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Applicant FAQs
Getting Started What are the Get Started steps to apply for grants? What information will I need to register with Grants.gov? Obtaining a DUNS Number Is registering for a DUNS Number free of charge? Why does my organization have to provide a DUNS Number? How can I check if my organization already has a DUNS Number? What information will I need to obtain a DUNS Number? How do I request a DUNS Number? How can I be removed from D&B's marketing list? I am an individual, how do I obtain a DUNS Number? Registering with CCR/E-Biz POC What do I need to register with CCR? Why do I need to register with CCR? Is there anything I should do before registering with CCR? How long should I allow for CCR registration? As an Individual, what do I need to know about registering with CCR? What is a MPIN? Where can I locate or assign my MPIN? Who is the E-Business Point of Contact (E-Biz POC)? How do I access the E-Business Point of Contact login? Why can't I log into the E-Biz POC section of Grants.gov? What is the role of the E-Business Point of Contact? What is an Agency Enrollment Code, and who needs one? Get Registered - Applicant Profile How can I confirm that my registration was successful? What if I forgot my username and password? What if I forget the answer to my "secret question" and cannot reset my password? What information will I need to complete my Grants.gov user profile? I cannot remember my username and password, what can I do to retrieve this information? What do I do if I receive the message "Email Already Exists in System" and I am unable to register? 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? How do I sign-up to receive email notifications of new grant opportunities from Grants.gov? Where can I find the Funding Opportunity Number or CFDA Number for a grant? Applying for Grant OpportunitiesWhat do I need to record from a search in order to apply for an opportunity? As an individual, how can I apply for federal or state grants, assistance, or benefits? How can my organization submit electronic grant application packages on Grants.gov? Why must I download the application package? Can I decide where I want to save the application package on my computer? Why did I receive an error message when I entered something into a field on an application form? Why can't I enter in the financial information in section 15 on the SF-424 coversheet? Why doesn't the Submit button work on my application? What does the Check for Errors button do on the application? Why do I need to login to submit an application? Do I have to submit a complete application, or may I send it in parts? What should I do if my registration isn't complete by the submission deadline? Can you apply for earmark grants on Grants.gov? How can I find my congressional district code? Tracking an Application 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? How can I check a submitted application's status? What do I do if I have not received a grant receipt confirmation within two business days? How will I know if my application is rejected by the Grants.gov system? Where do I get the tracking number for an application I submitted? What do the application statuses mean? What do the application submission status tracking codes/messages mean? Software /Technical/Downloads Is Grants.gov compatible with Mac OS X Leopard? Can I use my MAC operating system to complete a Grants.gov Adobe Reader application package? Is my operating system compatible with Grants.gov? Why can't I download the Application Viewers? What if there are more than five non-windows users in the organization? Why am I not receiving email notifications about grants I submitted or changes in my AOR status? Can I use Firefox browser on Grants.gov? On what platforms can I use the Adobe Reader to view and populate Grants Packages? How long should it take to upload my application package for submission? How do I print all of the forms within my application package? How can I ensure I am using Adobe Reader to work on my application package? Why am I getting a security error when I try to download Adobe Reader? Why doesn't the scroll bar show on my Adobe Reader package? What is the Grants.gov compatible version of Adobe Reader software? The cursor position appears lost when I tab from the Close and Next Page buttons. Why? How do I display a Help Tip in my Adobe Reader application package? Why are Help Tips missing on some fields? How do I fill in the date in Adobe Reader application packages? How do I complete numeric fields in Adobe Reader application packages? Getting Started What are the Get Started steps to apply for grants? The Get Started steps are below, for more details go to Apply for Grants. Step 1 - Find Grant Opportunity for which you would like to apply What information will I need to register with Grants.gov? Registration in Brief:
Obtaining a 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, consult your organization's business office, chief financial officer, grant administrator or authorizing official or search for your organization on Dun & Bradstreet's website: http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do [EXIT Disclaimer] 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] or by calling the D&B Government Customer Response Center at 1-866-705-5711 (visit http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/pages/reqDuns_phone.jsp for more details). If requested over the phone, DUNS is provided immediately. Webform requests take 1 - 2 business days. 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. Registering with CCR/E-Biz POC 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 1 to 2 business days 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 2-5 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 2-5 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. How long should I allow for a CCR registration? If your organization already has an Employment Identification Number (EIN) then you should allow one to two business days to complete the CCR registration. If your organization does not have an EIN, then you should allow 2 - 5 weeks for obtaining the information from IRS when requesting the EIN via phone, fax, mail or Internet. If you are registering as an Individual you do not need to register in CCR. Please visit the Individual Registration page for more information. 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. What is a MPIN? Where can I locate or assign my MPIN?
If you have already obtained a DUNS number but have 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 866-606-8220 (toll free) or 334-206-7828 internationally. To begin the registration process, visit the Get Registered page of Grants.gov. Registering with CCR/E-Biz POC Do I need to create a Grants.gov profile, with a secret question and answer to continue submitting grant applications? You are not required to complete a Grants.gov user profile to continue submitting grant applications to Grants.gov with the username and password you currently have. However, you will be required to complete a user profile once you login to Grants.gov to check your application status. Completing a profile allows you to better manage your information, by giving you the ability to update it. How can I confirm that my registration was successful? To confirm that your registration was successful you can either:
When logging in to check your registration status go to the "Manage Applicant Profile" screen. You will see a box with your information, at the bottom of the box you will see the message "AOR Status: Approved" if your registration was successful. What if I forgot my username and password? If you forget your username and password, you will be able to retrieve or reset this information by visiting the applicant login screen. On the applicant login screen you will see the "Forgot My Username", "Forgot My Password" links that you may use to retrieve your forgotten username or reset your password. To retrieve your username use the "Forgot My Username" link, select whether you are an AOR (registered with an organization) or and individual and enter your email address where indicated. Your username will be immediately emailed to you. If you have forgotten your password, use the "Forgot My Password" link to reset your password. You will be asked for the answer to the "secret question" you created during registration. What if I forget the answer to my "secret question" and cannot reset my password? If you cannot remember the answer to the "secret question" you created during registration; contact your organization's E-Business Point of Contact (person in charge of grants within your organization), they will be able to help you locate your username and password you will then be able to reset this information if necessary. If you are registered as an individual, call or email the Grants.gov Contact Center (1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov), they will be able to help you reset your information. What information will I need to complete my Grants.gov user profile? In order to complete a Grants.gov profile you will need to provide your DUNS number (obtained in step 1 of the registration process) your First and Last Name, Date of Birth, Job Title, Address (including city, state, zip code, and country), Phone Number and Email Address. All fields are mandatory except: Middle Initial and Address 2. You will also be asked to create a "Secret Question" and "Secret Answer"; which each allow a maximum of 100 characters and are NOT case sensitive. After completing all of the fore mentioned information, you will be able to create a username and password for use while logging in and submitting grant applications to Grants.gov. I am trying to reset my password, but I did not receive an email with the temporary password, what should I do? If you are attempting to reset your password and do not receive a password reset email with a temporary password, you may have entered an incorrect email address for your request. Make sure that the email address you use to request a password reset is the same email address you used when registering. If you are sure that you have entered the proper email address for your password reset request, wait a few moments and check your email again. Some systems take longer to return the password reset email, please be patient while your request is handled. Also be sure to check your spam and junk email folders. Your E-Business Point of Contact, will be able to confirm the email address you used during registration or you may contact the Grants.gov Contact Center for this information. I am trying to reset my password, but I am receiving multiple emails with a different password in each, what should I do? If you are trying to reset your password, follow the steps in "FAQ: I cannot remember my username and password, what can I do to retrieve this information?" Be sure to only press the submit button ONCE when submitting your password reset request. If you have pressed the submit button more than once and have received multiple emails, use the temporary password in the last email you receive to reset your password. Please be patient while your request is being handled. I cannot remember my username and password, what can I do to retrieve this information?
Follow the steps below to retrieve a forgotten username and/or password:
To retrieve the password associated with your email address:
What do I do if I receive the message "Email Already Exists in System" and I am unable to register?
If you receive the message "Email Already Exists in System," your email address has already been used to register.
Finding Grant Opportunities Where can I find grant opportunities? To locate a grant opportunity, use the search options available on the Find Grant Opportunities page. Complete your search and click the Search button. The results will display all applicable grants. 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 sign-up 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. Where can I find the Funding Opportunity Number or CFDA Number for a grant? To locate a Funding Opportunity Number 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 Search 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. Applying for Grant Opportunities 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 Applicant Resources page and click on User Guides. What do I need to record from a 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. 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. You can easily check your status by logging into Grants.gov by accessing the Applicant Login section of the site. If you have registered your username and password with Grants.gov, you will be able to login. 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 (E-Biz POC). He or she will need to login by accessing the E-Biz POC page. They will need your organization's DUNS number and MPIN, to approve you as an AOR. 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. 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 (example: -, &, *, %, /, #), 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 complete a Grants.gov profile and create a username and password 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. 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 or as long as two weeks 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 POC has given you authorization to submit on behalf of your organization. You may also check your status by going to the Applicant Login section then click on the Manage Applicant Profile link. Your AOR status is located directly below your title.Can you apply for earmark grants on Grants.gov? Yes, you can apply for earmark grants on Grants.gov if the granting agency has published a grant application package. How can I find my congressional district code? Finding your Congressional District Code information is quick and easy to do. Visit: The Congressional Directory or http://www.house.gov/ to search for your Congressional District by entering your zip code + 4. If you do not know your zip code + 4 you may look it up by visiting: http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp. Congressional Code format - 2 character State Abbreviation - 3 character District Number. Examples: CA-005 for California's 5th district, CA-012 for California's 12th district. Use 00-000 for programs/projects outside the US. 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? To check the status of an application submission, click "Track My Application" in the left navigation bar of the website. On the "Track My Application" page you will be able to enter up to 5 tracking numbers and see the status of the submitted application packages. (Does not require login) Or You may monitor the processing status of your submission within the Grants.gov system (login required) 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 Time. How will I know if my application is rejected by the Grants.gov system? 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 five common reasons an application may be rejected:
For help troubleshooting errors, visit the "Troubleshooting Tips" page or see Adobe Reader Error Messages. Note: Your application will not be received by the agency of which you are applying for until the application is approved within 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. Please Note: Once the Agency retrieves the application the Agency may have their own system validation process. It is important to follow the Agency instructions for the funding opportunity to ensure you meet their system requirements for submittal. See "What to Expect After Submitting" for more information. 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 within two business days 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:
When submitting an application, what is the difference between a submission receipt and a submission validation? The difference between a submission receipt and submission validation is after an applicant submits an 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. See "What to Expect After Submitting" for more information. 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. Also see "What to Expect After Submitting" for more information. What do the application submission status tracking codes/messages mean?There are several application status codes or messages, which display on "Check Application Status" page of your applicant profile. These codes are used to help you understand your application's processing status until it is received by the grantor agency. View "Understanding Application Tracking Codes " to see full definitions for each of the tracking codes. Why am I not getting email notification from Grants.gov for my application submission, what can I do?Email spam guards put in place by your internet service provider may prevent you from receiving email notifications from Grants.gov. Check your spam guard settings and or junk email box to make sure that a notification was not blocked or sent to the incorrect folder. 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 ?
What is the role of the E-Business Point of Contact?
What is an Agency Enrollment Code, and who needs one? Software/Technical/Downloads Is Grants.gov compatible with Mac OS X Leopard? Yes, Mac OS X Leopard is compatible with Adobe Reader. Can I use my Mac operating system to complete a Grants.gov Adobe Reader application package? Grants.gov supports the use of Mac OS 10.4.3 or higher to complete Adobe Reader application packages. If you have a Mac operating system that is 10.4.3 or higher, you must download or ensure you have the Grants.gov compatible version of Adobe Reader for free to submit a Grants.gov application package. Mac users with earlier operating systems (less than 10.4.3) may still be able to submit an Adobe Reader application package; however Grants.gov does not guarantee a successful submission while using the earlier Mac operating system versions. View the table below for more information on Mac OS compatibility with Grants.gov. MAC OS Compatibility Table
Is my operating system compatible with Grants.gov? To find out if your computer’s operating system is compatible with Grants.gov, view the "Operating System Platform Compatibility Table" available on the Download Software page for more information on system compatibility and software versioning. 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. For information on processing speeds, see FAQ: How long should it take to upload my application package for submission? 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. Can I use Firefox browser on Grants.gov? Internet Explorer is the recommended browser. Errors may be experienced with Firefox. Download Internet Explorer [EXIT Disclaimer]. Please see the Download Software for more information on supported browsers and platforms for optimal use of 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? On what platforms can I use the Adobe Reader to view and populate Grants Packages? How long should it take to upload my application package for submission? The time it will take to upload your application for submission varies based on the size of the application package (including attachments). The table below "Estimated Application Submission (Upload) Speeds" shows time estimates for a 10MB application package file upload for submission using different bandwidths (internet connection speed). The time and speed will also vary based on whether you are running various internet applications or if you have dedicated all your bandwidth to submitting the application package. ESTIMATED APPLICATION SUBMISSION (UPLOAD) SPEEDS
How do I print all of the forms within my application package? The functionality to print all attachments within an application package, such as forms for budget years and Senior Key Person (also known as “form-in-form” attachments) at once is currently not available. Each attachment must be opened manually and printed separately. You may however print all forms open within the application, excluding attachments. To open and print all forms within an application package, such as mandatory and optional forms (excluding attachments) ensure that these forms have been moved to the “Forms for Submission Box” (on the right side of the application package cover page) and click the Open Form button. Once all forms are open and visible, click the Print button at the top of the screen. All open forms will then be printed at once. Adobe Reader Why did I receive an error when I opened the application package I downloaded OR received from another user, telling me I have an incompatible version of Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader? You received the error page because your application package was opened with software that is not compatible with Grants.gov. The compatible version of Adobe Reader is required for viewing, editing and submitting a complete grant application package to Grants.gov. Any and all edits made to the Adobe Reader application package must be made with the compatible version of Adobe Reader. Grants.gov does not guarantee to support versions of Adobe Reader that are not compatible with Grants.gov. *Please note: Adobe Acrobat is compatible if it is comparable to the compatible version of Adobe Reader, click here to verify your Adobe Reader or Acrobat Standard or Professional software version is compatible with Grants.gov. For more information on Adobe Acrobat and Grants.gov compatibility, see FAQ below: Can I use Adobe Acrobat Standard or Professional to complete and submit an Adobe Reader application package with Grants.gov? The compatible version of Adobe Reader is available to download for free on the Grants.gov website. Can I use Adobe Acrobat Standard or Professional to complete and submit an Adobe-Reader application package with Grants.gov? If you have already installed the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Professional software you have installed on your computer you can open, complete and submit an Adobe Reader application package to Grants.gov. Adobe Acrobat software allows you to perform all tasks performed by the corresponding version of Adobe Reader software. The version number of Adobe Acrobat (Standard or Professional) software and Adobe Reader software that perform the same tasks have matching version numbers (i.e. Adobe Reader 8.1.1/8.1.2/8.1.3/9.0, parallels Acrobat Standard or Professional 8.1.1/8.1.2/8.1.3/9.0, viewing function). To complete a Grants.gov application package you must either install the Grants.gov compatible version of Adobe Reader for free or have an equivalent version of Acrobat Standard or Professional software already installed on your computer. To check which version of Acrobat you are using go to the Help menu in Acrobat then select About Acrobat (version #), a text box will appear containing an Adobe logo with a number, under that information you will see another number, this is the version number of your software (i.e. 8.1.2). Or click here to verify your Adobe Reader or Acrobat Standard or Professional Software version is compatible with Grants.gov. If you have an earlier version of Acrobat or you are unsure which Acrobat or Adobe Reader software version you are using, you may download the Grants.gov compatible version of Adobe Reader for free and use it instead of Acrobat to complete your Grants.gov application package. Click here for instructions on using Adobe Reader instead of Acrobat without changing your computer settings. I already have an earlier version of Adobe Acrobat Professional software on my computer and I am unable to update my Acrobat Professional Software at this time, what can I do? If you are using an earlier version of Adobe Acrobat (Standard or Professional) (i.e Acrobat 8) but you are unable to update your software to the latest version; download the compatible version of Adobe Reader software from the Grants.gov website for free. The two programs may be downloaded and used separately, by following the steps below: How to do this will vary with each user's installation of the Operating System. Step 1: To check that you are using the compatible version of Adobe Reader, go to the Help menu in Acrobat then select About Acrobat (version #), a text box will appear containing an Adobe logo with a number, under that information you will see another number, this is the version number of your software (i.e. 8.1.2). Step 2:
If using Vista: If using MAC: I have set Adobe Reader as my default, but I am still having issues submitting my Adobe Reader package what should I do? Check your computer's settings, make sure that the compatible version of Adobe Reader, is set as your default application viewer. For instructions on setting Adobe Reader as your default viewer, please review the FAQ: How can I ensure I am using Adobe Reader to work on my application package? If you are sure that the compatible version of Adobe Reader is set as your default application viewer, check the settings within Adobe Reader and set www.grants.gov as a trusted website by completing the following steps:
Once you have verified the preferences described above are set, submit the completed application package. What are some of the common errors received when using unsupported Adobe Reader versions and Adobe Acrobat Professional? If you have received one of the following error messages, please verify that the package has not been opened or edited with any software other than the compatible versions of Adobe Reader. Error Message 1: Error: org.xml.sax.SAXParseException: Error Message 2: "Schema Validation Error" In most cases these errors indicate the form was opened with an unsupported software such as: Adobe Professional, an incompatible version of Adobe Reader, or another software. Options to fix: Note: The user cannot copy and paste data from their existing package into the new package. Packages accessed using any software other than a compatible version of Adobe Reader may contain errors that will be transferred to the new package. How can I ensure I am using Adobe Reader to work on my application package? Option 1: Save the file first before using the compatible version of Adobe Reader to open it.
Option 2: Set your computer's default to use the correct version of Adobe Reader for opening all files with a PDF extension. Please note: This option will cause your computer to always use Adobe Reader to open files having a PDF filename extension. How to do this will vary with each user's installation of the Operating System.
Why am I getting a security error when I try to download Adobe Reader? If you receive a security error while trying to download Adobe Reader, you may not have security permissions to install new programs on your system. If that is the case, you should contact your system administrator. 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. 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. Why doesn't the scroll bar show on my Adobe Reader package? Adobe Reader does not show vertical scroll bar in Mandatory and Optional document boxes. Simply click within document box and it shows the scroll bar. What kind of information can be entered into my application package, are there any limitations on: entering data into application form fields, file size, attachments? Grants.gov application packages offer fields to enter a set amount of data, when the limit is reached for a certain field, you will no longer be able to enter data into that field. For every form, there are different limitations to the data that you are allowed to enter (varies between agency and form, read agency instructions available for download with the application package).
Copying and pasting data into a Grants.gov application form from MSWord may lead to errors in the Adobe Reader form, unless the information is copied and pasted from a text editor such as "Notepad" which does not have proprietary fonts and characters.
Each agency has there own restrictions on the type of attachments (.pdf, .xls, .doc, .jpeg, .mpeg, .mov) and the file sizes allowed for a particular grant opportunity application package, this is why it is very important to read the agency instructions for the particular grant application package (agency instructions available for download with the application package). Grants.gov suggests limiting the size of the entire grant application package including all attachments to 200MB, naming all attachments with different names and avoid using special characters (example: &,–,*,%,/,#) in attachment file names; this includes periods (.) and spaces, to ensure that the Grantor agency will be able to retrieve your application package.
If you are adding a video (.mpeg, .mov, etc.), image (.tif,. jpg., .gif, etc.), or audio (.wav, .aif, .au, etc.) be sure to compress these files for web usage. There are different types of applications and compression methods, so please sure to check agency instructions for guidance on quality, resolution, bit rate standards they allow for submission.
To ensure that your application package will be successfully submitted to the Grantor agency please adhere to the following guidelines:
What is the Grants.gov compatible version of Adobe Reader software? There are specific versions of Adobe Reader software that are compatible with Grants.gov. If not already installed, please download and install the free Grants.gov compatible version of Adobe Reader. Click here to view the compatible versions of Adobe Reader. What if I have an older version (released earlier than the Grants.gov compatible version) of Adobe Reader? Older versions of the Adobe Reader may be able to display the application package; however, data entry forms in Grants.gov application packages contain intelligent logic that the older versions of Adobe Reader will not be able to interpret. You may not be able to complete application packages correctly or successfully submit them to Grants.gov. Click here to view the compatible versions of Adobe Reader. I entered data into one field in my grants application package, however, the Save icon is not active. Why? You have not exited this form field yet. Once you tab to another field, the active intelligent logic validating that form field will be triggered, and will also trigger Adobe Reader that something has changed in the form. Simply move the cursor to another field using the Tab key or the mouse. The cursor position appears lost when I tab from the Close and Next Page buttons. Why? If no fillable form fields exist on this form page, navigation is passed to the scroll bar on the next page. Simply use the mouse to navigate to the next fillable field. The cursor position is lost when I try to move the cursor to the first fillable form field on a second (or subsequent) page while viewing the Adobe Reader in "Continuous" form mode. Why? Adobe Reader has four types of viewing modes - single page, continuous, continuous facing and facing. Always specify single page mode. To set page layout do one of the following:
The Tab key only takes me to the first radio button where I can only choose one option (i.e., Yes or No). Why? The Adobe Reader form technology utilizes check box groups. These groups are used when the user is limited to one choice out of two or more choices such as Yes/No. Adobe Reader will only position the cursor on the first check box choice. You can use either the arrow keys or the mouse can be used to navigate to the remaining choices. In the Adobe Reader application package, the View Attachment pop-up window has three options, but the Tab key does not move the cursor. Why? It is best to navigate and select the correct check box using the mouse. The Adobe Reader form technology utilizes check box groups. These groups are used when the user is limited to one choice out of two or more choices such as Yes/No. Adobe Reader will only position the cursor on the first check box choice. You can use either the arrow keys or the mouse to navigate to the remaining choices. How do I display a Help Tip in my Adobe Reader application package? To display a Help Tip in Adobe Reader, simply hover (or place) the cursor over the field in question using the mouse or other navigation aid. Why are Help Tips missing on some fields?
How do I fill in the date in Adobe Reader application packages? The Adobe Reader has the option of a "drop down" calendar, which can be navigated by mouse, if desired. The Adobe Reader also accepts an entered date format. The following are the only valid date formats: MMDDYY, MMDDYYYY, MM/DD/YY or MM/DD/YYYY. All other variations of date entries will display an error message. Please note that fiscal year only fields (YYYY) are not "true" date fields. How do I complete numeric fields in Adobe Reader application packages? If you enter numbers incorrectly, the Adobe Reader application package will either blank out or truncate the field. If you enter data without commas, the Adobe Reader will insert commas appropriately. The user should always verify all numeric entries for accuracy. Why do I get error messages in some form fields by simply tabbing through them even before I enter any data in them? Error messages will be displayed in a separate "pop-up" window anytime mandatory data is required for that field. The Adobe Reader forms technology uses active intelligent logic to validate and inform the user of errors upon exiting a mandatory data entry field. Click here for more information on Adobe Reader error messages. When I open an application package in Adobe Reader, I get a window titled "Document Rights and Instructions." It says "You need a newer version of Acrobat.", what does this message mean? The Grants.gov compatible version of Adobe Reader is the recommended version to currently use. If this message displays simply download the Grants.gov compatible version of Adobe Reader here: http://www.grants.gov/help/download_software.jsp#adobe811 and set the Adobe Reader as your default viewing software by following the instructions detailed in this FAQ: How can I ensure I am using Adobe Reader to work on my application package? I do not understand the error message I am receiving while completing my Adobe Reader application package, what does it mean? Error messages within the Adobe Reader application package are designed to indicate when:
For more information and help troubleshooting errors, see Adobe Reader Error Messages or view FAQ: How will I know if my application is rejected by the Grants.gov system? Why are non-mandatory fields becoming mandatory in my application and causing errors when I try to submit my application package? Certain fields within your application package are conditionally mandatory; which means that your answer in one field determines whether another field becomes mandatory and requires an answer. Using the Select Tool (a standard feature in Adobe Reader application forms) instead of the Hand Tool (hand-like mouse pointer) designated for use with Grants.gov application forms, will make non-mandatory fields mandatory or prevent you from entering information into certain fields. Using the Select Tool will cause errors during the Check Package for Errors screening you must perform before you can submit the completed application. If this error occurs, close and simply reopen the application, you will then be able to complete the application package and submit it as normal. If the Select Tool persists after re-opening the application package, use the instructions below to reset the Hand Tool:
What can I do if I am having issues viewing my Adobe Reader application package while using a Macintosh Safari internet browser? If you are experiencing the following issues with an Adobe Reader application package while using Safari:
You have 3 options to resolve these issues: 1. Disable and Re-enable Adobe Reader Plug-in
2. Re-install Adobe Reader and All Components
3. Disable Plug-in
(This will prevent Safari from redirecting your application package, and make it available to you using the native built-in functions.) I received the error message "Intake Servlet is Unable to Save the Data. Broken Pipe" what does it mean and is there anyway to avoid this error? If you receive the "Broken Pipe" message, this means that there were intermittent interruptions during submission. As a result, the submission confirmation page did not display properly after your submitted your application package (application package sent for validation by the Grants.gov system). Although you may receive this error message ("Broken Pipe"), your submission may have been properly received by the Grants.gov system. If the "Broken Pipe" error message displays, you will not automatically receive a Grants.gov tracking number for your application package.
I am using Adobe Reader (or Professional) software version 9.1.4 (or 8.1.4) on a MAC and cannot select the date using the calendar dropdown in my application package, what should I do? If you are unable to select the date by clicking the calendar dropdown, enter the date manually in the date dialog box. Use the date format as displayed in your application package. |
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