form have modified requirement
Biosketch now begins with a personal statement
Applies to both Grants.gov Adobe PDF and Grant
Runner
UW Routing and Submission Process
Routing
on
Campus
In OSP
Review
by OSP
Admin
Navigating the Submission Freeway
OSP transmits
application &
receives confirmation
Grants.gov performs
basic check
GRANT000012345
Agency System
(NIH)
eRA Commons
AN12345
Grants.gov National Submission Funnel
USC
UW
UCLA
Everyone’s Goal:
100% success in submitting error free
Grants.gov
UW Deadlines
(Submit Proposal)
GIM 19
7+ days:



All final business elements and draft scope of work
Approved by campus reviewers and IN OSP
OSP needs to be able to do a meaningful review
3+ days:


Final proposal in complete & final format
Status = IN OSP by 5pm
-3 days:


Any application received by OSP after 5pm 3 business days before
the sponsor deadline will not be reviewed and will be sent back to
the PI/Dept
Waiver Process
Sponsor Deadlines
-10 -9
(Submit Proposal)
-8 -7 -6
UW
Holiday
-4 -3 -2 -1


Any hard deadline that is missed will usually result in
the application being returned without review
Hint
 Create
a calendar using the sponsor deadline
 Count back 3 and 7 business days
 Make a reasonable timeline for each section/part
 Concurrent timelines for admin vs science sections
QUIZ
What is due when?
7 Day Rule
3+ Day Rule
all business components
complete/final + draft
version of the science
(Research Strategy)
all proposal components
complete/final + final version
of the science (Research
Strategy)
When am I really ready to submit?
All required eGC1 fields completed
All COMPLETED sponsor forms attached
IRB or IACUC studies / protocol approval dates
IRB / IACUC modifications applied for
Attached paperwork for subcontracts or consultants
Research Plan & budget is attached in FINAL form
Attachments are in correct format (NIH=PDF only)
F&A rate is in accordance with GIM 13A
Any required waivers approved (e.g. IDC, e-GC1 addendum,
48hr)
Then RTS = YES!!
Demonstration of Grant.gov System






Finding Grant Opportunities
Download Instructions
Download application package
Complete application package
Viewing and Printing application package
Email acknowledgements and notifications
Finding a Grant Opportunity
Finding a Grant Opportunity
Finding a Grant Opportunity
To download
application
For a full copy
of the instructions
UW- OSP
GRANTS.GOV TRAINING – finding a grant opportunity
Enter your email address here if you would like
updates on this PA
Save both to your desktop
7 Steps to
Submit NIH proposal via Grants.gov
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Download application package via Grants.gov
Complete the application package
Complete a eGC1 in SAGE.
Upload application package to GC-1 and
route to OSP
OSP will review & submit final application
Validation process (multiple emails btw OSP,
Grants.gov & department)
Validation of NIH proposals via ERA Commons
3 Steps to
Submit NIH Proposal via Grant Runner
1.
2.
3.
Create, complete and submit to OSP a new
eGC1 in SAGE containing the application
package.
Real time validation info contained within
SAGE History and Comments.
Validation of NIH proposals via eRA
Commons.
Where do I look for more info?
NSF website:
http://www.nsf.gov
 NIH Instructions for 424 Forms
http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/in
dex.htm
 NIH ERA’s Commons website:
https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons
 Avoid Common Errors:
http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/avoiding_
errors.htm

Where can I go for help?
For technical questions:
http://grants.gov/ or 1-800-518-4726
 For NIH’s overall plan for electronic receipt,
contact NIH Grants info at grantsinfo@nih.gov
 For UW procedure and process:
Contact OSP Help Desk at 685-4362 or
osphelp@u.washington.edu
 For Grant Runner questions:
Contact the SAGE Help Desk at 685-8335 or
sagehelp@uw.edu.

Helpful Tips



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
Always review the Program Announcement for
requirements (i.e. page limits, documentation, etc.).
Answer “Yes” on the eGC1 Ready-to-Submit (RTS)
question only when the proposal is ready for
submission
The budget and the SF424 form must have the
same start date
Make sure to use the correct DUNS#
Level of effort must be listed on detailed budget
Do not use headers and footers on documents
More Helpful Tips
NIH Only:
 Co-project Director (PD) or Co-Principal Investigator
(PI) is not recognized.
 Make sure PI information in eRA Commons matches
the name used on the application.
 Convert document attachments to PDF format.
Questions & Answers
Test your knowledge
https://catalysttools.washington.edu/webq/
survey/almarks/91416
In Closing


Class Evaluation:
https://catalysttools.washington.edu/webq/survey/
almarks/93633
THANKS FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION!