Submit Application
Rules governing submission
Steps for submitting an application
Email notifications from Grants.gov
Email notifications from NIH
Submit Application FAQs
Rules governing submission
- Applications must be submitted to Grants.gov by 5 p.m. local time (of
the applicant institution/organization) on the submission/receipt date.
If the submission/receipt date falls on a weekend or Federal holiday, the
date will be extended to the next business day.
- Only the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) of the applicant
institution is allowed to submit the application.
- NIH expects the applicant institution to complete all registration requirements
(Grants.gov and eRA Commons) prior to submitting the application.
- NIH is providing some flexibility for the first submission dates of a
transitioned mechanism by allowing applicant institutions to submit changed/corrected
applications in the two business days following the submission deadline as long as the
changes are to address errors encountered during the eRA Commons validation
process. If the two business days correction window is used, the applicant must include
a cover letter with an explanation for why the application is late.
- The applicant institution will not be penalized for system issues with
Grants.gov or eRA Commons.
Steps for submitting an application
Click here (MS Word - 253 KB) for a document with detailed Submit Application steps including screen shots.
- Complete all mandatory and any appropriate optional application components.
Be sure to carefully follow all application guide and opportunity announcement
instructions. Before you can submit the application, you must check the
application package for errors by clicking the “Check Package for
Errors” button at the top of the PureEdge screen. Once all identified
Errors are corrected, the Submit button will become active.
Although this button will verify that all mandatory documents and fields specified on the federal-wide forms are completed, it does not check for any agency-specific requirements (e.g. agency-specific required fields). Therefore, additional Errors/Warnings may be identified later in the submission process.
Don’t forget to Save your work to your local machine before submitting.
- Click on the Submit button. The application will automatically connect
through the Internet to Grants.gov.
- Enter your Grants.gov username and password. You must be fully registered
to successfully submit.
IMPORTANT: Only an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) can submit applications to Grants.gov on behalf of an organization.
- After submission you will be presented with a Grants.gov confirmation
screen. On the bottom of the confirmation screen you will find your Grants.gov
tracking number. You also will see your official receipt timestamp. Print
this page or record this information for future reference.
- Within 48 hours, the submitting AOR should receive a receipt of confirmation and either a validation confirmation or a rejection email message from Grants.gov. If accepted by Grants.gov, the AOR also will receive a notice that the application has been retrieved by the grantor agency (e.g., NIH). At that point, the application is picked up by eRA Commons for further processing. A second level of error checking is done on the application to confirm that all agency-specific guidelines have been followed. The results of that check are found in the eRA Commons. The AOR and PI also will receive a series of notifications from eRA Commons indicating the status of the application.
Email notifications from Grants.gov
Subject Line of Email Sent Sent to the following person(s) Content of email Grants.gov Submission Receipt GRANT00012345 When application has been received by Grants.gov and is being validated Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) Text Grants.gov Rejection Notice for Application GRANT00012345 When the application is not validated because of errors (e.g., the application was sent after the closing date) AOR Text Grants.gov Submission Validation Receipt for Application GRANT00012345 When Grants.gov has validated the application and is preparing it for retrieval by the Grantor agency. AOR Text Grants.gov Grantor Agency Retrieval Receipt For Application GRANT00012345 When the application has been retrieved by the Grantor agency. AOR Text Grants.gov Agency Tracking Number Assignment For Application When the application has been reviewed by the Grantor agency and assigned an Agency Tracking Number AOR Text
Email notifications from NIH
Subject Line of Email Sent Sent to the following person(s) Content of email Validations Complete/Check Assembled Application, Grants.Gov Tracking Number <tracking number>, PI <PI name> After successful processing of a Grants.gov submission with no warnings or errors SO*, PI, and any Multiple PIs on the application (using email address in the submission) with cc: to the Person to be Contacted**. Text for PI Validations Complete/Check Assembled Application, Grants.Gov Tracking Number <tracking number>, PI <PI name> - Warnings Only After successful processing of a Grants.gov submission with at least one warning but no errors. SO*, PI, and any Multiple PIs on the application (using email address in the submission) with cc: to the Person to be Contacted**. Text ACTION REQUIRED TO CONTINUE NIH GRANT APPLICATION SUBMISSION, Grants.gov tracking number <tracking number>, PI <PI name> - Errors and/or Warnings After processing of a Grants.gov submission through the Exchange, if at least one error has been generated. SO* & PI, with cc: to the Person to be Contacted**. Text ACTION REQUIRED TO CONTINUE NIH GRANT APPLICATION SUBMISSION, Grants.gov tracking number <tracking number>, PI <PI name> - Missing or Invalid eRA Commons Username After processing of a Grants.gov submission through the Exchange if the Commons account was missing or invalid. SO* & PI, with cc: to the Person to be Contacted**. Text ACTION REQUIRED TO CONTINUE NIH GRANT APPLICATION SUBMISSION, Grants.gov tracking number <tracking number>, PI <PI name> - System Error After NIH receives the application but system errors prevent NIH processing SO* & PI, with cc: to the Person to be Contacted**. Text eRA Commons: SO has refused electronic application - PI: [PI Last Name, First Name] If the SO rejects the application. PI on the application; SO who refused application Text eRA Commons: NIH has auto verified electronic application AN # [Accession num]; PI: [PI Last Name, PI First Name]; Title: [Project Title] Two business days after an error-free application is assembled in eRA Commons PI on the application;
SO at email address that was received on the eSubmission data streamText
Note:
* using the email address that has been provided for “Authorized Representative,” in block 19 of the 424 (R&R) form.
** using the email address that has been provided for the “Person to be contacted on matters involving this application,” in block 5 of the SF424 (R&R) form.
Submit Application FAQs
- Link to Submit Application FAQs