1 …Same Focus on Science New Technology… NIH Electronic Grant Application

Getting Started with Electronic Submission

Finding Grant Opportunities How Do You Find Grant Opportunities? All applications must be submitted in response to a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) FOAs are posted online in the NIH Guide for Grants & Contracts and at (under “Find Grant Opportunities”)NIH Guide for Grants & Contracts NIH Guide:

Parent Announcements “Parent” FOAs are your ticket to applying for investigator-initiated research Use the Parent electronic application package for your chosen grant program (i.e. R01, R03, R21 etc.) Unsolicited apps Parent announcements listed at: Finding Grant Opportunities

NIH – Two System Process Grants.gov Grants.gov hosts standardized federal forms SF424 (R&R) and agency- specific forms (PHS 398) Electronic application through Grants.gov using these forms is mandatory for most FOAs. Grants.gov checks the application for federal-wide requirements. eRA Commons NIH retrieves the data from Grants.gov and checks the application against NIH- specific requirements eRA Commons allows applicants to electronically track the status of submissions and to receive/transmit application and award information

Registration Grants.gov Be sure your organization is registered! (one time) –U.S. organizations obtain EIN from IRS (foreign applicants see next slide) –Request DUNS # from Dun & Bradstreet –Register with Central Contractor Registry (CCR) – identify the eBiz Point of Contact (POC) –Register the Authorized Organization Reps (AORs) who can officially sign the application and submit –Visit: Grants.gov registration can take up to 8 weeks for international organizations. START NOW!

Registration - International Tips for Foreign Organizations If you do not have an EIN number – use on the application You will need a NATO Commercial & Government Entity (NCAGE) Code prior to registering with CCR. The form and instructions can be found at: Organizations with an address containing APO, FPO, or AE do not need an NCAGE code A few countries may have trouble accessing the CCR website. If so, phone: (International) For more details visit:

Registration eRA Commons – Register Your Organization Register your organization (one time) & register your Signing Officials (SO) SOs register and create separate accounts for the Project Directors/Principal Investigators (PDs/PIs) May be completed simultaneously with Grants.gov registration (as soon as the DUNS # is obtained) Register at: ions.jsp Allow 2 – 4 weeks to complete organization registration in the eRA Commons

Registration eRA Commons – PD/PI Registration The PD/PI needs to work with the SO to get registered in the eRA Commons The PI and SO need separate accounts because each has different privileges –PIs have one account that follows them throughout their careers. They can view all applications where they are listed as “PI.” The same account may be affiliated with multiple organizations. –SOs can view all applications submitted on behalf of the organization Allow 4 – 5 business days to complete PI registration in the eRA Commons

Software Requirements Grants.gov Forms Viewer Software (Free) –Adobe Acrobat Reader (recommended versions on Grants.gov site) PDF generation software – list provided on Grants.gov website

Preparing Your Application Download the Application Package and Instructions at the same time. NIH-specific instructions are denoted by the HHS logo –Save the application to your hard drive – remember to save it after each change The application includes specific data fields as well as multiple attachments –All attachments must be saved as PDF documents

Preparing Your Application Avoiding Common Errors NIH requires all application attachments to be in PDF format The eRA Commons Username must be entered in the “Credential, e.g. agency login” field for each PI. This field is located on the R&R Senior/Key Person Profile(s) form. The Organization Name must be included for all Senior/Key Persons listed Senior/Key Person effort listed on the R&R Budget form must be greater than zero For more information visit:

Submit Your Application Registration with Grants.gov and eRA Commons must be complete prior to submission Only the AOR may sign & submit the application on behalf of the organization Grants.gov provides a Tracking Number and a Date/Time stamp when you click ‘Submit’ – save this information

On Time Submission All registrations with Grants.gov & eRA Commons must be complete Initial submission must have a Grants.gov timestamp on or before 5:00p.m. local time of submitting organization on the receipt date Errors in the application must be corrected within 2 business days of the receipt date

Errors & Warnings Errors stop processing and will keep your application from being accepted by NIH Warnings provide caution for you to ensure the item is correct, but will not stop processing “Changed/Corrected” applications may be submitted to Grants.gov again to address errors/warnings in the two business days after the receipt date. –Initial application must have been on time –you must include a cover letter explaining your changes Limited Time!

Tracking Your Application It is the applicants responsibility to track the application Grants.gov will send status s to the AOR. eRA Commons will send status s to the Signing Official, PI & “Person to be contacted” listed on the application Log into eRA Commons to check application status; do not rely on s. If it is error-free, you will have an assembled application to view

Application – Viewing Window Applicants have two weekdays (M-F, not including U.S. federal holidays) to view the assembled application. If no action is taken, it automatically proceeds to NIH’s Division of Receipt and Referral. –Signing Official has option to “Reject” –PI will receive notification if SO rejects application –If “Rejected” after receipt date for any reason other than a Grants.gov or NIH system issue, the submission is subject to the NIH late policy

Finding Help eRA Commons Help Desk Online Help Ticket : Phone: Hours : Mon-Fri, 7a.m. to 8 p.m. ESThttp://itservicedesk.nih.gov/era/ Support for: Commons Registration, Application Status, Post- submission questions Grants.gov Contact Center Toll-free: Hours : Mon-Fri, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST Support for: PureEdge Forms, PureEdge with a Mac, Grants.gov Registration

Online Resources Overview of Electronic Submission Frequently Asked Questions Avoiding Common Errors Training Resources, Videos, Quick Reference Materials