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Registration

The Central Contract Registration (CCR) requires annual renewal of registration. If your CCR registration expires, does that affect the ability to submit?
CCR registration is part of the Grants.gov registration process. According to Katie Root, panel representative for Grants.gov, failure to complete the annual renewal currently will not affect the ability to submit. However, Grants.gov requests that you keep your CCR updated; it only needs to be updated once a year.

Is there a way for us to search to be able to tell if a Principal Investigator (PI) is registered in Commons?
A Signing Official (SO) can go to eRA Commons and search for the PI. There is no way for the PI to them self search the eRA Commons.

Is it true that if a PI is with a different organization, the SO does not need to create a new account; they just need to create an association with that account?
Yes. An SO can simply affiliate the PI’s current account to the organization that is applying.

Is the PI’s Institution responsible for registration at Grants.gov?
Yes. The Institution registers at Grants.gov, not the PI.

Will an organization have more than one Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number?
Yes. A DUNS number is situated by physical location so it is possible for college campuses to have multiple DUNS numbers. When submitting an application it is important to ensure that the DUNS number used to register with Grants.gov is the same DUNS number in the eRA Commons organization profile.

When a Signing Official registers at Commons, should all PIs and potential PIs register?
It is a good idea to register all PIs. The value in registering in eRA Commons — in addition to verifying the grant application — is that one can also view summary statements and review outcome letters that NIH is no longer mailing out.

Submission/Deadlines

Can you clarify what constitutes an on-time application?
An application is on time if:
- It is successfully submitted to Grants.gov by 8 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date [Important note: The submission time has been changed to 5 p.m. local time (of the applicant institution/organization) for applications due April 1, 2006 and thereafter]
- It is verified by the PI and SO within two days of the grant image being posted on eRA Commons
How long does one have to correct error notifications after the deadline date?
Eventually, NIH will require that an on time submission will mean that a “clean” application (i.e., no Grants.gov or NIH errors) be submitted to Grants.gov by the application deadline and that the application image is verified within two days of its availability in eRA Commons. This is the only way NIH will be able to leverage electronic submission and to realize the goal of shortening time from submission to award.

However, NIH is providing some flexibility for the first submission dates of a transitioned mechanism. Applicant institutions can submit changed/corrected applications in the two business days following the submission deadline as long as the changes made are needed to address errors encountered during the NIH business rule validation process. The AOR/SO and PI still will need to verify the final application image within two business days of its availability in eRA Commons.

NIH does expect that all registration requirements are met prior to the initial application submission and that the initial application is successfully submitted to Grants.gov on or before the submission deadline. If the two-business day correction window is used, the application must include the PHS 398 Cover Letter form component with an explanation for why the corrected application is required.
Is there a mechanism to withdraw a grant application before the deadline? If so, can we then resubmit a corrected grant application after verification?
If you want to withdraw your application, send the Center for Scientific Review (CSR) a letter formally withdrawing it.

For relatively small issues, such as forgetting to include the information on vertebrate animals, it is better to let the application go forward and contact the Scientific Review Administrator later about submitting the missing information.
Is the deadline of 8 p.m. Eastern Time or local time in the applicant’s time zone?
It is Eastern Time in the Eastern time zone, whether it is daylight savings or standard time. In California, the deadline would be 5 p.m. Pacific Time.
How did NIH choose to use 8 p.m. Eastern Time as the submission deadline at Grants.gov?
The eRA Commons help desk is open until 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) and the Grants.gov help desk is open until 9 p.m. ET. We decided to arrange the deadline within that window of time, so people would be available to help applicants with questions. Secondly, 8 p.m. ET works out to 5 p.m. Pacific Time, which is the time businesses generally close on the West Coast.

Commons

Does the credential/eRA Commons User Name need to be in capital letters?
No. When NIH first started electronic submission via Grants.gov in December 2005, the user name had to be entered in all capital letters but we have since fixed that issue. Now the user name can be entered in capital letters or lower case.
Do we need agency log in for all senior key personnel?
Not at this time. The only requirement is for the Principal Investigator/Project Director (PI/PD). But keep in mind that when NIH allows multiple PIs on research grant applications, it will be a requirement for all PIs associated with the application.
Can a Signing Official and a PI be the same person in the Commons? Does that person need to register as both PI and SO?
Both the Principal Investigator (PI) and Signing Official (SO) need separate accounts in eRA Commons since both need to verify the application. If you are the SO for your organization as well as a PI of the grant, you will need two separate accounts with different user names - one with SO authority and one with PI authority.

PureEdge

Can a Research Administrator have access to an application or only a PI and SO?**
Grants.gov allows anyone to download an application. You need to have PureEdge viewer to view it. An applicant can share or view an application package by dropping it in an email or putting it on a shared network drive.

Software

Can Macintosh users work collaboratively with PC users to develop an application?
With a Citrix server, you are saving the data on your Macintosh but using the Citrix server to view and manipulate the application forms. These files can be shared with any PC user that has a PureEdge viewer. The PureEdge viewer does not provide any mechanism for version control, however. It is up to the individuals working on the application to coordinate the filling out of the forms.
Must Internet Explorer be used for submitting?**
According to Katie Root, panel representative for Grants.gov, Internet Explorer is the recommended browser although you can also use Mozilla Firefox and Netscape.

SF424 (R&R)

Can you clarify when to use the PHS398 and when the SF424 (R&R)?
NIH has made the decision to switch to the SF424 (R&R) by mechanism. The easiest way to find out which form to use is by looking at the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA); it makes it very clear whether you use the PHS398 or the SF424 (R&R). Also look at the electronic submission timeline (PDF - 42 KB). Once a mechanism has switched from using a paper PHS398 to an electronic SF424 (R&R) application, all applications for that mechanism will be electronically submitted on the SF424 (R&R) from that point forward.
Are SF424 components portable? Can components be reused for other applications?**
According to Katie Root, Grants.gov panel representative, Grants.gov hopes to have functionality within PureEdge next year to import and export data for reuse with other applications.
Does the SF424 (R&R) form have an auto save in the preferences menu?
No. There is no auto save capability, only a manual save button. If you try to exit, it will ask you to save.
Clarify what goes in the credential field.
The PI’s user name in eRA Commons has to be entered in the credential field. Do not enter a professional credential like PhD., etc.
Where on the SF424 (R&R) do you enter payments to human subjects?
Enter patient care costs in the “Other section” in the blank lines that follow the itemized 1 to 7 Other Direct Costs (sec. 4.7.3 of the application guide).
Facilities and Equipment are on the same 398 page; now they get two separate fields. Can we upload both as one document?
They are separate uploads at this time.

PDF

When we convert a file into PDF in color (i.e. scientific tables), will the reviewers be able to see the color images?
Yes and with high resolution.
Can you provide advice on creating PDF attachments that will be accepted by NIH?
Special characters in file names are not allowed. Security options should not be implemented for PDF documents, otherwise NIH will not be able to pull the document into the grant image. Do not use a PDF with editable fields, because it will interfere with NIH’s ability to convert the document.
For PDF files, is there a NIH profile available for Adobe software to produce the PDF files?
NIH does not produce the PDF file for you. You must submit the PDF through Grants.gov as part of the submission process.

Person Months

How will changes to person months on the budget form affect the current practice of recording and certifying percent effort? Please give an example of how person months are calculated and how (or if) it can be translated into percent effort?
When you are dealing with calendar, summer or academic months, you cannot go over 12. If it is a calendar appointment and the person devotes 50 percent effort, it translates to six months.
If a salary is not being requested, what needs to be filled in under Calendar, Academic and Summer months? Does $ 0.00 need to be filled in for base salary?
Keep in mind the distinction between calendar months and salary. You often have effort without salary. You always need to show effort for senior key personnel; calendar effort is expressed in months. The dollar field can be zero.
How should we list partial months?
The form allows less than one month to be entered. Validations in December 2005 caused an error for months less than one. The workaround then was to round the time to the nearest 1 and include the details in the budget justification. However, that will be fixed in time for the April 1, 2006 submissions.

Page limits

What happens to page limits if the formatting changes when a PDF is generated?
NIH validations include checks for page limits. Some accommodation will be made for sections that when combined must fit within a specified limitation. For example, applicants are encouraged to construct the Research Plan as a single document, separating sections into distinct PDF attachments just before uploading the files. In this way the applicant can better monitor formatting requirements such as page limits. When validations for page limits are applied, the eRA Commons will make allowances for the white space created by breaking the text into separate files for uploading.

Budgets

Do we need to have both a complete budget, for the SF424 (R&R), as well as a modular budget for the PHS398 component in order to get the application through the validation?
No. If you try to submit both budgets, your application will be rejected. Whenever possible we will include only the budget component that is appropriate for that grant opportunity. In some cases, both budget forms will be included as optional components and you will have to read the application instructions and/or the Funding Opportunity Announcement and choose the budget component that fits your circumstances.
Where in the budget should incentive payments go? For example, if a participant earns a $25 gift certificate after accruing a certain number of health promotion credit using the innovative technology, we put this under “other” participant trainee support costs.
These costs should be placed in the “Other Direct Costs” section.
How will consortium budgets over 10 be handled?
With the grant mechanisms NIH is currently transitioning, it should not be an issue. However, with complex mechanisms, it will be an issue and NIH is setting up a working group that will address this and other issues. Currently, if necessary you can get around this limitation by combining some consortium budgets into one attachment.

Errors

When you check for errors by clicking the button in PureEdge and you receive a list back, do you have a way to save or print the list for reference?**
The list is one item at a time. It is not a full listing.
Why isn’t the NIH error checking done with PureEdge?
The SF424 (R&R) is an agency-wide form set used by multiple federal agencies. The PureEdge forms cannot accommodate error checking for all the ways different agencies use the form fields, so error checking must be done by NIH once we retrieve the application from Grants.gov.
How long does it take to correct errors? Do I have to do this for both — Grants.gov and eRA Commons?
At Grants.gov the reasons for rejection are very small: it could be a virus in an attachment; the DUNS number does not match the one in the profile; an improper username/password was used, etc.

At NIH the system will check the application against the application guide and funding opportunity announcement instructions. Applicants must follow these instructions carefully to avoid validation errors. If errors are encountered, you can make the necessary corrections to the application and submit a changed/corrected application through Grants.gov.

For each submission attempt, both the Grants.gov and eRA Commons systems can take from several hours to up to two days to respond.
What happens if the error is not correctable by the organization but is a system problem generated by NIH?
NIH will do its best to ensure you are not penalized for system errors. If NIH or Grants.gov has system problems, we will work together through the problem as quickly as possible to move your application forward.
Must the grant application be error-free by the submission deadline?
Eventually, NIH will require that an on time submission will mean that a “clean” application (i.e., no Grants.gov or NIH errors) be submitted to Grants.gov by the application deadline and that the application image is verified within two days of its availability in eRA Commons. This is the only way NIH will be able to leverage electronic submission and to realize the goal of shortening time from submission to award. However, NIH is providing some flexibility for the first submission dates of a transitioned mechanism. Applicant institutions can submit changed/corrected applications in the week following the submission deadline as long as the changes made are needed to address errors encountered during the NIH business rule validation process. The AOR/SO and PI still will need to verify the final application image within two business days of its availability in eRA Commons. NIH does expect that all registration requirements are met prior to the initial application submission and that the initial application is submitted to Grants.gov on or before the submission deadline. If the one week correction window is used, the application must include the PHS 398 Cover Letter form component with an explanation for why the corrected application is required.

Email notifications

If there is more than one Signing Official for an institution, is there a way for all Signing Officials to receive email notifications?
Currently we will send the email to the address of the Signing Official provided to us in the application. It is possible to have the SO address be a listserv or group address. Another option is for the SO to set up rules from their own email addresses to forward the email to other SOs.

Attachments/Appendix

How do you include signed physical letters of support from outside agencies and consultants?
You scan the document, convert it to a PDF and attach it. If it is for the Research Plan component, there is a separate section for letters of support.
With a limit of ten attachments for appendix material, can several documents be combined into a single one?
Yes.
Will there be posted suggested naming conventions for application attachments?
We are posting tips on the Electronic Submission website on things to avoid with attachments. For instance, special characters in file names are not accepted. Grants.gov does truncate names over 50 characters; it will not affect the file however. Applicants should read the FOA and/or the application guide for special instructions. For instance, for domestic institutions with substantial foreign components, we urge applicants to include foreign justification in the “other” attachment of the “Other info” component and name it Foreign justification pdf.
Will additional material be allowed before review but after the application is verified?
Yes. NIH is not changing that process. The applicant needs to contact the Scientific Review Administrator before submitting additional material.
How will reprints be handled?
Reprints will be included as part of the appendix and uploaded as a PDF.

Just-in-Time

How will Just-in-Time information be submitted?
There has been no change in that business process. Limited functionality in era Commons allows a one-time submission of Just-in-Time information. You can also submit this information via email or fax or other communication tools. The best way is to use era Commons because the data is saved in the electronic Grants Folder and the IC is automatically notified that the information is there. Applicants should wait for the IC to request this information before sending it in.

Grant Image

With the exception of the Table of Contents, pagination and headers, should we expect the application image generated in the validation step to look the same as the document generated by choosing “Print” in PureEdge?
Not at all. The images will be put together with each PDF attachment to the PureEdge; then a Table of Contents and pagination will be added. The application image will look very different from when it is printed locally. Information on how the NIH system creates the final grant image is available on the NIH Electronic Submission for Grant Applications website.

Verification

Can any Signing Official at an institution verify the grant application in Commons or only the submitting SO?
Any SO at the institution who has been registered in the Commons can verify the application.
Must a PI verify prior to the SO?
No. It does not matter who verifies first, only that both the SO and PI complete the verification step.
Can the applicant modify the application after it is successfully submitted electronically?
You cannot modify an application electronically after it has been verified; you have to contact an SRA. If you have not verified the application, you can modify the application but will have to begin the whole process of submitting a changed/corrected application through Grants.gov again. If for example, you forgot to include an item in the literature cited or left out one paragraph in the Human Subjects section, it would be prudent to go ahead and verify the application and contact the SRA to submit the additional material.
Can a PI assign a delegate to verify their application in case they are traveling, etc.?
In eRA Commons, there is no ability to delegate and we would advise against sharing usernames and passwords. Since eRA Commons is a web interface, a PI does not have to be at the home institution to verify. Internet access is all that is needed.

Revisions/Renewals

How do we submit a renewal (competing continuation) if there is no specific FOA?
NIH is transitioning by grant mechanism. So if you are submitting a renewal for a mechanism that has not transitioned, please submit it on a PHS 398 form. If you are submitting a renewal for a mechanism that has transitioned, there will be an FOA and you will submit it on a SF424 (R&R).
Do revised grant proposals submitted originally on a PHS 398 now have to be submitted on a SF424 (R&R)?
If the mechanism has transitioned, resubmissions need to come in on the new SF424 (R&R) form.

Review Outcome

After an application is processed by the NIH and referred to a study section for review, what happens next and how will we learn the results of our grant application review?
The best and quickest way to find out is by going to eRA Commons. For now we send a paper letter about an assignment or a change of assignment. However, we are no longer sending review outcome letters (also known as score letters) or summary statements on paper.

Service Providers

Service Providers can assist organizations that want to apply using system-to-system services rather than PureEdge. Can you tell us where to find information about Service Providers?
Information about Service Providers is on our Electronic Submission website. If you are looking to provide system-to-system services, call us to get listed on the website. If you are planning to develop a system-to-system, Grants.gov has a working group. In addition, technical details about system-to-system can be found in the Tech Library on the Grants.gov website.

Helpdesk

We had difficulty reaching the eRA support desk during the December 2005 submission. What improvements are planned?
We do realize that we were hit with a lot of calls and we are taking action to improve the user experience. We are looking at staffing, alternative ways of entering tickets, increased training and tools for help desk staff to reduce call times and posting of common errors and workarounds on our Electronic Submission website. We are also making efforts to broaden the base of knowledge across NIH staff so that they can be used as resources

International institutions

What about the foreign institutions that do not have zip codes or state designation, which are required fields in the electronic application. What do they do?
In Grants.gov the field is large enough to include postal codes. At NIH, foreign addresses are accepted. A bug that kept NIH from accepting some foreign addresses during the December 2005 submissions has been fixed.

Other grant programs (mechanisms)

How will NIH handle R01 and other unsolicited applications?
Everything that comes through Grants.gov has to come through a Funding Opportunity Announcement. NIH is developing general parent announcements for each mechanism that will cover the investigator-initiated applications.

For noncompeting 2590s, can you verify that we should continue to submit as usual on the PHS2590 form?
Yes. There is no change in our business process there. We do not anticipate using Grants.gov or SF424 (R&R) for progress reports (2590s). Continue to use the paper 2590. Alternately, those with Commons registration can submit the SNAP progress report electronically using eSNAP.

For training grant applications, are you developing a separate research plan component?
NIH has working groups to address the nuances of each grant program to be transitioned. In the case of training grant applications, NIH anticipate that there will be changes to accommodate training budget and research plan requirements.

Now that SBIR applicants must use the SF424 (R&R), have the traditional submission dates changed?
No. The dates for SBIR/STTR submissions remain April 1, August 1 and Dec. 1 and the corresponding AIDS dates also remain unchanged.

Miscellaneous

Will NIH require a hard copy to be mailed in?
No.

Can there be more than one SO per college?
Yes.

Will the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts be in sync with Grants.gov and have the most current information available?
Yes. When NIH posts an FOA in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, the same team handles posting at Grants.gov. Both postings are done within minutes of each other.

Note: Questions marked with a ** were answered by a Grants.gov representative.