ASSIST Application Submission System & Interface for Submission Tracking What is it and Best Practices

Did you hear? The transition to electronic submission of multi-project applications will occur on a program-by-program basis starting with September 25, 2013 deadlines. ( NIH will start accepting all competing grant applications electronically by May The new electronic system developed for submission of these complex mechanisms has been labeled, “ASSIST.”

What is ASSIST? ASSIST is a web-based system designed to accommodate the complexities of NIH’s multi-project applications ASSIST works with Grants.gov to download and complete forms for multi- project applications

System roll out schedule history of transition to electronic applications

Transition by date and mechanism September 25, 2013 — All applications submitted in response to FOAs with the following activity codes and a due date of September 25, 2013 or after will require electronic submission: P01, P20, P50, R24, U24, U19. January 25, 2014 — All applications submitted in response to FOAs with the following activity codes and a due date of January 25, 2014 or after will require electronic submission: G12, P30, P40, P41, P42, P51, P60, R28, U10, U41, U42, U45, U54, U56, UC7, UM1.

Welcome to ASSIST Log into the ASSIST with your eRA Commons credentials: ( Want to test an ASSIST application? NIH demo site: plug in PA

Do the tab headings look familiar?

Good things to know when starting an ASSIST proposal Prior to initiating an application using ASSIST, applicants must identify a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to which they would like to apply. FOAs are posted in the NIH Guide for Grants & Contracts and in Grants.gov Anyone with an eRA Commons ID can initiate a proposal in ASSIST

The only thing needed at this point is: Title of Application

Application Set up Know your projects and cores (Components) !! Title (of each specific project or core) Order (which is Project 1, etc.) Project or core lead Dates Warning – these can’t be changed after set-up

Assign Access Who has automatic access: Initiator PI SPA Project/Core lead for their section only Contact SPA the same address you use to request an eRA Commons Account ) “Access Maintainer status”

Access Maintainer Status This allows you to: add additional users. It is recommended that everyone have at least one back-up, department signers, subcontracts, etc. assign or change Read Only or Edit status to others.

Next steps Once a component is finished, put in COMPLETE status When all components are COMPLETE, create and provide a PDF of the entire application to the PI for their review and comments. Yes! You can now see what the final copy will look like BEFORE submission! (except Cover Letter and Appendices)

Final steps to submission After making any corrections, put all components to FINAL VALIDATE the application Update the submission status to READY TO SUBMIT

Submission to SPA Submit ASSIST proposal by sending an to: Remember to include the PRF# and/ PI last name in subject line. This must state that the proposal is in the ASSIST system and provide the “Application Identifier No paper copy is necessary

Tips to share Know your Projects and Cores – Language changes Project and Core Lead (not Leader or Co-Investigator) – Numbering Cores are NUMBERED, not alpha like we’re used to There is always an Admin Core Have the eRA Commons ID for all key personnel prior to proposal set-up.

Tips to share Budget Flow No inflation Equipment pop-up Biosketch appears only in one location of the proposal Placement of human and animal compliance information Assurance numbers are only entered in the Overall Component Our F&A calculations when entire Core/Project is a subaward There is no place to enter F&A UofMN is entitled to for the 1 st $25,000. This is a known issue. Place a paragraph in the budget justification of the Admin Core. Your printed packet will be much larger than a 398 packet.

Wendy D Diedrich x64692 Leslie Kennedy x40164 Frances Spalding x50848