Top Two Errors in Electronic Submission

 
  1. Missing Commons User ID in the Credential Field
  • The application did not Include the PI’s Commons User ID in the field called    

       “Credential, e.g. agency login.”

  • This field is not marked as required on the government-wide form but is required by NIH, as noted in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide (MS Word - 24 KB).
  • The field is located in the first section called “Profile – Project Director/Principal Investigator” on the Senior/Key Person Profile(s) component of the SF424 (R&R) form. 
  1. PDF issues
  • NIH only accepts attachments in PureEdge or PDF format. Do not submit attachments in other formats such as Microsoft Word, Word Perfect, etc.
  • Do not put special characters in file names.
  • Disable all security features in the PDF document.
  • If you are having trouble fixing the PDF settings, simply cut and paste from the PDF document into a Microsoft Word document and then reconvert.
  • One of the PDF tools that have been working without issue for most applicants is CutePDF.

    Note: NIH had previously suggested that applicants not use active links in PDFs. NIH has since addressed the issue and applicants can now include active links in PDFs.

Note: For details on these and other common errors, please go to the Avoiding Common Errors page.