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Troubleshooting tips
Help is provided below for common troubleshooting issues such as verifying your Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) status, login for E-Business Point of Contact (E-Biz POC) and accessing search results. These troubleshooting tips can help you quickly resolve your technical issues. If you any of these technical issues continue to occur please contact the Grants.gov Contact Center.
Technical Instructions for:
- How can I find out if I have been assigned as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR)?
An Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) submits a grant on behalf of a company, organization, institution, or government. AORs have the authority to sign grant applications and the required certifications and/or assurances that are necessary to fulfill the requirements of the application process.
If you are able to login to Grants.gov, then you have successfully completed the Grants.gov registration process. Read instructions for Checking AOR Status
*Please note, you may still need to be authorized by your E-Biz POC in order to submit grant applications.
- I am an Approved Organization Representative (AOR), why am I not able to submit?
In some instances the E-Business Point of Contact (grant administrator/CFO) for your organization may
unknowingly provide or deny your Authorized Organization Representative status (right to submit).
The E-Business Point of Contact (E-Biz POC) has the authority to provide or deny rights to an
Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). The E-Biz POC has the ability to:
- View list of AORs registered at Grants.gov under specific DUNS
- Assign AOR role
- Revoke AOR role
- Delete AOR login
- View/search list of submissions made under that DUNS
- View rejected with errors message, if any submission is rejected (similar to AOR)
- Receive email when a new applicant registers at Grants.gov under that DUNS
If you believe that your AOR rights/login permission are being affected please contact your
organization's E-Biz POC promptly. If the issue persists after contacting your E-Biz POC, call the
Grants.gov Contact Center at: 1-800-518-4726.
- I am unable to login as the E-Business Point of Contact (E-Biz POC) for Grants.gov, what should I do?
First, you should login to Grants.gov to verify that you are registered as an AOR. The system will not allow you to login as the E-Biz POC if you are not registered. If you are experiencing difficulties when logging into Grants.gov you may need to clear your cookies and temporary internet files. For instructions on deleting cookies, clearing cache (temporary internet files).
- I am having difficulties accessing some of my search results on Grants.gov, what should I do?
If you are experiencing difficulties navigating through search results when searching for grant opportunities on Grants.gov there are a few things may try to fix this issue: delete cookies, verify cookies are deleted, disable/enable cookies, clear cache and disable firewall.
- How can I ensure I am using Adobe Reader to work on my application package?
Grants.gov has created a test package to check whether you are using the compatible version of Adobe software to view your application package, see Verify Adobe Reader Version.
- 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, see Setting Adobe Reader as your Default.
- Error Messages
CHECK AOR STATUS
An Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) submits a grant on behalf of a company, organization, institution, or government. AORs have the authority to sign grant applications and the required certifications and/or assurances that are necessary to fulfill the requirements of the application process. Follow the instructions below to check your AOR Status:
Check your AOR Status
- Go to the Grants.gov homepage
- Click on "Applicant Login" on the right side of the screen (right-hand navigation)
- Enter your username and password and click "Login"(If you are able to login, you have successfully completed the Grants.gov Registration process)
- You should receive an email from Grants.gov after your E-Biz POC authorizes your AOR status
- Click on "Manage Applicant Profile" and your profile will be displayed
- The AOR status on your profile will state "Approved" or "AOR Request Sent"
If your profile has not been approved you will need to contact your E-Biz POC and request their approval of your AOR status.
Improving Submission Speed
How can I improve my application submission speed?
The time it will take to upload your application for submission varies based on the size of the application package (including attachments). The smaller the size of the application package file, the faster it can be submitted to Grants.gov. Compressing your attachment files is one way to limit application file size however this must be done in accordance to the grantor agency guidelines and instructions for the opportunity.
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
Bandwidth (connection speed)
| Bit Rate (Kbps)
| Upload Speed (min)
|
Dialup Modem
| ---
| 125
|
DSL
| 128 - 384
| 11
|
Satellite
| 128 - 256
| 10
|
Premium DSL
| 384 - 768
| 6
|
Cable
| 384 - 768
| 4
|
Premium Cable
| 768 – 1500
| 2
|
TI
| 768 – 1000
| 2
|
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DELETE COOKIES
Deleting Cookies – Internet Explorer 7
- Exit Internet Explorer 7, and then exit any instances of Windows Explorer.
- Click Start, click Run, type inetcpl.cpl, and then press ENTER.
- On the General tab, click Delete under Browsing History in the Internet Properties dialog box.
- In the Delete Browsing History dialog box, click Delete Cookies.
- In the Delete Cookies dialog box, click Yes.
Deleting Cookies – Internet Explorer 6
- Exit Internet Explorer 6, and then exit any instances of Windows Explorer.
- Click Start, click Run, type inetcpl.cpl, and then press ENTER.
- On the General tab, click Delete Cookies in the Internet Properties dialog box, under Temporary Internet Files.
- In the Delete Files dialog box, click to select the Delete all offline content check box, and then click OK.
Also, please delete the bookmark that you have for Grants.gov and HAND TYPE in http://www.grants.gov.
You will need to remove AOL, Google, MSN toolbars etc.
VERIFY COOKIES ARE DELETED
Verify Cookies are Deleted – Internet Explorer 7
- Exit Internet Explorer 7, and then exit any instances of Windows Explorer.
- Click Start, click Run, type inetcpl.cpl, and then press ENTER.
- In the Internet Properties dialog box, on the General tab, click Settings under Browsing History.
- In the Temporary Internet Files and History Settings dialog box, click View Files. This opens the folder where your cookie files are stored.
- In the folder that you opened in step 4, verify that there are no .txt files.
Verify Cookies are Deleted – Internet Explorer 6
How to manually verify that the cookie files are deleted for Internet Explorer 6
- Exit Internet Explorer 6, and then exit any instances of Windows Explorer.
- Click Start, and then click Run, type inetcpl.cpl, and then press ENTER.
- In the Internet Properties dialog box, on the General tab, click View Files under Temporary Internet Files.
- In the folder that you opened in step 4, verify that there are no text files.
DISABLE/ENABLE COOKIES
- Your browser should already be set to accept cookies.
- In order to get the search function to work properly you will need to you disable the cookies in IE. This will let the server know that the cookies are disabled on your PC so the request will be sent in a different format and the search function will work.
- To do so, click on Tools at the top of any IE webpage. Next, click on Internet Options
- Advanced Privacy Settings, Select Override automatic cookie handling
- For each type of cookie you can choose "Accept" "Block" or "Prompt"
- Your choice for the 3 options will depend on your requirements, select whichever settings you want and then click the OK button.
CLEAR CACHE
The cache refers to the Temporary Internet Files folder which contains a record of the items you have seen, heard, or downloaded from the web, including images, sounds and web pages.
Clear Cache – Internet Explorer 7
- To clear the cache in IE 7.0, Go to Tools and select Internet Options
- Choose General tab and select DELETE under Browsing History
- Next to Temporary Internet Files, click Delete Files
Clear Cache – Internet Explorer 6
- To clear the cache in IE 6.0: Go to Tools at the top and click on Internet Options
- On the General tab, click Delete Files in the Temporary Internet files section. This will delete all files that are currently stored in your cache
DISABLE FIREWALL
A firewall is software or hardware that creates a protective barrier between your computer and potentially damaging content on the Internet or network. It is used to guard your computer against malicious users, and also against malicious software such as computer viruses and worms.
- You may be behind a firewall and it may be stripping off your cookies before they reach your PC
- The firewall will intercept the cookies and prevent them from reaching the server
- You will need to contact your IT department to assist with disabling your firewall. It is not recommended that users tamper with their firewall settings without the assistance of IT.
- If you do not have an IT department, you can try to verify what type of firewall you have.
VERIFY FIREWALL TYPE
A firewall is software or hardware that creates a protective barrier between your computer and potentially damaging content on the Internet or network. It is used to guard your computer against malicious users, and also against malicious software such as computer viruses and worms.
- Go to "Start"
- Next go to Control Panel and look for Windows Firewall
- If you have the Windows firewall there should be an On/Off selection
- If you do not have this firewall you will have to follow the publisher's instructions on how to disable the firewall temporarily.
VERIFY ADOBE VERSION
To verify if you have a compatible version of Adobe Reader installed, click on the test application package link below:
ADOBE VERSIONING TEST APPLICATION PACKAGE
If an error message displays, the test application package was opened with an incompatible version of Adobe Reader. To download the compatible version required to complete and submit a grant application package please visit the download software page.
If you can see the application package you have a compatible version of Adobe Reader to apply for grant applications on Grants.gov.
SET ADOBE READER AS A DEFAULT
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.
- If using Windows:
- Verify the correct version of Adobe Reader is installed on your computer
- Right click the Windows Start button
- Select Explore
- From the Windows Explore menu, click Tools, Folder Options
- Click on the tab "File Types"
- Locate PDF in the "Registered file types" and highlight it
- Click Change
- Choose "Select the Program from a List"
- Select Adobe Reader (Grants.gov compatible version) from the list
Note: This list displays only as Adobe Reader (Grants.gov compatible version) be sure you have verified version in Step 1 above
- Check "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file"
- Click Ok
- If using Vista:
- Verify the compatible version of Adobe Reader is installed on your computer
- Click the Start button
- Select Control Panel
- Select Programs
- Under Default Programs, select "Make a file type always open in a specific program"
- Locate PDF in the "Set Associations" window, and select it
- Click Change Program button
- Choose "Select the Program from a List"
- Select Adobe Reader (Grants.gov compatible version) from the list
Note: This list displays only as Adobe Reader (Grants.gov compatible version) be sure you have verified version in Step 1 above
- Check "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file"
- Click Ok
- If using MAC:
- Verify the compatible version of Adobe Reader is installed on your computer
- Click the Finder button
- Select and click on a PDF file
- Select "Get Info" under the File Menu
- Use "Open With:" to change the default application
- Locate Adobe in the programs list and select it
- Click on Change All button
ENABLE TRUST MANAGER
Make sure that the application is saved to the desktop of the computer that you are on. Close the application and open it anew, then follow the instructions listed below:
- Click on Edit
- Then click on Preferences
- Then click Trust Manager in the left hand pane
- Click on Change Settings on the ensuing window
- Select allow all sites listed towards the top of the page
- Click on OK
- Click on JavaScript on the left hand side of the screen
- Make sure everything is checked here except for things under the Debugger heading (do not change)
- Click on OK until you get out of the preferences windows
Now try submitting again only this time click on "Allow" on the pop-up window.
DISABLE VIRUS PROTECTION
A firewall is software or hardware that creates a protective barrier between your computer and potentially damaging content on the Internet or network. It is used to guard your computer against malicious users, and also against malicious software such as computer viruses and worms.
- If you are using a virus protection program such as Norton or MacAfee there should be a link to them through your "Start" menu under "All Programs".
- Click the link to open the "Control Center". This may be called other names such as "Security Center" or similar names.
- Click the link to access your virus scanner configuration.
- In that area you should see a link to "disable" or "temporarily disable" virus scanning.
- Click the "disable" or "temporarily disable virus scanning" link.
- If it is permanently disabled (not temporarily disabled), be sure to re-enable it when you are done.
RETRIEVE FORGOTTEN PASSWORD
I Forgot My Username:
To retrieve the information associated with your email address:
- Go to the Applicant Login page
- Click on "Continue to Login" (blue button)
- On login screen, click "Forgot My Username"
- Select the radio button for either "Organization AOR" or "Individual"
- Enter your email address and DUNS if you are registering as "Organization AOR" and click the "Submit" button
- Enter your email address (if registering as an "Individual") and click the "Submit" button
- After clicking the submit the submit button, you will see a message stating “An email was sent to your mailbox”
- Check the email inbox for the email you used for registration
I Forgot My Password:
To retrieve the password associated with your email address:
- Go to the Applicant Login page
- Click on “Forgot my Password” and enter your username and click the "Get Secret Question" button
- Once your secret question displays, enter the answer and click the "Submit Answer" button
- You will now be prompted to enter a new password
- Once you enter a new password and then confirm password, click the "Reset My Password" button, a message will appear that your password was reset successfully.
RESTRICTIONS
NOTICE: Special Characters not Supported
All applicants MUST follow the guidance on file naming conventions. To avoid submission issues, please follow the guidance provided in the FAQ:
Are there restrictions on file names for any attachment I include with my application package?
File attachment names longer than approximately 50 characters can cause problems processing packages. Please limit file attachment names. Also, do not use any special characters (example: &,–,*,%,/,#’, -), this includes periods (.), spacing followed by a dash in the file and for word separation, use underscore (example: my_Attached_File.pdf) in naming the attachments. Please note that if these guidelines are not followed, your application may be rejected.
We are seeing issues (i.e. "java.lang.Exception: 16 errors") when submissions are not following the filename restrictions.
Below are two examples where the system returned "error 16" when an applicant used an incorrect filename:
EXAMPLE1
[2009-02-11 11:17:46,610][FATAL][GrantS2SFacade.submitApplication()1377]-Couldn't completely receive Submission due to unknown Exception. Throwing Exception to WS Implementation
org.dom4j.InvalidXPathException: Invalid XPath expression: //att:FileLocation[@att:href='D'ASSORO+BCRT+2002_FTLUII5NT77KT4IQDKQGDQBAD6.pdf'] Expected: ]
java.lang.Exception: 16
EXAMPLE 2
//att:FileLocation[@att:href='cid:GP_Candidate's_Background.pdf]
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