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Applicant FAQs
Getting Started What are the Get Started steps to apply for grants? The Get Started steps are below, for more details go to Grants.gov and click on Apply for Grants in the left menu navigation. Step 1 - Find Grant Opportunity For Which You Would Like to Apply
Registration in Brief:
Obtaining DUNS Number Is registering for a DUNS number free of charge? Yes, registering for the DUNS number is free of charge. Dun & Bradstreet offers additional products and services, which they may suggest that you purchase, however, you do not need to do so for Grants.gov. Why does my organization have to provide a DUNS number? The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has determined that there is a need for improved statistical reporting of federal grants. OMB has adopted the use of the DUNS number as a way to identify organizations that receive grant awards and to track how grants money is dispersed. How can I check if my organization already has a DUNS Number? If you are not sure if your organization already has a DUNS number, first consult your organization's business office, chief financial officer, grant administrator or authorizing official. What information will I need to obtain a DUNS number? You will need the following information to request a DUNS number:
How do I request a DUNS number? You should ask the chief financial officer, grant administrator or authorizing official of your organization to register for a DUNS number. You can request and register for a DUNS number online via web registration at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do [EXIT Disclaimer]. The process can take up to 48 hours to complete. As a result of obtaining a DUNS number, you have the option to be included on D&B's marketing list that is sold to other companies. If you do not want your name/organization included on this marketing list, you should request not to be listed when you are speaking with a D&B representative during your DUNS number telephone application. How can I be removed from Dun & Bradstreet’s (D&B) marketing list? As a result of obtaining a DUNS number you have the option to be included on D&B's marketing list that is sold to other companies. If you do not want your name/organization included on this marketing list, you should request not to be listed when you are speaking with a D&B representative during your DUNS number telephone application. To apply for a grant you must have a DUNS number and be registered with CCR. DUNS numbers and CCR registration are offered to organizations, but not to individuals. You cannot register with Grants.gov as a sole individual. To obtain a DUNS number, you should ask the chief financial officer, grant administrator or authorizing official of your organization to register for a DUNS number. You can request and register for a DUNS number online via web registration at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do [EXIT Disclaimer]. The process can take up to 48 hours to complete. To register with CCR: (See Question What do I need to Register with CCR for more details below) Registering with CCR/MPIN What do I need to register with CCR? Before registering with CCR, you should make sure that you have a DUNS number. You also need to ensure that your registration with the IRS for your Employment Identification Number (EIN) or Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) is confirmed. Once you receive a letter from the IRS confirming your EIN or TIN, you may proceed with registration in CCR. Please note it will take 24-48 hours for IRS to validate your TIN. According to the IRS, when applying for an EIN over the phone or Internet, you will be given a temporary EIN, but your EIN may not become active for up to two (2) weeks. If you have questions about your EIN, please call 1-800-829-4933. If you apply for an EIN by mail, confirmation from the IRS can take up to 5 weeks. In addition, you should review the Tutorial topic “Registering with CCR” for more details about some of the information you will be required to provide. CCR is a government-wide registry for vendors doing business with the federal government. Grants.gov uses CCR to establish roles and IDs for those electronically applying for grants. To register with CCR: Is there anything I should do before registering with CCR? If your organization already has an Employment Identification Number (EIN) or Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), then you should allow one to two business days to complete the CCR registration. If your organization does not have an EIN or TIN, then you should allow two weeks for obtaining the information from IRS when requesting the EIN or TIN via phone or Internet.
If your organization already has an Employment Identification Number (EIN) or Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), then you should allow one to two business days to complete the CCR registration. If your organization does not have an EIN or TIN, then you should allow two weeks for obtaining the information from IRS when requesting the EIN or TIN via phone or Internet. All 'individuals' who are sole proprietors who desire to do business with the Federal Government are considered 'Sole Proprietors' for the purposes of registration in CCR. CCR registration is NOT required for an Individual Grantee Registration What is a MPIN? Where can I locate or assign my MPIN? If you do not have an MPIN, but do have an active registration in CCR, all you need to do in order to create an MPIN is to enter the information for the Government Business POC (this includes the actual MPIN). You can access your registration by going to the CCR Homepage, clicking on "Register in CCR," then "Update/Renew," then "CCR Update TPIN." Remember to have your TPIN ready. Once you have logged in, click on the "Points of Contact" tab. Scroll down to "Government Business POC" and complete all the fields including the MPIN and email address. Your registration will take approximately 24 hours to update. Please note that the MPIN location is at the bottom of the page, not within the Government Business POC. If you are not registered in CCR and need an MPIN, please view the CCR Handbook [EXIT Disclaimer] for instructions on what is needed for registration and details on how to register. If you need individual help in finding your MPIN, you can reach the CCR help desk at 1-888-227-2423 or 269-961-5757 (DSN: 661-5757) internationally. Finding Grant Opportunities Where can I find grant opportunities?
Do I need to complete all of the fields on the search screen to find a grant? No, you only need to complete one field to search for a grant, however, we suggest that you complete as many as possible. How do I register to receive email notifications of new grant postings from Grants.gov? You can sign-up to receive email notifications about new grant opportunity email notifications from Grants.gov by clicking one of the subscription services available on the Find Grant Opportunities page. Once you have selected the option that best meets your search criteria, just complete the necessary fields on the sign-up screen. Applying for Grant Opportunites Locate a grant opportunity for which you want to apply and record the opportunity’s Funding Opportunity Number and/or CFDA Number.
For more details on how to apply for a grant go to the Resources page and click on User Guide. http://www.grants.gov/resources/training_materials.jsp What do I need to record from an opportunity search in order to apply for an opportunity? You will need to record the Funding Opportunity Number and/or CFDA Number of an opportunity for which you want to apply. Where can I find the Funding Opportunity or CFDA Number for a grant? To locate a Funding Opportunity or CFDA Number, you will need to perform a search for a grant. Use the search options available on the Find Grant Opportunities page. Complete your search and click the Submit button. The results will display all applicable grants. The Funding Opportunity Number is listed on the “Search Results” screen and the CFDA Number is listed in the Grant Announcement. As an individual, how can I apply for federal or state grants, assistance, or benefits? First, it is important to realize the difference between organizational and individual grant applicants. Why must I download the application package? Downloading the application package provides you the ability to complete the forms offline at your leisure and to distribute it around your organization to others who may assist you in preparing the application. How can my organization submit an electronic grant application on Grants.gov? To submit electronic grant applications, you must be fully authorized by your organization, i.e., been given status as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). For complete details on how to apply for grants online go to the APPLY FOR GRANTS page: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp You can easily check your status by logging into Grants.gov by accessing the Applicant section of the site. If you have registered your username and password with Grants.gov, you will be able to log in. After logging in, access the Manage Profile link. Your status, located below your title, will state: “AOR - request sent” or “AOR – approved.” If your status is 'AOR - request sent', you cannot yet submit grant applications. You may correct this by contacting your E-Business Point of Contact (POC). He or she will need to login by accessing the E-Biz POC page under Get Registered. They will need your organization's DUNs number and MPIN, to approve you as an AOR. When I click the Download Application Package link I get a pop up window asking me which application to open it with. How do I download the application? Grants.gov is currently in a transition period, phasing out Pure Edge forms and moving to Adobe forms. At this time, Grants.gov has application packages of both types. Before you can view and complete an application package, you must have the PureEdge viewer and Adobe Reader installed. Application packages may be in either PureEdge or Adobe format and applicants are encouraged to have both. Click here After verifying you have the PureEdge Viewer and Adobe Reader both downloaded and installed, begin the download application package process. When you are downloading the application, it may take a couple of minutes due to the number of forms that are in the package. The download speed may also take longer if you are using a dial-up Internet connection as opposed to a high-speed Internet connection. Please be patient. The package will open in the Pure Edge viewer and or Adobe Reader automatically. After the package opens, you can save it to your computer and continue to work on the package without being connected to the Internet. Can I decide where I want to save the application package on my computer? Yes, during the download process you will be prompted to select where you want the application forms to be saved on your computer. How do I attach documents to my application? When you want to attach a document to your application: Why did I receive an error message when I entered something into a field on an application form? You will receive an error message if you enter invalid or incomplete information in a field on an application form. Why can't I enter my congressional district in “Question 14 a.)” in the Standard Form 424 Cover Sheet (SF-424 Cover Sheet)? “Question 14 a.)” only allows an applicant to enter in the number for their district. If you are attempting to enter any letters or special characters, the box will not allow you to enter that information. Please use numbers for that box. Why can't I enter in the financial information in Section 15 on the SF-424 Coversheet? If you are having problems entering information into Section 15, try using the tab to skip into the fields rather than attempting to use your mouse to click into the field. You should be able to access the box and enter information by hitting tab. I’ve completed a form, but don’t see a Save button at the top of the screen. Will I lose all of the information I entered when I exit the form? An application package is similar to a file, made up of the cover page and (possibly) many forms. Data at the form level will be retained when you close a form. Although your data at the form level will be saved, your application package file WILL NOT be saved unless you actually save the file before closing it down. Why doesn't the Submit button work on my application? The Submit button will not become active until the application has been completed and saved. In order to complete your application to submit it you may also click the Check for Errors button to ensure there are no errors. Check to make sure there are no remaining yellow fields (indicating a mandatory field) on any forms. If there are, you will need to complete those fields. Finally, make sure you have saved your application. Note: If the Submit button is still not active please check to be sure you have completed the actions listed below.
What does the Check for Errors button do on the application? The Check for Errors button, on the application, finds errors that prevent your application from being processed. A Check for Errors button is available for use on the application. Click this button to be directed to where an error is located in the current application. Some common errors are listed below.
Why do I need to login to submit an application? You need to login to submit an application so that Grants.gov can authenticate that you are authorized to submit applications. Only Authorized Organization Representatives (AORs) are able to submit applications to Grants.gov. AORs must register with a Credential Provider so that Grants.gov can verify that they are who they say they are. Then, the person listed as the point of contact on the agency's CCR registration (the E-Business Point of Contact) must assign the "Agency Applicant" role in order for the person to be designated as an AOR. Once designated as an AOR, the AOR must register with Grants.gov. Only after completing all of these steps, will a person be able to submit an application. I am attempting to login and have confirmed I am using the correct username and password. Why am I receiving a message stating that I am using the wrong username and password? It could be that you are using the wrong case. All Grants.gov usernames and passwords are case sensitive. Check to be sure that you are typing both your username and password exactly as you created them with regard to upper case and lower case characters. Also, make sure that your "Caps Lock" is turned off. Do I have to submit a complete application, or may I send it in parts? No, you must submit the complete application. What happens if I submit my application on the date that the application is due, but it is submitted after the agency’s filing deadline time? Grants.gov will acknowledge the receipt of your application. Your application may or may not be accepted and processed by the federal agency, depending on the policy of that particular agency. To determine that policy, contact the agency directly with the contact information provided in the application instructions. How can I submit my application if there is a Grants.gov system outage on the day of the application deadline? If there is a system outage on the day of the application deadline, some agencies may specify to print your application and mail it to the address provided by the federal agency soliciting applications. However, you should refer to the competition notice of the grant for specific instructions and contact the agency directly to find out more information. What should I do if my registration isn’t complete by the submission deadline? You should contact the agency point of contact listed on the grant opportunity to discuss that agency’s policy. Grants.gov recommends all potential grant applicants complete the registration process as early as possible to avoid deadline issues.?It takes 3-5 business days to complete the registration process necessary to submit a grant application. For additional guidance, refer to our Registration Brochure I am receiving an error message stating: "You are not an authorized submitter for your organization." What can I do to correct this? Ensure your E-Biz point of contact gave you authorization to submit on behalf of your organization. You may also check this yourself by logging into the applicant section of Grants.gov. Click on the Manage Applicant Profile link. Your AOR status is located directly below your title.Tracking an Applications Submission How do I know that my application has been received by Grants.gov? How do I know if the grantor agency has retrieved my application? If your application is successfully validated and subsequently retrieved by the grantor agency from the Grants.gov system, you will receive an additional email. This email may be delivered several days or weeks from the date of submission, depending on when the grantor agency retrieves it. Note that once the grantor agency has retrieved your application from Grants.gov, you will need to contact them directly for any subsequent status updates. Grants.gov does not participate in making any award decisions. How can I check a submitted application's status? You may monitor the processing status of your submission within the Grants.gov system by using the following steps:
If you do not receive a receipt confirmation AND either a validation confirmation or a rejection email message within two business days, please contact us. The Grants.gov contact center can be reached by email at support@grants.gov, or by telephone at 1-800-518-4726. Always include your Grants.gov tracking number in all correspondence. The tracking numbers issued by Grants.gov look like GRANTXXXXXXXX. Contact center hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 7:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time. How will I know if my application is rejected with Grants.gov’s system? What should I do if my application is rejected with Grants.gov’s system? If an application is rejected in our system, you will receive an email notification telling you that it has been rejected and the reason for the rejection. You may also monitor the processing status of your submission with the Grants.gov system by logging into Grants.gov. Once you have logged in with your username and password, click “Check Application Status” to get a list of all of the applications you have submitted. The list will have the latest status on all of your submissions, including the ones that have been rejected. Click on the link regarding the rejection to find out why the application had been rejected. If your application is rejected you will need to address the errors and resubmit the application if the opportunity is still open for submission. Here are four common reasons an application may be rejected:
For help troubleshooting errors, access Error Tips Note: Your application will not be received by the agency of which you are applying for until the application is approved with the Grants.gov system. What do I need in order to check the status of an application I submitted and the agency has downloaded the application? If the agency assigns an agency-specific tracking number, you will receive an email regarding that number. This is the number you should use when speaking to the federal agency. If there is no agency-specific tracking number, retain your Grants.gov tracking number in order to refer to it once it has been downloaded by the agency. After the agency has downloaded the application, you will receive any future updates regarding your application from the federal agency. Why can’t I see all of the grant applications that I submitted to in Track My Application? You may not be able to view records of the grant applications you submitted because you did not enter your login information. If you login to use Track My Application with a username in capital letters, you will be able to only view records of grants submitted in which you entered your username in capital letters. If you login with a username in lower case letters, you will be able to only view records of those grant applications submitted in which you entered your username in lower case letters. To avoid logging in twice to use the Track My Application feature, it is best to be consistent when you login. When you login to Grants.gov to submit an application and then login to use the Track My Application feature, you can use capital or lower case letters to enter login information. You should login to Grants.gov to submit an application the same way you login to use the Track My Applications feature. This means that if you use lower case letters to login and submit an application, you should also use lower case letters to login and use Track My Application. Where do I get the tracking number for an application I submitted?The tracking number for a submitted application will be provided in the confirmation email that you receive after you submit the application. In case you do not receive the confirmation email, you can also follow these steps to track your submitted application:
What do the application statuses mean? The following are descriptions of the application statuses: • A status of Received indicates that Grants.gov has received the application, but the application is awaiting validation. When submitting an application, what is the difference between a submission receipt and a submission validation? The difference between a submission receipt and a submission validation is after an applicant submits and application, Grants.gov generates a submission receipt via email and also sets the application status to “Received”. This receipt verifies the application has been successfully delivered to the Grants.gov system. Next, Grants.gov verifies the submission is valid by ensuring it does not contain viruses, the opportunity is still open, and the applicant login and applicant DUNS number match. If the submission is valid, Grants.gov generates a submission validation receipt via email and sets the application status to “Validated”. If the application is not validated, the application status is set to "Rejected". The system sends a rejection email notification to the applicant and the applicant must resubmit the application package. At any time, you may check the status of your application under the Applicant section. If you have additional questions, the Grants.gov contact center can be reached by email at support@grants.gov or by telephone at 1-800-518-4726. If more than one attachment is included in a grant submission and two or more files have the same name, the grant application cannot be processed without manual intervention. To correct this, you should:
If you have not attached two or more files with the same name, contact the Grants.gov contact center by email at support@grants.gov, or by telephone at 1-800-518-4726. E-Biz POC Who is the E-Business Point of Contact? How do I access the E-Business Point of Contact login? Follow the instructions below to access the E-Business Point of Contact login.
Why can't I log into the E-Biz POC section of Grants.gov ? Software/Technical/Downloads Is Grants.gov compatible with Mac OS X Leopard? Mac OS X Leopard is compatible with Adobe Reader, however it is NOT compatible with PureEdge Viewers certified for use with Grants.gov. (Click here to download a compatible PureEdge version) There currently are two workarounds to apply with PureEdge packages that are explained below. The two options available to apply for grants using PureEdge Viewer software are:
IBM does not have any scheduled updates for the PureEdge Viewer at this time. Click here to download Adobe Reader for free. Is my operating system compatible with Grants.gov? See table for system compatibility standard:
How can I ensure I am using Adobe Reader to work on my application package? Option 1) Save the file first before using Adobe Reader to open it.
How to do this will vary with each user’s installation of operating System.
i. Note: this list displays only as Adobe 8.1. be sure you have verified version in step a) above
What are some of the common errors received when using unsupported Adobe Reader versions and Adobe Acrobat Professional? When receiving these errors, please verify that the package has at no time been opened or edited with other than supported Adobe Reader versions. ERROR : Error: org.xml.sax.SAXParseException: ERROR : "Schema Validation Error" In most cases these errors indicate the form was opened at some time with an unsupported version of Adobe reader, Adobe Professional, or another software. Options to fix: When to forward to SI: If the user insists that correct software was used, forward to SI with all pertinent information, including the package, any errors received, and a note stating Adobe Reader version was verified. How can I tell which type of form an application package contains? Verify Form Type Option 1.If you are viewing the application package through an internet browser, check the address or URL in your browser’s toolbar. If the address ends with .xfd, the package contains PureEdge forms. If the address ends with .pdf, the package contains Adobe forms. Option 2. If you are using your computer’s file management utility (Windows or Mac explorer) to view a saved application package file on your computer. If the filename has an extension of XFD (example: package1.xfd) then the application package contains forms that use PureEdge. How can I tell which Version of Adobe or PureEdge Software I am using? Verify Form Software Version Open the saved application package from your computer. If you are using Adobe , you can select Help, About from the menu to display the Adobe version. If you are using PureEdge , click the “PureEdge Powered” button at top to display the version. Click <here> to learn which versions are grants.gov compatible.Why doesn't the scroll bar show on my Adobe package? Adobe does not show vertical scroll bar in Mandatory and Optional document boxes. Simply click within document box and it shows the scroll bar. I downloaded the package and filled all the fields and clicked "Check Package for Errors" button, it gives "Validation Passed" message, but why isn't "Save & Submit" getting enabled? First "Save" your package, then "Save & Submit" will become enabled. I clicked "Save & Submit" and got "Save As" window to save the application package instead of saving it, I clicked cancel on "Save As" window and got grants.gov applicant login JavaScript window. Why did I get kicked out? This is a known issue. Why can’t I download the Application Viewers? If you are not able to download the Application Viewer, check with your system administrator to make sure that you have the security permissions to install new programs on your system. How do I download the Application Viewers? On any Grants.gov webpage click on Resources on the left navigation, then click on the link Download Software below the Resources link on the left navigation. Once on the Download Software page, you will be able to choose which software application you need to download for access, completing, and submitting applications on Grants.gov. Grants.gov recommends downloading both PureEdge and the compatible version of Adobe Reader to seamlessly apply for grants. Grants.gov is currently transitioning to phase out of PureEdge software to using Adobe Reader software exclusively. For a period of time applicants will still be able to use PureEdge as it is applicable. I’ve downloaded the PureEdge Viewer, but it did not automatically begin to install. What should I do? If the installation did not start automatically, locate the file that you downloaded on your computer and open it. This will launch the installation. How do I reset my Operational Research Consultants (ORC) password? ORC passwords can be reset online at http://www.e-auth.orc.com [EXIT Disclaimer]. Follow the instructions below to reset your ORC password.
Does Grants.gov support Non-Windows users? Yes, Non-Windows users can use Grants.gov just like other users. Adobe Reader is compatible with most operating systems. For PureEdge there are two options available for Non-Windows users: If you do not have a Windows operating system, you will need to use a Windows Emulation program. Non-Windows Support for PureEdge While connected to the Citrix server, the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR)/Signing Official (SO) can submit the application via Grants.gov. What if there are more than five Non-Windows users in the organization? For large number of users, organizations may want to explore using a Server based solution to allow any number of Non-Windows users to run PureEdge. This has the advantage that end-users do not have to install any software except a free utility called Remote Desktop Connection [EXIT Disclaimer] available from Microsoft. The downside is that a dedicated Server machine is required that runs either Windows Terminal Server or Citrix. Users can create and make changes to their applications, however they will need a Windows PC to submit their application. I can log in to Grants.gov from other computers, but cannot login from my own. What is the reason for this? You must have cookies enabled on your computer. If cookies are blocked on your computer, then you will not be able to log on to Grants.gov. I'm using a dial-up connection to upload and submit my application. It appears to be taking a long time and sometimes it is timing out. How can I fix this? When using a dial-up connection to upload and submit your application, it can take significantly longer than when you are connected to the Internet with a high-speed connection, e.g. cable modem/DSL/T1. While times will vary depending upon the size of your application, it can take a few minutes to a few hours to complete your grant submission using dial up. Note: Please limit the file size of your application package to less than 4 gigabytes when uploading and submitting your application. If you are experiencing difficulty when submitting your application, try submitting from a high speed connection or contact the Grants.gov contact center by email at support@grants.gov, or by telephone at 1-800-518-4726. Why am I not receiving email notifications about grants I submitted or changes in my AOR status? If you are not receiving email notifications about grants you submitted or changes to your AOR status, Grants.gov may not have your correct email address. To verify your email address on the Grants.gov system, follow the steps below.
If your email address is correct, please read on. Many organizations have firewalls that have the ability to block emails from certain addresses. Check with your system administration to verify emails from support@grants.gov are not being blocked. It has also come to our attention that some automatically generated email notifications from Grants.gov can be blocked by large email providers, such as AOL or Hotmail, as SPAM. If you are using an email provider, you may want to investigate options to set up your inbox preferences to allow emails from our two email addresses: support@grants.gov and DoNotReply@grants.gov. What is the maximum amount of characters I can use in the following fields: "Enter name of Organization" on the Research & Related Budget - Section A & B form and "Organization Name" on the Research & Related Senior/Key Person (Expanded) form?
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Getting Started
