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FY
2004 - 05 Funding |
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Great
Lakes |
FY 2004 - 2005 Great Lakes National Program Office Funding
Guidance
Help File for PSS2004, GLNPO Electronic Proposal Submission System
( Current version of PSS2004 is Version B, 3/1/2004 )
This version fixes a bug in the export data to floppy function.
UPGRADE Instructions:
If you had previously installed an earlier version of PSS2004, DO
NOT UNINSTALL IT before updating to the current version, merely
install the current version OVER the previous one. Allow the
installation program to overwrite the previous files when it asks
you for permission. This will ensure that any data you entered
with the previous version will not be lost. Of course, it's always
good practice to make a backup copy of the data file, apl2004.tps,
before installing or uninstalling the software.
CAUTION: Be sure you
have backed up the data file "APL2004.TPS" to a floppy disk or
CD-ROM before you uninstall PSS2004, otherwise all of your
work may be lost!
This file consists of the following sections:
Instructions for
Submitting GLNPO Initial Proposals Using Proposal Submission
System (PSS2004)
Installing PSS2004
Using PSS2004
Line-by-Line Instructions
Printing Proposals
Submitting Completed Proposals
Multiple Proposals
Merging Multiple Proposals into a Single Data File
Importing Proposals from Previous Proposal Submissions
Uninstalling PSS2004
Troubleshooting and Technical Support
Project Category Abbreviations
Version History
NOTE: PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE FILE BEFORE USING PSS2004!
Caution: PSS2004 uses a proprietary database format. This
cannot be read by other software. Therefore, only use PSS2004 to
view, edit, or print your proposals. DO NOT try to open the data
file APL2004.TPS in any other software, such as Word or WordPerfect,
because your data may become corrupted and all of your work will be
lost!
Initial Proposals using Proposal Submission System (PSS2004)
NOTE: These instructions supplement those found on the GLNPO
Web Site at: <http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/fund/2004guid/index.html>.
Please refer to those instructions for additional information on
the overall proposal process, funding categories, etc.
Software for submittals is available on the GLNPO Web site
at: <http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/fund/2004guid/pss2004/index.html> or by calling Tony Kizlauskas (312) 353-8773 or Pranas Pranckevicius (312) 353-3437.
Technical Support is available by Email at:
glnpo.funding@epa.gov
or call Tony Kizlauskas (312) 353-8773.
Deadline. Proposals must be received by 8 a.m. (CST) on March
29, 2004.
Quick Summary of Submitting Completed Proposals
Submit a copy of the data file, "APL2004.TPS," from the
electronic version to the following Email address:
glnpo.funding@epa.gov. Or by sending the data file, APL2004.TPS, on a disk to:
USEPA - GLNPO (G-17J)
77 West Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, Illinois 60604-3590
Attention: Lawrence Brail
NOTE: Please see Section F, Submitting Completed Proposals,
below for detailed instructions for submitting your Proposals.
Proposal Format. Proposals submitted using PSS2004
automatically comply with the application format.
CAUTION: Be sure you have
backed up the data file "APL2004.TPS" to a floppy disk or
CD-ROM before you uninstall PSS2004, otherwise all of
your work may be lost!
This disk help file is for the Proposal Submission System
(PSS2004) for paperless submission of GLNPO Proposals. The most
recent version of PSS2004 can be downloaded from <http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/fund/2004guid/pss2004/index.html>.
PSS2004 is intended to be used with the criteria and other
information contained in this Great Lakes Funding Guidance.
PSS2004 requires Windows 95 or better and a screen display of at
least 800x600x16 colors (256 colors or better is preferred). Windows
supplies a number of different display driver options that are
accessed from the Start->Settings->Control Panel->Display->Settings
panel. See your Windows manual or call Tony Kizlauskas
(312) 353-8773 or Pranas Pranckevicius (312) 353-3437 if you need
help with the display settings or any other technical question about
the PSS2004 software. Please note that you must have Administrator
rights to install this or any other software on a Windows 2000 or XP
machine. If you get error messages while trying to install it on a
Windows 2000 or Windows XP machine, the likely cause is that you do
not have sufficient rights to perform the installation. Either logon
as and Administrator or see your Information Technology support
person for assistance.
UPGRADE Instructions:
If you had previously installed an earlier version of PSS2004, DO
NOT UNINSTALL IT before updating to the current version, merely
install the current version OVER the previous one. Allow the
installation program to overwrite the previous files when it asks
you for permission. This will ensure that any data you entered with
the previous version will not be lost. Of course, it's always good
practice to make a backup copy of the data file, apl2004.tps, before
installing or uninstalling the software.
After downloading the self-extracting archive file SETUP.EXE,
receiving it as an Email attachment, or receiving it on disk, to
install PSS2004, you can do either of the following:
- Run the program SETUP.EXE (a self-extracting archive file) by
double-clicking on it in Windows Explorer or
- Run the program SETUP.EXE from the "Run" command from the
"Start" Button.
Either way, Click "Install" at the Welcome Screen,
then wait. Click "OK" at the Installation Completed
Screen. The program will create a new subdirectory (C:\PSS2004) and
install itself there. It also creates a Program Group, PSS2004, to
allow quick access to both the Program and the User's Manual (which
you are now reading).
Obtaining Help
The User's Manual is accessible from within the PSS2004 program
by selecting "Help ->Read User's Manual", or outside the program by:
- From the Start Menu, select "Start -> Programs -> PSS2004 ->
User's Manual".
C. Using PSS2004
To run PSS2004:
From the Start Menu, select "Start -> Programs -> PSS2004 ->
PSS2004".
After the program starts (there may be a short delay), click on
the menu item "Create/Edit->Proposals." This will allow you to enter
proposals and to view proposals already entered. The table lists
basic information about any proposals you have entered. (See Section
L for Project Category Abbreviations used in the table.)
To enter a new proposal, click on the "Create" button. To Edit or
Delete ones you have already entered, select (highlight) the
appropriate line in the table by clicking on it and then press the
"Edit" or "Delete" keys, respectively.
Once in the data entry window, called either "Creating a
Proposal" or "Editing a Proposal" depending upon whether you are
entering a new proposal or editing one that you had worked on
previously, you move to the appropriate data fields by clicking on
the numbered tabs at the top of the data entry form. Where and what
data are to be entered is fairly straightforward and "hint balloons"
give further hints if you hover your Windows cursor over a
particular data field.
Entering Data
Most data are entered by simply clicking your Windows cursor in
the appropriate field and typing in the information.
Data for some fields, such as "Title" or "Type of Organization,"
are entered by selecting the appropriate value from the drop-down
list which one accesses by clicking on the down arrow to the right
of these fields.
Some fields, such as "Abstract," will contain more lines of text
than will initially be displayed on the data entry screen. Use the
vertical scroll controls on the right side of these data fields to
view the other lines or use the usual Windows navigation controls
(arrows, PageUp, PageDown, etc.) once you have clicked within the
field to place your cursor within the field.
NOTE: In order to limit the proposals to a reasonable size,
there are size limits on the narrative fields, like
Abstract, Problem Statement, Proposed Work/Outcome, etc. If you find
that you cannot add any more text to one of these fields it is
because you are attempting to exceed those limits.
You can use the Windows clipboard to cut, copy and paste
information between a Windows text document you have already created
and PSS2004, or within PSS2004 itself. To copy from your document,
select the text you wish to copy and choose "Edit->Copy" from the
main window menu of your program. Now switch to PSS2004, place your
cursor (click) in the field you wish to paste the information, and
choose "Edit->Paste" from the main PSS2004 window menu.
Caution: Some Windows software embeds
non-printing formatting codes that you can't see on the screen, but
which might get included in the text you are trying to copy to
PSS2004. This may cause PSS2004 to crash. To be safe, copy and paste
information only from a simple ASCII text editor such as Notepad
(which comes with Windows). If you already have the information in
another program, such as a word-processor, you can save the text as
an ASCII text file, then open it in Notepad and copy it from there
into the appropriate fields in PSS2004.
Data for some fields, such as the Lakes, States, and Geographic
Initiatives on TAB3 Geographic Applicability, are selected by
clicking on the appropriate selection box to toggle the selection on
or off.
Moving Between Fields/Panels
To move between the fields within a particular data entry panel,
use the Tab key or move the cursor to the field and click on or in
it. Do not use the "Enter" key to move between fields,
use it only at the end when done entering or changing information.
To move between the different data entry panels click on the tabs
at the top of the data entry form.
Saving Information
When you are done entering or editing information for a proposal,
either use the "Enter" key, or click on the "Save" button at the
bottom of the data entry form to save your work.
If you wish to stop entering information and not save the
information or changes you have been working on, click on the
"Cancel" button at the bottom of the data entry form. If you have
made any changes or entered any information, you will be given a
warning allowing you to either save your work before leaving the
data entry screens (the "Yes" button), not save the changes (the
"No" button), or resume working on the form without saving (the
"Cancel" button).
Mandatory Fields
PSS2004 will not let you save the information you entered unless
you have completed the following: Name of Organization, Contact
First and Last Names, Business Phone Number, and Project
Title. If you wish to perform the data entry over several sessions,
you must at least enter this information the first time you begin
entering information for a particular project. If you try to exit
without saving the required information, your cursor will be
automatically placed in the missing field, allowing you to enter the
required information. You may, of course, go back and edit the saved
session by highlighting the appropriate line in the "Browse
Proposals" window and clicking on the "Edit" button.
If you submit multiple proposals, see the note, entitled
"Multiple Proposals" later in this document.
Click on each Tab to move between the data fields referenced
below.
APPLICANT INFORMATION (TAB1)
Applicant. Enter Applicant Organization Name, Contact
Person's Title and Name, Business Address, City, State, Business
Phone, Fax and E-mail. For Phone and Fax numbers, enter the
10-digit number without punctuation or spaces.
Type of Organization. Choose one from a drop-down list
including: State; Interstate Agency or Commission; Sub-state or
Special Purpose District; County; Municipality; Federal Agency;
College or University; Tribal Organization; Federally-Funded
Research and Development Center; or Other.
PROJECT SUMMARY INFORMATION (TAB 2)
Project Title. There is a 60 character limit for this field.
Abstract. One paragraph synopsis which can stand alone as a
project description. (2,000 character limit)
Duration. Specify project duration from 0.5 years up to 2
years (select from the spin-box list); however, Lake Ontario
projects described in Section I.F.1.a. may specify up to 5 years.
Category. Choose only 1 from the drop-down list. Do not
submit the same project to multiple categories.
Rank Within Category. Optional. Can be used if multiple
Initial Proposals are being submitted within the same project
category from the same organization. To only be filled in after rank is assigned
by the organization's coordinator.
GEOGRAPHIC APPLICABILITY (TAB 3)
Applicable State. Select Great Lakes State(s) which would be
most impacted by this project. (Click on appropriate boxes).
Applicable Lake Basin. Identify Lake Basin(s) which would be
most impacted by this project. (Click on appropriate
boxes).
Applicable Geographic Initiative. I f applicable,
identify geographic Initiative which would be most
impacted by this project by clicking on appropriate selection boxes.
(Click on box for Greater Chicago, Northeast Ohio, NW Indiana,
Southeast Michigan, or Lake St. Clair.)
Applicable Areas of Concern. Choose the primary affected Area of Concern
from the drop-down list. List any others in the field entitled
"Other Affected AOCs". (There is a 1,000 character limit for this
field.)
Project Location. Enter applicable zip code with 4 digit zip
code extension (available from
http://www.usps.com/zip4/ ). As applicable, enter the
City, County, or State(s) (There is a 50 character limit for this
field.)
PROBLEM STATEMENT (TAB 4)
Problem Statement. Describe the issue that will be addressed
and its relevance to the Great Lakes, particularly to needs and
priorities in Great Lakes Strategy 2002, LaMPs, and RAPs.
(There is a 4,500 character limit for this field.)
Proposed Work. Outline what will be done and how.
(There is a 11,000 character limit for this field.)
Environmental Outcome. Describe anticipated environmental
outputs and outcomes, referencing affected pollutants, industry
sectors, economic impacts, habitats, and/or species. Estimate
chemicals to be "collected or prevented" for Contaminated Sediments
and for Pollution Prevention and Toxics Reduction projects. State
the number of acres of aquatic, wetland, riverine, and terrestrial
Great Lakes habitat to be positively impacted for Habitat projects.
(5,000 character limit)
PROJECT MILESTONES (TAB 5)
Milestones. Specify milestones and/or final products and
projected due dates (Month/Year, in MM/YYYY format). You may
describe up to 8 milestones/final products, including Project Start
and End. If you would submit a full proposal in May, your project
could begin in July; however, most usually begin in September
or October.
EJ/EDUCATION APPLICABILITY (TAB 6)
Environmental Justice. Check box and describe if the project
addresses "Environmental Justice". (2000
Education/Outreach Component. Check box, if the project
includes an education/outreach component. If applicable, describe
the target audience and how that group would be impacted by the
project in the field entitled "Education/Outreach Description".
(There is a 2,000 character limit for this field.)
PROJECT BUDGET (TAB 7)
Budget. Fill in the applicable budget items in the table to
show how USEPA funds (USEPA Share) and non-USEPA matching
funds (Applicant's Match) will be used for
personnel/salaries, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies,
contract costs, and other costs. You may include a separate line for
indirect costs if your organization has in place (or will negotiate)
an "indirect cost rate" from a cognizant Federal agency. The USEPA
share represents the total which the Applicant expects to request
from USEPA for the project's duration. Funding will generally
be awarded as a "lump sum" and is not assured for subsequent years.
Do not include commas when entering the budget amounts. Totals will
be calculated automatically. Pressing "Calculate Totals" displays
intermediate results.
OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING (TAB 8)
Other Funding. If funds are being pursued or have been
committed to your Project by other providers, list the Name of the
Providers, Amounts Provided, and Commitments made by each. (There is
a 2,000 character limit for this field.)
COLLABORATION (TAB 9)
Collaboration/Community Based Support. Describe plans and
status of collaboration amongst the public, private, and independent
sectors. Evidence of support will be required for full proposals.
(There is a 2,000 character limit for this field.)
When you are done entering or editing information for a proposal,
SAVE the information by either using the "Enter" key,
or clicking on the "Save" button at the bottom of the data entry
form. (See the "Saving Information" section above.)
CAUTION:
Always finish entering information and save your work
before printing (a good rule to follow for any software), otherwise
if PSS2004 crashes, you may lose your work!
To print out the proposal information that you have entered,
close any open proposal editing windows ("Creating a Proposal" or
"Editing a Proposal") and select "File->Print Proposals" from the
main menu of PSS2004. After the records are processed, you will be
taken to a print preview window to allow you to preview your
printout and to select which pages to print before you actually
print them. The functions of the various icons on the print preview
toolbar are explained below. (Here, as elsewhere in PSS2004, "hint
balloons" give further hints if you hover your Windows cursor over a
particular toolbar icon.)
Print Preview Toolbar
Explanation of print preview toolbar icon functions (numbers
below refer to the above diagram):
- Print the report. (Select the range of pages to print from
"File -> Pages to Print" on the main menu. You may also select
"File->Print" from the main menu to print the selected range of
pages.)
- Exit print preview without printing anything. (You may also
select "File -> Exit" from the main menu to exit without
printing.)
- Zoom the page to a selected size (You may also select "Zoom"
from the main menu and select a size.)
- Move to a particular page (You may also select "View" from the
main menu and select a page to go to.)
- Select how to tile the pages by picking the number of columns
and rows to view at once. NOTE: You must first select "View
-> Tile Pages from the main menu to see the tiled pages.
When you move your cursor over the previewed page, it changes to
a magnifying glass shape to signify that it can be used to rapidly
zoom the preview in or out. By clicking the mouse when the cursor is
the magnifying glass shape, the zoom will toggle between the "No
Zoom" and "Page Width" view settings.
F. Submitting Completed Proposals
Deadline. Proposals must be received by 8 a.m. (CST) on March
29, 2004.
Use one of the following 2 methods to submit the completed
proposals.
- Submitting Proposals by E-Mail (preferred method).
Compose a simple E-mail transmittal having a Subject of "Proposal
Submission - ", followed by the Applicant name (the organization,
not the individual). Attach a copy of the data file, APL2004.TPS,
and send the E-mail message with the attached data file to:
glnpo.funding@epa.gov
Submitting Proposals by Regular Mail. In case your
E-Mail system does not allow you to send attachments, you can
submit your Proposals by Regular Mail as follows:
- Locate the Data File, APL2004.TPS
To simplify finding the data file, APL2004.TPS, PSS2004 has a
new feature to export the data file to a floppy disk for you. To
use this feature, simply Select "File -> Export Data File to
Floppy Disk" from the main menu in PSS2004 and follow the
on-screen instructions.Of course, you can also find the file manually by looking for
APL2004.TPS in the "C:\pss2004" subdirectory on your computer.
- Copy the data file, "APL2004.TPS," onto a floppy disk or CD
and mail it to:
USEPA - GLNPO (G-17J)
77 West Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, Illinois 60604-3590
Attention: Lawrence Brail
- Optional
If your organization submits m ultiple proposals and wants
to rank or prioritize them, you may use the Proposal Submission
System to do so. In that case, please identify an overall Contact
Person (including phone, e-mail, and address) and send a single,
coordinated submittal, prioritizing the proposals. PSS2004 provides
this capability -- see the section "Merging Multiple Proposals into
a Single Data File" below for how to do this.
Also, please be sure to merge all of the proposals your
organization is submitting into a single data file, then please fill
in the assigned "Rank Within Category" for each proposal on "PSS2004
TAB (2) Project Summary Information." See instructions below for
how to merge proposals.
Individuals from the following organizations have offered to
serve as coordinators for proposals from their organizations. Please
contact your coordinator first if you plan on submitting a proposal
on behalf of one of the following organizations:
- Indiana DEM: Alex da Silva (219-886-3734)
- Indiana DNR: Michael Molnar (317-233-0132)
- Michigan DEQ: Rick Hobrla (517-335-4173)
- Minnesota PCA: Pat Carey (218-723-4744)
- Minnesota DNR: Pat Collins (218-834-6612)
- New York DEC: Donald Zelazny (716-851-7130)
- Ohio EPA: Julie Letterhos (614-644-2871)
- Pennsylvania DEP: Lori Boughton (814-332-6155)
- Wisconsin DNR: Kim Walz (608-264-9220)
- Army Corps of Engineers: Jan Miller (312-353-6354)
- Great Lakes Commission: Michael Donahue (734-971-9135)
- TNC: Lois Morrison (312-759-8017)
H. Merging Multiple Proposals into a Single
Data File
PSS2004 allows you to merge proposals from different APL2004.TPS
data files into a single data file. This means that the proposals
can be prepared by different people at different locations (home,
office, laptop, etc.) and they can later be combined into a single
data file for submission. This is especially relevant when multiple
proposals are being prepared by different individuals but being
submitted by a single organization overall contact who also assigns
the organization's rankings to the various projects (see above).
To merge proposals prepared using PSS2004:
Obtain the APL2004.TPS files that are to be added to the main
file and have them on hand for the next steps, e.g., on different
floppy diskettes.
Start PSS2004 on the PC that will hold the main file.
- Select "Merge->Proposals into Database" from the main PSS2004
window. This brings up the "Add Proposals to Database" window.
- In that window click on the button "1. Select File Location"
and use standard Windows file navigation techniques to select the
location and name of the PSS2004 data file that you are going to
add to the main database.
- If you change your mind at this point and wish to exit without
adding the proposals to the database, you can press the button
"Cancel" to exit without adding the proposals from the selected
file.
- After making your selection, press the button "2. Merge
Proposals" to actually merge the proposals into the main database.
- Press the button "3. Done" if you are finished adding
proposals, or repeat steps 4 through 6 to add additional proposals
from other data files.
- Once the proposals are merged into the main database, you can
use PSS2004 to edit them further (e.g., delete duplicates, correct
information, etc.).
I. Importing Proposals from Previous
Proposal Submissions
If you wish to use a proposal that you prepared in PSS1 / PSS2 /
PSS2000 / PSS2001 / PSS2002 / PSS2003 previously as a
starting point for this year's submittal, PSS2004 allows you to
import proposals from the old format (APPLY.TPS / APPLY2.TPS /
APL2000.TPS / APL2001.TPS / APL2002.TPS / APL2003.TPS) into PSS2004.
To import proposals prepared using PSS1 / PSS2 / PSS2000 /
PSS2001 / PSS2002:
- Obtain the APPLY.TPS / APPLY2.TPS / APL2000.TPS / APL2001.TPS
/ APL2002.TPS files that are to be imported and have them on hand
for the next steps, e.g., on a floppy diskette.
- Start PSS2004 on your PC.
- Select "Import->PSS1 Format File" or "Import->PSS2 Format
File" or "Import->PSS2000 Format File" or "Import->PSS2001 Format
File" or "Import->PSS2002 Format File"
or "Import->PSS2003
Format File" from the main PSS2004 window. This brings up the
corresponding "Import Proposals ..." window.
In that window click on the button "1. Select File Location"
and use standard Windows file navigation techniques to select the
location and name of the PSS1 / PSS2 / PSS2000 / PSS2001 / PSS2002
data file that you are going to import.
If you change your mind at this point and wish to exit without
importing the proposals to the database, you can press the button
"Cancel" to exit without importing them.
After making your selection, press the button "2. Import
Proposals" to actually import the proposals.
Press the button "3. Done" if you are finished importing
proposals, or repeat steps 4 through 6 to import additional
proposals from other PSS1 / PSS2 / PSS200 / PSS2001 / PSS2002 data
files.
Once the proposals are imported, you can use PSS2004 to edit
them further (e.g., delete duplicates, correct information, etc.).
NOTE: After importing the previous proposal(s), make sure to go
over the application Tab by Tab and Item by Item, to ensure a
correct and complete application, since some of the information ,
categories, and/or requirements may have changed from previous
proposal solicitations.
CAUTION: Be sure you have
backed up the data file "APL2004.TPS" to a floppy disk or CD-ROM
before you uninstall PSS2004, otherwise all of your work
may be lost!
When you no longer need PSS2004, you can uninstall it using the
following steps:
- Exit PSS2004.
- From the Start Menu, select "Start -> Programs -> PSS2
004
-> Uninstall". Then press the "Start" button in the
Uninstall PSS2004 window, press the "Yes" button in the
Warning window, and wait while the program is
unistalled. When the progress bar is at 100%, press the "Quit"
button to exit the uninstall program.
Support on the Web
If you have your computer setup with standard Windows Internet
and Email access shortcuts, you can access some helpful Internet
sites and/or send Email to Technical Support with your questions,
directly from PSS2004. To do so:
- Select "Help->About PSS
2004" from the main PSS2004
window.
From the next window, click on any of the "Internet Links" to
go straight to those Internet addresses, or click on the "Contact
PSS Tech Support" text to send an Email to PSS Technical
Support.
In case your PC isn't set up for direct access to the Internet or
Email, the relevant Web addresses for information and support are as
follows:
The main Great Lakes National Program Office Internet address is:
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo
The address for general information about the proposal process:
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/fund/2004guid/index.html
The address for news on PSS2004 or for downloading PSS2004 or
updates is:
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/fund/2004guid/pss2004/index.html
The Email address for PSS Technical Support is: glnpo.funding@epa.gov
Some common problems and solutions:
Here are some common problems you may run into and suggested
solutions. If you run into problems, please inform us of them so
that we can pass on the solutions to others and/or update PSS2004 to
correct the problem.
- Problem: "I can't see the whole data entry form."
Solution: You may not be using the minimum display
resolution of 800x600. See your Windows documentation on how to
determine your current settings or how to change them.
- Problem: "I can't exit the data entry form I tried
pressing the "Enter" key and clicking the "Save" button, but it
doesn't do anything. The only way I can exit is to press "Cancel,
" but then I lose all the information I've entered."
Solution: You have not yet entered some of the
"required" information for the proposal. Each time that you try to
exit the form, the cursor automatically lands in the first missing
required field, allowing you to make an entry. When you have
entered information into all the required fields, you will be able
to exit and save the record.
- Problem: "I can't enter information such as the
funding amount -- instead, I bounce back to the first data entry
tab."
Solution: You may be hitting the "Enter" key instead of
the Tab key to move between fields. You bounce back to one of the
data entry tabs because a required field has not been completed.
- Problem: "Before I finish entering all the
information for a proposal, I suddenly exit the data entry window
and find myself back at the "Browse Proposals" window."
Solution: You may be hitting the "Enter" key instead of
the "Tab" key to move between fields or you may be hitting the
"Enter" key to move to the next data entry form panel. If you have
already entered data in the required fields, pressing the "Enter"
key is the same as pressing the "Save" button.
- Problem: "I can't enter all of the information I need
to in a field."
Solution: There are limits on the amount and type of
information that can be entered for some fields. If you are
exceeding the limit, try to shorten or abbreviate the information
so that it fits within the available limits. For data fields with
vertical scroll bars on the right side, the fields will hold more
information than is displayed on the screen at one time -- the
window will scroll as you enter information. However, these fields
have limits, too.
- Problem: "I have much of my proposal information
already in another document. Is there a way that I can save
re-typing it?"
Solution: You can use the Windows clipboard to cut, copy
and paste information between a Windows text document and PSS2004
or within PSS2004 itself. To do this, select the text you wish to
copy and choose "Edit->Copy" from the main window menu of your
program. Now switch to PSS2004, place your cursor (click) in the
field you wish to paste the information, and choose "Edit->Paste"
from the main PSS2004 window menu.
Caution: Some Windows
software embeds non-printing formatting codes that you can't see
on the screen, but which might get included in the text you are
trying to copy to PSS2004. This may cause PSS2004 to crash. To be
safe, copy and paste information only from a simple ASCII text
editor such as Notepad (which comes with Windows). If you already
have the information in another program, such as a word-processor,
you can save the text as an ASCII text file, then open it in
Notepad and copy it from there into the appropriate fields in
PSS2004.
- Problem: "I enter the required information, but when
I leave the field to go to another, the field reverts to what it
was before I entered the information."
Solution: This sometimes happens if you are entering the
data in the wrong format, e.g., if you enter 11 digits for the
phone number, or you try to enter a 9-digit ZIP Code, or
you are including punctuation when entering a phone number or
ZIP+4. Try again, making sure to follow the format of the required
data.
- Problem: "PSS2004 crashes when I try to print out my
proposals."
Solution: Some Windows software embeds non-printing
formatting codes that you can't see on the screen, but which might
get included in the text you are trying to copy to PSS2004. This
may cause PSS2004 to crash. To be safe, copy and paste information
only from a simple ASCII text editor such as Notepad (which comes
with Windows). If you already have the information in another
program, such as a word-processor, you can save the text as an
ASCII text file, then open it in Notepad and copy it from there
into the appropriate fields in PSS2004.
Another cause may be that your data file, APL2004.TPS does not
yet contain any proposals yet because you have not yet entered,
imported, or added any proposals.
- Problem: "I prepared proposals on my office computer
and my home computer and have two different APL2004.TPS data
files. Is there a way to combine these into one file, or do I have
to retype the information?"
Solution: You do not have to retype the information, see
the section above entitled "Merging Multiple Proposals into a
Single Data File" for information on how to combine data files
created using PSS2004.
- Problem: "I prepared proposals in previous years
using that year's version of the PSS software. Since much of the
information for this year's proposal is similar to the previous
submission, is there a way for me to use that information as a
starting point for this year's, or do I have to retype the
information?"
Solution: You do not have to retype the information, see
the section above entitled "Importing Proposals from Previous
Proposal Submissions" for information on how to combine data files
created using PSS2004.
When All Else Fails
If you've tried everything you can think of and are still having
trouble using PSS2004, please contact Tony Kizlauskas by phone at
(312) 353 - 8773, or by E-mail at
glnpo.funding@epa.gov.
The following is a list of the Abbreviations used for the Project
Categories for use when viewing the tabular list of all entered
proposals.
Funding Application Project Categories
Abbreviation Description
A: Contaminated Sediments
B: Pollution Prevention and Reduction
C1: General Habitat (Ecological) Protection and
Restoration
C2: Habitat Conferences and Printing
D: Invasive Species
E: Strategic or Emerging Issues
F1: RAP Delisting Projects
F2: Lake Ontario Projects
F3: Lakes Michigan/Erie/Superior/Huron Projects
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Version A, Released 1 /29/2004: Original Release.
Version B, Released 3/1/2004: Fixed export to floppy bug. |