HRSA's Electronic Submission User Guide

• Printer-friendly Electronic Submission User Guide (PDF - 532 KB)

1.1 Document Purpose and Scope

Applicants submitting new, competing continuation and most noncompeting continuation applications are required to submit electronically through Grants.gov. All applicants must submit in this manner unless the applicant is granted a written exemption by the Director of HRSA’s Division of Grants Policy.

The purpose of this document is to provide detailed instructions to help applicants and grantees submit applications electronically to HRSA through Grants.gov. The document is intended to be the comprehensive source of information related to the grant submission processes and will be updated periodically. This document is not meant to replace program guidance documents for funding announcements.

1.2. Document Organization and Version Control

This document contains 6 sections apart from the Introduction. Following is the summary:

This document is under version control. Please visit HRSA's Grant page to retrieve the latest published version.

2.1 Process Overview

The following is the process for submitting a noncompeting continuation application through Grants.gov:

1. HRSA will communicate the noncompeting announcement number to the project director (PD) and authorizing official (AO) listed on the most recent Notice of Grant Award (NGA) via email. The announcement number will be required to search for the announcement/funding opportunity when applying in Grants.gov.
2. Search for the announcement/funding opportunity in Grants.gov Apply for Grants.
3. Download the application package and instructions from Grants.gov. The program guidance is part of the instructions that must be downloaded.
4. Save a local copy of the application package on your computer or organization’s shared drive and complete all the forms based on the instructions provided in the program guidance.
5. Submit the application package through Grants.gov. (Requires registration)
6. Track the status of your submitted application at Grants.gov until you receive an email notification from Grants.gov that your application has been received by HRSA.
7. HRSA Electronic Handbooks (EHBs) software pulls the application information into EHBs and validates the data against HRSA’s business rules. HRSA sends an email to the PD, AO, business official (BO), and application point of contact (POC) to review the application in the HRSA EHBs for validation errors and enter additional information, including in some cases, performance measures, necessary to process the noncompeting continuation.
8. The PD logs into the HRSA EHBs to enter all additional information necessary to process the application. The PD must also provide the AO submission rights for the application.
9. AO verifies the application in HRSA EHBs, fixes any remaining validation errors, makes necessary corrections and submits the application to HRSA. (Requires registration in EHBs)

2.2 Grantee Organization Needs to Register With Grants.gov (if not already registered)

Grants.gov requires a one-time registration by the applicant organization and annual updating. This is a three step process and should be completed by any organization wishing to apply for a grant. If you do not complete this registration process you will not be able to submit an application. The registration process will require some time (anywhere from 5 business days to a month). Therefore, applicants or those considering applying at some point in the future should register immediately. Registration with Grants.gov provides the individuals from the organization the required credentials in order to submit an application.

If an applicant organization has already completed Grants.gov registration for HRSA or another Federal agency, skip to section 2.3.

For those applicant organizations still needing to register with Grants.gov, registration information can be found on the Grants.gov Get Started website. To be able to successfully register in Grants.gov, it is necessary that you complete all of the following required actions:

• Obtain an organizational Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number
• Register the organization with Central Contractor Registry (CCR)
• Identify the organization’s E-Business POC (Point of Contact)
• Confirm the organization’s CCR “Marketing Partner ID Number (M-PIN)” password
• Register an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR)
  • Obtain a username and password from the Grants.gov Credential Provider
  • Register the username and password with Grants.gov
  • Get authorized as an AOR by your organization

In addition, allow for extra time if an applicant does not have a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) or Employer Identification Number (EIN). The CCR also validates the EIN against Internal Revenue Service records, a step that will take an additional one to five business days.

Please direct questions regarding Grants.gov registration to the Grants.gov Contact Center at Tel.: 1-800-518-4726. Contact Center hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding Federal holidays.

2.3 Project Director and Authorizing Official Register with HRSA EHBs (if not already registered

In order to access your noncompeting continuation application in HRSA EHBs, existing grantee organizations must register within the EHBs. The purpose of the registration process is to collect consistent information from all users, avoid collection of redundant information and allow for the unique identification of each system user. Note that registration within HRSA EHBs is required only once for each user. Note that HRSA EHBs now allow the user to use his/her single username and associate it with more than one organization.

Registration within HRSA EHBs is a two-step process. In the first step, individual users from an organization who participate in the grants process such as applying for noncompeting continuations must create individual system accounts. In the second step, the users must associate themselves with the appropriate grantee organization. To find your organization record use the 10-digit grant number from the Notice of Grant Award (NGA) belonging to your grant. Note that since all existing grantee organization records already exist within EHBs, there is no need to create a new one.

To complete the registration quickly and efficiently we recommend that you have the following information handy:

1. Identify your role in the grants management process. HRSA EHBs offer the following three functional roles for individuals from applicant/grantee organizations:

   • Authorizing Official (AO),
   • Business Official (BO), and Other Employee (for project directors, assistant staff, AO designees and others).
   
   For more information on functional responsibilities refer to the HRSA EHBs online help.

2. Ensure you have the 10-digit grant number from the latest NGA belonging to your grant (Box 4b on NGA). You must use the grant number to find your organization during registration. All individuals from the organization working on the grant must use the same grant number to ensure correct registration.

In order to access the noncompeting application, the project director and other participants have to register the specific grant and add it to their respective portfolios. This step is required to ensure that only the authorized individuals from the organization have access to grant data. Project directors will need the last released NGA in order to complete this additional step. Again, note that this is a one-time requirement.

The project director must give the necessary privileges to the AO and other individuals who will assist in the noncompeting continuation application submission using the administer feature in the grant handbook. The project director should also delegate the “Administer Grant Users” privilege to the AO.

Once you have access to your grant handbook, use the “Noncompeting Continuations” link under the deliverables section to access your noncompeting application.

Note that registration with HRSA EHBs is independent of Grants.gov registration.

For assistance in registering with HRSA EHBs, call the HRSA Call center at 877-Go4-HRSA (877-464-4772) between 9:00 am to 5:30 pm ET or email callcenter@hrsa.gov.

2.4 Apply through Grants.gov

2.4.1 Find Funding Opportunity

Search for the announcement in Grants.gov Apply.

Enter the announcement number communicated to you in the field Funding Opportunity Number. (Example announcement number: 5-S45-06-001)

2.4.2 Download Application Package

Download the application package and instructions. Application packages are posted in either PureEdge or Adobe Reader format. Note: ALL Application packages posted after September 24, 2008 may be posted in Adobe Reader. To ensure that you can view the application package and instructions, you should download and install the following applications:

• PureEdge Viewer
• Adobe Reader

2.4.3 Complete Application

Complete the application using both the built-in instructions and the instructions provided in the program guidance. Ensure that you save a copy of the application on your local computer.

For more information on using PureEdge Viewer, please refer to Section 7.1.2.1 below. Note: Opportunities posted after September 24, 2008 are posted in Adobe Reader.

Please direct questions regarding PureEdge to Grants.gov. Contact the Grants.gov Contact Center at Tel.: 1-800-518-4726. Contact Center hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding Federal holidays.

For more information on using Adobe Reader, please refer to Section 7.1.2.2. below.

For assistance with program guidance related questions, please contact the program contact listed on the program guidance.

2.4.4 Submit Application

The application package will be ready for submission when you have downloaded the application package, completed all required forms, attached all required documents, and saved a copy of the completed application on your local computer.

• In PureEdge, click on the "Submit" button when you have done all of the above and are ready to send your completed application to Grants.gov.
• In Adobe Reader 8.1.2, click on the "Save and Submit" button when you have done all of the above and are ready to send your completed application to Grants.gov.

Review the provided application summary to confirm that the application will be submitted to the program you wish to apply for. To submit, you will be asked to Log into Grants.gov. Once you have logged in, your application package will automatically be uploaded to Grants.gov. A confirmation screen will appear once the upload is complete. Note that a Grants.gov Tracking number will be provided on this screen. Please record this number so that you may refer to it for all subsequent help.

Please direct questions regarding application submission to the Grants.gov Contact Center at Tel.: 1-800-518-4726. Contact Center hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding Federal holidays.

2.4.5 Verify Status of Application in Grants.gov

Once Grants.gov has received your submission, Grants.gov will send email messages to the PD, AO, and the POC listed in the application advising of the progress of the application through the system. Over the next 24 to 48 hours, you should receive two emails. The first will confirm receipt of your application by the Grants.gov system (“Received”), and the second will indicate that the application has either been successfully validated (“Validated”) by the system prior to transmission to the grantor agency or has been rejected due to errors (“Rejected with Errors”).

If your application has been rejected because of errors, you must correct the application and resubmit it to Grants.gov. If you are unable to resubmit because the opportunity has since closed, contact the HRSA Call Center at 877-Go4-HRSA (877-464-4772) between 9:00 am to 5:30 pm ET or email callcenter@hrsa.gov. You may be asked to provide a copy of the “Rejected with Errors” notification you received from Grants.gov.

You can check the status of your application(s) anytime after submission by logging into Grants.gov and clicking on the 'Check Application Status' link on the left side of the page.

If there are no errors, the application will be downloaded by HRSA. On successful download at HRSA, the status of the application will change to “Received by Agency” and the contacts listed in the application will receive an additional email from Grants.gov. Subsequently within two to three business days the status will change to “Agency Tracking Number Assigned” and the contacts listed in the application will receive yet another email from Grants.gov.

2.5 Verify in HRSA Electronic Handbooks

For assistance in registering with or using HRSA EHBs, call 877-GO4-HRSA (877-464-4772) between 9:00 am to 5:30 pm ET or email callcenter@hrsa.gov.

2.5.1 Verify Status of Application

Once the application is received by HRSA, it will be processed to ensure that the application is submitted for the correct funding announcement, with the correct grant number and grantee organization. Upon this processing, which is expected to take up to two to three business days, HRSA will assign a unique tracking number to your application. This tracking number will be posted to Grants.gov and the status of your application will be changed to “Agency Tracking Number Assigned”; you will receive yet another email from Grants.gov. Note the HRSA tracking number and use it for all correspondence with HRSA. At this point, the application is ready for review and submission in HRSA EHBs.

HRSA will send an email to the PD, AO, POC for the application, and the BO – all listed on the submitted application, to confirm the application was successfully received. The email will also be sent to the PD listed on the most recent NGA, if different than the PD listed on the application. Because email is not always reliable, please check the HRSA EHBs or Grants.gov to see if the application is available for review in HRSA EHBs.

2.5.2 Manage Access to the Application

You must be registered in HRSA EHBs to access the application. To ensure that only the right individuals from the organization get access to the application, you must follow the process described earlier.

The PD, using the Administer Users feature in the grant handbook, must give the necessary privileges to the AO and other individuals who will assist in the submission of the noncompeting continuation application. Project directors must also delegate the “Administer Grant Users” privilege to the AO so that future administration can be managed by the AO.

Once you have access to your grant handbook, use the “Noncompeting Continuations” link under the deliverables section to access your noncompeting application.

2.5.3 Check Validation Errors

HRSA EHBs will apply HRSA’s business rules to the application received through Grants.gov. All validation errors are recorded and displayed to the applicant. To view the validation errors use the ‘Grants.gov Data Validation Comments’ link on the application status page in HRSA EHBs.

2.5.4 Fix Errors and Complete Application

Applicants must review the errors in HRSA EHBs and make necessary changes. Applicants must also complete the detailed budget and other required forms in HRSA EHBs and assign an AO who must be a registered user in the HRSA EHBs. HRSA EHBs will show the status of each form in the application package and the status of all forms must be “Complete” in the summary page before the HRSA EHBs will allow the application to be submitted.

2.5.5 Submit Application

To submit an application, you must have the ‘Submit Noncompeting Continuation’ privilege. This privilege must be given by the project director to the AO or a designee. Once all forms are complete, the application can be submitted to HRSA.

3.1 Process Overview

Following is the process for submitting a competing application through Grants.gov:

1. HRSA will post all competing announcements on Grants.gov FIND. Announcements are typically posted at the beginning of the fiscal year when HRSA releases its annual Preview, although program guidances are generally not available until later. For more information visit HRSA.gov Grants.
2. When program guidance is available, search for the announcement in Grants.gov Apply .
3. Download the application package and instructions from Grants.gov. The program guidance is also part of the instructions that must be downloaded.
4. Save a local copy of the application package on your computer and complete all the forms based on the instructions provided in the program guidance.
5. Submit the application package through Grants.gov. (Requires registration)
6. Track the status of your submitted application at Grants.gov until you receive a notification from Grants.gov that your application has been received by HRSA.

3.2 Grantee Organization Needs to Register With Grants.gov (if not already registered)

Grants.gov requires a one-time registration by the applicant organization and annual updating. This is a three step process and should be completed by any organization wishing to apply for a grant. If you do not complete this registration process you will not be able to submit an application. The registration process will require some time (anywhere from 5 business days to a month). Therefore, applicants or those considering applying at some point in the future should register immediately. Registration with Grants.gov provides the individuals from the organization the required credentials in order to submit an application.

If an applicant organization has already completed Grants.gov registration for HRSA or another Federal agency, should skip to section 3.3. below.

For those applicant organizations still needing to register with Grants.gov, registration information can be found on the Grants.gov Get Started website. To be able to successfully register in Grants.gov, it is necessary that you complete all of the following required actions:

• Obtain an organizational Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number
• Register the organization with Central Contractor Registry (CCR)
• Identify the organization’s E-Business POC (Point of Contact)
• Confirm the organization’s CCR “Marketing Partner ID Number (M-PIN)” password
• Register an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR)
  • Obtain a username and password from the Grants.gov Credential Provider
  • Register the username and password with Grants.gov
  • Get authorized as an AOR by your organization

In addition, allow for extra time if an applicant does not have a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) or Employer Identification Number (EIN). The CCR also validates the EIN against Internal Revenue Service records, a step that will take an additional one to five business days.

Please direct questions regarding Grants.gov registration to the Grants.gov Contact Center at Tel.: 1-800-518-4726. Contact Center hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding Federal holidays.

3.3 Apply through Grants.gov

3.3.1 Find Funding Opportunity

Search for announcements in Grants.gov FIND and select the announcement that you wish to apply for. Refer to the program guidance for eligibility criteria.

Please visit http: HRSA.gov Grants to read annual HRSA Preview.

3.3.2 Download Application Package

Download the application package and instructions. Application packages are posted in either PureEdge or Adobe Reader format. Note: ALL Application packages posted after September 24, 2008 may be posted in Adobe Reader. To ensure that you can view the application package and instructions, you should download and install the following applications:

• PureEdge Viewer
• Adobe Reader

3.3.3 Complete Application

Complete the application using both the built-in instructions and the instructions provided in the program guidance. Ensure that you save a copy of the application on your local computer.

For more information on using PureEdge Viewer, please refer to Section 7.1.2.1. below. Note: Opportunities posted after September 24, 2008 are posted in Adobe Reader.

Please direct questions regarding PureEdge to Grants.gov. Contact the Grants.gov Contact Center at Tel.: 1-800-518-4726. Contact Center hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding Federal holidays.

For more information on using Adobe Reader, please refer to Section 7.1.2.2 below.

For assistance with program guidance related questions, please contact the program contact listed on the program guidance.

3.3.4 Submit Application

The application package will be ready for submission when you have downloaded the application package, completed all required forms, attached all required documents, and saved a copy of the completed application on your local computer.

• In PureEdge, click on the "Submit" button when you have done all of the above and are ready to send your completed application to Grants.gov.
• In Adobe Reader 8.1.2, click on the "Save and Submit" button when you have done all of the above and are ready to send your completed application to Grants.gov.

Review the provided application summary to confirm that the application will be submitted to the program you wish to apply for. To submit, you will be asked to Log into Grants.gov. Once you have logged in, your application package will automatically be uploaded to Grants.gov. A confirmation screen will appear once the upload is complete. Note that a Grants.gov Tracking number will be provided on this screen. Please record this number so that you may refer to it for all subsequent help.

Please direct questions regarding application submission to the Grants.gov Contact Center at Tel.: 1-800-518-4726. Contact Center hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding Federal holidays.

3.3.5 Verify Status of Application in Grants.gov

Once Grants.gov has received your submission, Grants.gov will send email messages to the PD, AO, and the POC listed in the application, to advise you of the progress of the application through the system. Over the next 24 to 48 hours, you should receive two emails. The first will confirm receipt of your application by the Grants.gov system (“Received”), and the second will indicate that the application has either been successfully validated (“Validated”) by the system prior to transmission to the grantor agency or has been rejected due to errors (“Rejected with Errors”).

In case of any errors, you must correct the application and resubmit it to Grants.gov. If you are unable to resubmit because the opportunity has since closed, contact the Director of the Division of Grants Policy via email at DGPWaivers@hrsa.gov and thoroughly explain the situation; include a copy of the “Rejected with Errors” notification.

You can check the status of your application(s) anytime after submission by logging into Grants.gov and clicking on the 'Check Application Status' link on the left side of the page.

If there are no errors, the application will be downloaded by HRSA. On successful download at HRSA, the status of the application will change to “Received by Agency” and the contacts listed in the application will receive an additional email from Grants.gov.

Once your application is received by HRSA, it will be processed to ensure that the application is submitted for the correct funding announcement, with the correct grant number (if applicable), and applicant/grantee organization. Upon this processing, which is expected to take up to two to three business days, HRSA will assign a unique tracking number to your application. This tracking number will be posted to Grants.gov and the status of your application will be changed to “Agency Tracking Number Assigned”; you will receive yet another email from Grants.gov. Note the HRSA tracking number and use it for all correspondence with HRSA.

4.1 Process Overview

Following is the process for submitting a competitive application through Grants.gov with verification required within HRSA EHBs:

1. HRSA will post all competing announcements on Grants.gov FIND. Announcements are typically posted at the beginning of the fiscal year when HRSA releases its annual Preview, although program guidances are generally not available until later. For more information visit HRSA.gov Grants
2. When program guidance is available, search for the announcement in Grants.gov Apply.
3. Download the application package and instructions from Grants.gov. The program guidance is also part of the instructions that must be downloaded. (Confirm from the program guidance if verification is required in HRSA EHBs. If it is not required, you must refer to section 3 of this document.) Note the announcement number as it will be required later in the process.
4. Save a local copy of the application package on your computer and complete all the standard forms based on the instructions provided in the program guidance.
5. Submit the application package through Grants.gov. (Requires registration) Note the grants.gov tracking number as it will be required later in the process.
6. Track the status of your submitted application at Grants.gov until you receive a notification from Grants.gov that your application has been received by HRSA.
7. HRSA Electronic Handbooks (EHBs) software pulls the application information into EHBs and validates the data against HRSA’s business rules.
8. HRSA notifies the project director, authorizing official (AO), business official (BO) and application point of contact (POC) by email to check HRSA EHBs for results of HRSA validations and enter supplemental information required to process the competing application. Note the HRSA EHBs tracking number from the email.
9. The application in HRSA EHBs is validated by a user from the applicant organization by providing three independent data elements (Announcement Number, Grants.gov Tracking Number and HRSA EHBs Tracking Number).
10. The AO verifies the pending application in HRSA EHBs, fixes any validation errors, and makes necessary corrections. Supplemental forms are completed. AO submits the application to HRSA.

4.2 Grantee Organization Needs to Register With Grants.gov (if not already registered)

Grants.gov requires a one-time registration by the applicant organization and annual updating. This is a three step process and should be completed by any organization wishing to apply for a grant. If you do not complete this registration process you will not be able to submit an application. The registration process will require some time (anywhere from 5 business days to a month). Therefore, applicants or those considering applying at some point in the future should register immediately. Registration with Grants.gov provides the individuals from the organization the required credentials in order to submit an application.

If an applicant organization has already completed Grants.gov registration for HRSA or another Federal agency, should skip to the next section.

For those applicant organizations still needing to register with Grants.gov, registration information can be found on the Grants.gov Get Started website. To be able to successfully register in Grants.gov, it is necessary that you complete all of the following required actions:

• Obtain an organizational Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number
• Register the organization with Central Contractor Registry (CCR)
• Identify the organization’s E-Business POC (Point of Contact)
• Confirm the organization’s CCR “Marketing Partner ID Number (M-PIN)” password
• Register an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR)
  • Obtain a username and password from the Grants.gov Credential Provider
  • Register the username and password with Grants.gov
  • Get authorized as an AOR by your organization

In addition, allow for extra time if an applicant does not have a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) or Employer Identification Number (EIN). The CCR also validates the EIN against Internal Revenue Service records, a step that will take an additional one to five business days.

Please direct questions regarding Grants.gov registration to the Grants.gov Contact Center at Tel.: 1-800-518-4726. Contact Center hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding Federal holidays.

4.3 Register with HRSA EHBs (if not already registered)

In order to access the competitive application in HRSA EHBs, the AO (and other application preparers) must register in HRSA EHBs. The purpose of the registration process is to collect consistent information from all users, avoid collection of redundant information and allow for the unique identification of each system user. Note that registration within HRSA EHBs is required only once for each user. Note that HRSA EHBs now allow the user to use his/her single username and associate it with more than one organization.

Registration within HRSA EHBs is a two-step process. In the first step, individual users from an organization who participate in the grants process must create individual system accounts. In the second step, the users must associate themselves with the appropriate grantee organization.

Once the individual is registered, they are given two options. One, they can search for an existing organization using the 10-digit grant number from the Notice of Grant Award (NGA). Secondly, if the grant number is not known or if the organization has never received a grant from HRSA, they can search using the HRSA EHBs Tracking Number. Your organization’s record is created in HRSA EHBs based on information entered in Grants.gov.

To complete the registration quickly and efficiently we recommend that you identify your role in the grants management process. HRSA EHBs offer the following three functional roles for individuals from applicant/grantee organizations:

• Authorizing Official (AO),
• Business Official (BO), and
• Other Employee (for project directors, assistant staff, AO designees and others).

For more information on functional responsibilities refer to the HRSA EHBs online help. Note that registration with HRSA EHBs is independent of Grants.gov registration.Note that once the registration is completed, any one user from the organization needs to go through an additional step to get access to the application in HRSA EHBs. This is required to ensure that only the right individuals have access to the competing application. In this step, the first user is challenged to enter the announcement number, grants.gov tracking number and the HRSA EHBs tracking number. Once the individual has successfully provided this information and received access to the application, other users can be given access through the ‘Peer Access’ feature within HRSA EHBs.

For assistance in registering with HRSA EHBs, call 877-GO4-HRSA (877-464-4772) between 9:00 am to 5:30 pm ET or email callcenter@hrsa.gov.

4.4 Apply through Grants.gov

4.4.1 Find Funding Opportunity

Search for announcements in Grants.gov FIND and select the announcement that you wish to apply for. Refer to the program guidance for eligibility criteria.Please visit HRSA.gov Grants to read annual HRSA Preview.

4.4.2 Download Application Package

Download the application package and instructions. Application packages are posted in either PureEdge or Adobe Reader format. Note: ALL Application packages posted after September 24, 2008 may be posted in Adobe Reader. To ensure that you can view the application package and instructions, you should download and install the following applications:

• PureEdge Viewer
• Adobe Reader

4.4.3 Complete Application

Complete the application using both the built-in instructions and the instructions provided in the program guidance. Ensure that you save a copy of the application on your local computer.

For more information on using PureEdge Viewer, please refer to Section 7.1.2.1. below. Note: Opportunities posted after September 24, 2008 are posted in Adobe Reader.

Please direct questions regarding PureEdge to Grants.gov. Contact the Grants.gov Contact Center at Tel.: 1-800-518-4726. Contact Center hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding Federal holidays.

For more information on using Adobe Reader, please refer to Section 4.5.2. below.

For assistance with program guidance related questions, please contact the program contact listed on the program guidance.

4.4.4 Submit Application

The application package will be ready for submission when you have downloaded the application package, completed all required forms, attached all required documents, and saved a copy of the completed application on your local computer.

• In PureEdge, click on the "Submit" button when you have done all of the above and are ready to send your completed application to Grants.gov.
• In Adobe Reader 8.1.2, click on the "Save and Submit" button when you have done all of the above and are ready to send your completed application to Grants.gov.

Review the provided application summary to confirm that the application will be submitted to the program you wish to apply for. To submit, you will be asked to Log into Grants.gov. Once you have logged in, your application package will automatically be uploaded to Grants.gov. A confirmation screen will appear once the upload is complete. Note that a Grants.gov Tracking number will be provided on this screen. Please record this number so that you may refer to it for all subsequent help.

Please direct questions regarding application submission to the Grants.gov Contact Center at Tel.: 1-800-518-4726. Contact Center hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding Federal holidays.

4.4.5 Verify Status of Application

Once Grants.gov has received your submission, Grants.gov will send email messages to the PD, AO, and the POC listed in the application to advise of the progress of the application through the system. Over the next 24 to 48 hours, you should receive two emails. The first will confirm receipt of your application by the Grants.gov system (“Received”), and the second will indicate that the application has either been successfully validated (“Validated”) by the system prior to transmission to the grantor agency or has been rejected due to errors (“Rejected with Errors”).

If your application has been rejected because of errors, you must correct the application and resubmit it to Grants.gov. If you are unable to resubmit because the opportunity has since closed, contact the HRSA Call Center at 877-Go4-HRSA (877-464-4772) between 9:00 am to 5:30 pm ET or email callcenter@hrsa.gov. You may be asked to provide a copy of the “Rejected with Errors” notification you received from Grants.gov.

You can check the status of your application(s) anytime after submission by logging into Grants.gov and clicking on the 'Check Application Status' link on the left side of the page.

If there are no errors, the application will be downloaded by HRSA. On successful download at HRSA, the status of the application will change to “Received by Agency” and the contacts listed in the application will receive an additional email from Grants.gov. Subsequently within two to three business days the status will change to “Agency Tracking Number Assigned” and the contacts listed in the application will receive yet another email from Grants.gov.

4.5 Verify in HRSA Electronic Handbooks

For assistance in registering with or using HRSA EHBs, call 877-GO4-HRSA (877-464-4772) between 9:00 am to 5:30 pm ET or email callcenter@hrsa.gov.

4.5.1 Verify Status of Application

Once the application is received by HRSA, it will be processed to ensure that the application is submitted for the correct funding announcement, with the correct grant number and grantee organization. Upon this processing, which is expected to take up to two to three business days, HRSA will assign a unique tracking number to your application. This tracking number will be posted to Grants.gov and the status of your application will be changed to “Agency Tracking Number Assigned”; the contacts listed in the application will receive yet another email from Grants.gov. Note the HRSA tracking number and use it for all correspondence with HRSA. At this point, the application is ready for review and submission in HRSA EHBs.

HRSA will send an email to the PD, AO, POC for the application, and the BO – all listed on the submitted application, to confirm the application was successfully received. The email will also be sent to the PD listed on the most recent NGA, if different than the PD listed on the application. Because email is not always reliable, please check the HRSA EHBs or Grants.gov to see if the application is available for review in HRSA EHBs.

4.5.2 Validate Grants.gov Application in the HRSA EHBs

The HRSA EHBs include a validation process to ensure that only authorized individuals from an organization are able to access the organization’s competing applications. The first user who seeks access to the application needs to provide the following information:

Note that the source of each data element is different and knowledge of the three numbers together is considered sufficient to provide that individual access to the application.

To validate the grants.gov application, log in to the EHBs and click on the “View Applications” link, then click on the “Add Grants.Gov Application” link (this is only visible for grant applications that require supplemental forms).

At this point you will be presented with a form, which will require the numbers specified in the table above in order to validate your grants.gov application.

4.5.3 Manage Access to Your Application

You must be registered in HRSA EHBs to access applications. To ensure that only the right individuals from the organization get access to the application, you must follow the process described earlier.

The person who validated the application (see section 4.5.2. above) must use the Peer Access feature to share this application with other individuals from the organization. This is required if you wish to allow multiple individuals to work on the application in HRSA EHBs.

4.5.4 Check Validation Errors

HRSA EHBs will apply HRSA’s business rules to the application received through Grants.gov. All validation errors are recorded and displayed to the applicant. To view the validation errors use the ‘Grants.gov Data Validation Comments’ link on the application status page in HRSA EHBs.

4.5.5 Fix Errors and Complete Application

Applicants must review the errors in HRSA EHBs and make necessary changes. Applicants must also complete the detailed budget and other required forms in HRSA EHBs and assign an AO who must be a registered user in the HRSA EHBs. HRSA EHBs will show the status of each form in the application package and the status of all forms must be “Complete” in the summary page before the HRSA EHBs will allow the application to be submitted.

4.5.6 Submit Application

The application can be submitted by the AO assigned to the application within HRSA EHBs. The application can also be submitted by the designee of the AO. Once all forms are complete, the application must be submitted to HRSA by the due date listed within the program guidance.

5.1 Narrative Attachment Guidelines

5.1.1 Font

Please use an easily readable serif typeface, such as Times Roman, Courier, or CG Times. The text and table portions of the application must be submitted in not less than 12 point and 1.0 line spacing. Applications not adhering to 12 point font requirements may be returned. Do not use colored, oversized or folded materials. For charts, graphs, footnotes, and budget tables, applicants may use a different pitch or size font, not less than 10 pitch or size font. However, it is vital that when scanned and/or reproduced, the charts are still clear and readable.

Please do not include organizational brochures or other promotional materials, slides, films, clips, etc.

5.1.2 Paper Size and Margins

For duplication and scanning purposes, please ensure that the application can be printed on 8 ½” x 11” white paper. Margins must be at least one (1) inch at the top, bottom, left and right of the paper. Please left-align text.

5.1.3 Names

Please include the name of the applicant and 10-digit grant number (if competing continuation, supplemental or noncompeting continuation) on each page.

5.1.4 Section Headings

Please put all section headings flush left in bold type.

5.1.5 Page Numbering

Electronic SubmissionsFor electronic submissions, applicants only have to number the electronic attachment pages sequentially, resetting the numbering for each attachment, i.e., start at page 1 for each attachment.Do not number the standard OMB approved form pages. Paper Submissions (When allowed)Do not number the standard OMB approved forms. Please number each attachment page sequentially. Reset the numbering for each attachment. (Treat each attachment/document as a separate section.)

5.1.6 Allowable Attachment or Document Types

Electronic Submissions

The following attachment types are supported in HRSA EHBs. Even though grants.gov may allow you to upload any type of attachment, it is important to note that HRSA only accepts the following types of attachments; files with unrecognizable extensions may not be accepted or may be corrupted, and will not be considered as part of the application:

.DOC - Microsoft Word
.RTF - Rich Text Format
.TXT - Text
.WPD - Word Perfect Document
.PDF - Adobe Portable Document Format
.XLS - Microsoft Excel

5.2 Application Content Order (Table of Contents)

When applications were submitted in paper, it was easy to direct the applicants to prepare a table of contents and make it as a part of the application. Applicants did not have any problem in preparing the package that included standard forms as well as attachments. All the pages were numbered sequentially. Preparation instructions were given in the program guidance. With the transition to electronic application receipt, this process has changed significantly. HRSA is using an approach that will ensure that regardless of the mode of submission (electronic or paper when exemptions are granted); all applications will look the same when printed for objective review.

HRSA uses two standard packages from Grants.gov.

• SF 424 (otherwise known as 5161) – For service delivery programs
• SF 424 R&R – For research and training programs (programs previously using the 398 or the 6025 and 2590 application packages)

For each package HRSA has defined a standard order of forms and that order is available within the program guidance. The program guidance may also provide applicants with explicit instructions on where to upload specific documents.

If you are applying on paper (when allowed), you must use the program guidance for the order of the forms and all other applicable guidelines.

5.3 Page Limit

HRSA prints your application for review regardless of whether it is submitted electronically or by paper (when allowed).

When your application is printed, the narrative documents may not exceed 80 pages in length unless otherwise stated in the program guidance. These narrative documents include the abstract, project and budget narratives, and any other attachments such as letters of support required as a part of the guidance. This 80 page limit does not include the OMB approved forms. Note that some program guidances may require submission of OMB approved program specific forms as attachments. These attachments will not be included in the 80 page limit.

Applicants must follow the instructions provided in this section and ensure that they print out all attachments on paper and count the number of pages before submission.

6.1 Grants.gov Customer Support

Please direct ALL questions regarding Grants.gov to Grants.gov Contact Center at Tel.: 1-800-518-4726. Contact Center hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding Federal holidays.

Please visit Grants.gov website for additional material.

6.1.2 HRSA Call Center

For assistance with or using HRSA EHBs, call 877-GO4-HRSA (877-464-4772) between 9:00 am to 5:30 pm ET or email callcenter@hrsa.gov.

Please visit HRSA EHBs for online help, click on ‘Help’

6.1.3 HRSA Program Support

For assistance with program guidance related questions, please contact the program contact listed on the program guidance. Do not call the program contact for technical questions related to either Grants.gov or HRSA EHBs.

7.1 Software

7.1.1 What are the software requirements for using Grants.gov?

Applicants will need to download Adobe Reader and PureEdge viewer. Grants.gov website provides the following information: . Note: All applications posted after September 24, 2008 may be posted in the ADOBE format.

• For information on Adobe Reader
• For information on PureEdge Viewer

7.1.2 What are the differences between PureEdge Viewer and Adobe Reader 8.1.2?

Key differences are summarized below.

7.1.2.1 PureEdge Viewer

The PureEdge Viewer screen is shown in Figure 1 below.

The PureEdge toolbar is shown in Figure 2 below.

Figure 2: The PureEdge Toolbar

The PureEdge toolbar elements are described as follows:

1. Submit – Click to submit the application package to Grants.gov (not available until all mandatory documents have been completed and the application has been saved).
2. Save – Click to save the application package to your local computer.
3. Print – Click to print the application package.
4. Check Package for Errors – Click prior to submitting the application package to ensure there are no errors.

Documents that you must include in your application package are listed under Mandatory Documents. Refer to Figure 3 below.

Figure 3: Working with Mandatory Documents (PureEdge Viewer)

1. Under Mandatory Documents, select the document you want to work on.
2. Click on the “Open Form” button.
3. When you have completed the document, click on the “Move Form to Submission List” button.
4. To view or edit documents that you have already completed, select the document under Mandatory Completed Documents for Submission and click on the “Open Form” button.

When you open a document for viewing or editing, the document occupies the entire PureEdge screen. Refer to Figure 4 below.

Figure 4: An Open Form in PureEdge Viewer

The toolbar buttons are always at the top of the screen. Click on the “Close Form” button to save and close the form and return to the main screen.

Please direct questions regarding PureEdge to Grants.gov. Contact the Grants.gov Contact Center at Tel.: 1-800-518-4726. Contact Center hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding Federal holidays.

7.1.2.2 Adobe Reader

The Adobe Reader screen is shown in Figure 5 below.

Figure 5: Adobe Reader Screen

Figure 6: The Adobe Reader Toolbar

The Adobe toolbar elements are described as follows:

1. Submit – Click to submit the application package to Grants.gov (not available until all mandatory documents have been completed and the application has been saved).
2. Save – Click to save the application package to your local computer.
3. Print – Click to print the application package.
4. Check Package for Errors – Click prior to submitting the application package to ensure there are no errors.

Documents that you must include in your application package are listed under Mandatory Documents. Refer to Figure 7 below.

Figure 7: Working with Mandatory Documents (Adobe Reader)

1. Under Mandatory Documents, select the document you want to work on.
2. Click on the “Move Form to Complete” button.
3. Select the document under Mandatory Documents for Submission and click on the “Open Form” button.

When you open a document for viewing or editing, Adobe Reader opens the document at the bottom of the main application page. Refer to Figure 8 below.

Figure 8: An Open Form in Adobe Reader

Note that the buttons are attached to the top of the page and move with the page. Click on the “Close Form” button to save and close the form.

7.1.2.3 Special Note: Working with Earlier Versions of Adobe Reader

It is strongly recommended that you remove all earlier versions of Adobe Reader prior to installing Adobe Reader Version 8.1.2. Do this by using “Add or Remove Programs” from Control Panel in Windows.

If it is necessary that you keep older versions of Adobe Reader on your computer, you should be aware that the program will attempt (unsuccessfully) to open application packages with the earlier, incompatible version. Use the following workaround to avoid this problem.

Figure 9: Downloading from Grants.gov

1. From the Grants.gov download page, right-click on the Download Application Package link and select Save Target As… from the menu.
2. Save the target on your local computer (preferably to the Desktop) as an Adobe Acrobat Document.

Figure 10: Selecting Open with Adobe Reader

3. Right-click the icon.
4. Select Open With > Adobe Reader 8.1 from the menu.

7.1.3 Why can’t I download Adobe Reader or PureEdge Viewer onto my machine?

Depending on your organization’s computer network and security protocols you may not have the necessary permissions to download software onto your workstation. Contact your IT department or system administrator to download the software for you or give you access to this function.

7.1.4 I have heard that Grants.gov is not Macintosh compatible. What do I do if I use only a Macintosh?

IBM has provided Special Edition Mac Viewers for PPC and Intel that are now available for download. You may wish to use this software if you do not have access to a Windows machine, Windows emulation software, or the Citrix server. Please note that limitations of this early release software may include:

• Occasional crashes and subsequent loss of any unsaved data
• Inability to run on Mac OS version prior to 10.4.6
• No current support for screen readers for visually impaired users
• The viewer is installed at the root level of the user account home directory. (e.g. /Users/jsmith/). Do not move the application folder to any other location as it will not work.

Please consider these limitations and warnings and also read the release notes carefully before using this software. The Intel and PPC-based viewers below were developed by IBM as a permanent solution to the Mac Security Upgrade and this replaces the temporary fix that IBM had previously provided. We will provide additional information on commercial releases of this product as they become available.

For details, go to Grants.gov website.

7.1.5 What are the software requirements for HRSA EHBs?

HRSA EHBs can be accessed over the Internet using Internet Explorer (IE) v5.0 and above and Netscape 4.72 and above. HRSA EHBs are 508 compliant.

IE 6.0 and above is the recommended browser.

HRSA EHBs use pop-up screens to allow users to view or work on multiple screens. Ensure that your browser settings allow for pop-ups.

In addition, to view attachments such as Word and PDF, you will need appropriate viewers.

7.1.6 What are the system requirements for using HRSA EHBs on a Macintosh computer?

Mac users are requested to download the latest version of Netscape for their OS version. It is recommended that Safari v1.2.4 and above or Netscape v7.2 and above be used.

Note that Internet Explorer (IE) for Mac has known issues with SSL and Microsoft is no longer supporting IE for Mac. HRSA EHBs do not work on IE for Mac.

In addition, to view attachments such as Word and PDF, you will need appropriate viewers.

7.2 Application Receipt

7.2.1 What will be the receipt date--the date the application is stamped as received by Grants.gov or the date the data is received by HRSA?

Competing Submissions:
The submission/receipt date will be the date the application is received by Grants.gov.

For applications that require verification in HRSA EHBs (refer to program guidance), the submission/receipt date will be the date the application is submitted in HRSA EHBs.

Noncompeting Submissions:
The submission/receipt date will be the date the application is submitted in HRSA EHBs.

7.2.2 When do I need to submit my application?

Competing Submissions:
Applications must be submitted to Grants.gov by 8 PM ET on the due date.

For applications that require verification in HRSA EHBs (refer to program guidance), verification must be completed and applications submitted in HRSA EHBs by 5:00 PM ET on the due date mentioned in the guidance. This supplemental due date is different from the Grants.gov due date.

Noncompeting Submissions:
Applications must be submitted to Grants.gov by 8 PM ET on the due date.

Applications must be verified and submitted in HRSA EHBs by 5:00 PM ET on the due date. (2 weeks after the due date in Grants.gov) Refer to the program guidance for specific dates.

7.2.3 What emails can I expect once I submit my application? Is email reliable?

Competing Submissions:
When you submit your competing application in Grants.gov, it is first received and validated by Grants.gov. Typically, this takes a few hours but it may take up to 48 hours during peak volumes. You should receive two emails from Grants.gov.

The first will confirm receipt of your application by the Grants.gov system (“Received”), and the second will indicate that the application has either been successfully validated (“Validated”) by the system prior to transmission to the grantor agency or has been rejected due to errors (“Rejected with Errors”).

Subsequently, the application will be downloaded by HRSA. This happens within minutes of when your application is successfully validated by Grants.gov and made available for HRSA to download. On successful download at HRSA, the status of the application will change to “Received by Agency” and you will receive another email from Grants.gov.

After this, HRSA processes the application to ensure that it is submitted for the correct funding announcement, with the correct grant number (if applicable) and grantee/applicant organization. This may take up to 3 business days. Upon this processing HRSA will assign a unique tracking number to your application. This tracking number will be posted to Grants.gov and the status of your application will be changed to “Agency Tracking Number Assigned”; you will receive yet another email from Grants.gov.

For applications that require verification in HRSA EHBs, you will also receive an email from HRSA confirming the successful receipt of your application and asking the PD and AO to review and resubmit the application in HRSA EHBs.

Because email is not reliable, you must check the respective systems if you do not receive any emails within the specified timeframes.

Noncompeting Submissions:
When you submit your noncompeting application in Grants.gov, it is first received and validated by Grants.gov. Typically, this takes a few hours but it may take up to 48 hours during peak volumes. You should receive two emails from Grants.gov.

Subsequently, the application will be downloaded by HRSA. This happens within minutes of when your application is successfully validated by Grants.gov and made available for HRSA to download. On successful download at HRSA, the status of the application will change to “Received by Agency” and you will receive another email from Grants.gov.

After this, HRSA processes the application to ensure that it is submitted for the correct funding announcement, with the correct grant number and grantee organization. This may take up to 3 business days. Upon this processing HRSA will assign a unique tracking number to your application. This tracking number will be posted to Grants.gov and the status of your application will be changed to “Agency Tracking Number Assigned”; you will receive yet another email from Grants.gov.

You will also receive an email from HRSA confirming the successful receipt of your application and asking the PD and AO to review and resubmit the application in HRSA EHBs.

Because email is not reliable, you must check the respective systems if you do not receive any emails within the specified timeframes.

7.2.4 If a resubmission is required because of Grants.gov system problems, will these be considered "late"?

Competing Submissions:
No. But you must contact the Director of the Division of Grants Policy via email at DGPWaivers@hrsa.gov and thoroughly explain the situation. Include a copy of the “Rejected with Errors” notification you received from Grants.gov.

Noncompeting Submissions:
No. But you must contact the HRSA Call Center at 877-GO4-HRSA (877-464-4772) between 9:00 am to 5:30 pm ET or email callcenter@hrsa.gov. You may be asked to provide a copy of the “Rejected with Errors” notification you received from Grants.gov.

7.2.5 Can you summarize the emails received from Grants.gov and HRSA EHBs? Who all receive the emails?

7.3 Application Submission

7.3.1 How can I make sure that my electronic application is presented in the right order for objective review?

Follow the instructions provided in section 5 to ensure that your application is presented in the right order and is compliant with all the requirements.

7.4 Grants.gov

For a list of frequently asked questions and answers go to Grants.gov Frequently Asked Questions