eSubmission News and Updates
NIH eSubmission Items of Interest — June 23, 2006
Grants.gov and NIH Update SF424 (R&R) and Agency-specific Forms
Grants.gov and NIH recently have made changes to the standard SF424 (R&R)
and agency-specific PHS 398 electronic grant application form components.
The form changes provide greater consistency between forms and align the forms
with current policy. The forms changes will be included in all new Funding
Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) that NIH posts. Over the next few months,
NIH also will update existing FOAs that use the older forms and are open for
multiple receipt dates.
So, that doesn’t sound so bad…we’ve updated the forms, new
announcements will use them and old announcements will be upgraded so that
all FOAs are working from a common form set. Simple, right? Not exactly; there
are some challenges associated with forms changes.
Until all FOAs can be modified to use the new forms, we will need to
maintain and support two form packages and their associated application instructions.
What this means to you:
- New FOAs will be posted with the new forms. No special action needs to be taken.
- In most cases, FOAs with single receipt dates will be allowed to close naturally with no change to the associated form package. No special action needs to be taken.
- For older FOAs with multiple receipt dates, you will need to pay close attention to the form set used to create the application package to be submitted. NIH will update these FOAs with the new form package. Once the new form package is in place for a particular FOA, the old form packages will no longer be accepted by Grants.gov. Any application “in the works” will need to be moved to the new form package (i.e., download new forms and cut-and-paste content from one form to the other). If your business office provided to you a version of the form package that is pre-populated with your organizations information, you will want to make sure your form package template was updated. We have timed the updates to occur well in advance of the next standard receipt date of each grant program to provide enough lead time to take any necessary actions.
For more information see NIH Guide notice NOT-OD-06-078.
Can I include Multiple-PI Information in my application?
Multiple PI is still very much in a controlled pilot stage. The first electronic multiple PI FOA is PAR-06-389 with a receipt date of September 25, 2006. Some applicants have tried to include Multiple PD/PIs in applications that are not part of this pilot and there application submissions have failed.
Unless you are responding to this particular FOA, or any other FOA clearly indicating Multiple PI is an option, do not include more than one Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) in your grant application. Any other designated Multiple PI sections of an application should only be used when responding to specific Funding Opportunity Announcements where multiple PI is an option (see related Guide notices: NOT-OD-06-069 and NOT-OD-06-074).
Keep an eye on the Multiple-PI website for updates.
Did you check your assembled application?
You completed all the application fields and attachments you were responsible for and got your application package to your Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) in plenty of time to meet the receipt deadline. You did your job…you’re feeling pretty relieved…your part of the submission process is behind you – or is it? Did you track the status in the eRA Commons? Did you check your assembled application?
We continue to receive calls, well after the two-day viewing window has elapsed and the application has moved forward to the Division of Receipt and Referral, from panicked PIs that have just noticed serious issues with their applications. One applicant attached our application guide to their application by mistake-oops! Another applicant had a PDF show up upside down in the assembled application. Once the application moves to the Division of Receipt and Referral, the helpdesk staff can no longer assist with changes to the application.
Nobody cares more about your grant application than you do! Take advantage
of the two-day viewing window to give your application that final check –
then relax knowing your part of the submission process is truly complete.
Check out our new FAQs on Checking Assembled
Applications.
NIH Electronic Submission Team
