Help File for PSS2004, GLNPO Electronic Proposal Submission System

This file consists of the following sections:

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.

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:

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:

1. Run the program SETUP.EXE (a self-extracting archive file) by double-clicking on it in Windows Explorer or
2. 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).

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".

To run 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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.)

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.)

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.)

1. 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.)
2. Exit print preview without printing anything. (You may also select "File -> Exit" from the main menu to exit without printing.)
3. Zoom the page to a selected size (You may also select "Zoom" from the main menu and select a size.)
4. Move to a particular page (You may also select "View" from the main menu and select a page to go to.)
5. 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.

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)

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.

1. Select "Merge->Proposals into Database" from the main PSS2004 window. This brings up the "Add Proposals to Database" window.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. After making your selection, press the button "2. Merge Proposals" to actually merge the proposals into the main database.
5. 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.
6. Once the proposals are merged into the main database, you can use PSS2004 to edit them further (e.g., delete duplicates, correct information, etc.).

To import proposals prepared using PSS1 / PSS2 / PSS2000 / PSS2001 / PSS2002:

When you no longer need PSS2004, you can uninstall it using the following steps:

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:

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 following is a list of the Abbreviations used for the Project Categories for use when viewing the tabular list of all entered proposals.

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