<h1>Submitting Your Grant Proposal</h1>
<h2><i>The change 
to electronic grant submissions has accelerated the process and has 
brought it into the 21</i><sup><i>st</i></sup><i> century.</i></h2>
<p>Grant applicants face new and 
different requirements as a result of the ever-evolving electronic grant 
submission process.  Ten years ago, no one could have foreseen 
this change on the horizon.  However, these changes now challenge 
the grant applicants of today, as the Internet has created a new standard 
in communication that we must meet in our grant proposals.  Each 
potential grantor may have separate and distinct current submission 
requirements including, but not limited to, the submission of your grant 
proposal online.<br>
</p>
<p>In this chapter on submitting 
your grant proposal, you will be introduced to changes in the submission 
process, and you will be given all the tools you need in order to negotiate 
the often rough terrain of the online grants landscape.  You will 
learn how the new electronic submissions work, which grantors utilize 
them, what new forms are mandated, when to apply, and additional tips 
that will allow you to master the electronic grant submission process.<br>
</p>
<p>There's a story about Simon, 
a retired resident of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts who typed successful 
grant programs by hand for many years.  In those days, he had a 
choice:  he could either submit his grant proposal the old-fashioned 
way or online at the grantor's website.  Today, that "traditional" 
choice is gone.  He has to submit new proposals online, using different 
forms and application protocol.  I visited Simon recently and informed 
him about the new<i> </i>electronic age of <a name="0.1_indexentry6B" id="0.1_indexentry6B"></a>grants.  
The <a name="0.1_indexentry6C" id="0.1_indexentry6C"></a>Berkshire Bach Society, the local non-profit 
organization he founded more than 15 years ago, was seeking grant funding 
again.  Its board of directors wanted to hire a full time grant writer.  
As I looked over the stacks of forms, proposals, budgets, and letters 
to and from those funding agencies, I told Simon how computers and the 
I<a name="0.1_indexentry6D" id="0.1_indexentry6D"></a>nternet have become prerequisites for winning 
new grant funding.  He was surprised.  He picked up his phone and called 
a friend at the Bach Society.  "Times have changed," his contact 
at the Society said, as he stared at the pile of previous grant proposals 
on his desk, "We need to hire someone who knows how to use computers 
and the Internet." <br>
</p>
<p>The need to understand the 
changing world of grants applies as much to first-time grant seekers 
as it does to seasoned grant writers.  Grant officers at one federal 
agency have described applicants' use of outdated instructions <i>
as the single greatest cause of grant proposal rejection</i>.  As federal 
agencies and other <a name="0.1_indexentry6E" id="0.1_indexentry6E"></a>grantors race into the <a name="0.1_indexentry6F" id="0.1_indexentry6F"></a>electronic 
age, the importance of knowing each grantor's <i>current requirements</i> 
becomes all the more crucial to the grant submission process.<br>
</p>
<p>Electronic grant submission 
requirements vary by grantor and sector.  Variations occur when 
the grantor is a federal, state or local agency, or a non-government 
entity.  This inconsistency can be confusing and frustrating for any 
grant applicant.<br>
</p>
<h2>Coordinated 
Federal Agency Grantors</h2>
<p>Federal government agencies 
have spearheaded the movement in electronic grant submissions by accepting 
only electronic grant submissions.  Federal agencies benefit from 
the fact that only one agency coordinates their electronic grants process, <a href="http://www.grants.gov/" target="_blank"><u>www.Grants.gov</u></a>, which was created by the government's 
Office of Management and the <a name="0.1_indexentry70" id="0.1_indexentry70"></a>Budget (OMB). 
Non-government grantors do not have such a centralized, coordinated 
system and, therefore, are not as organized as the federal government 
in this regard.<br>
</p>
<p>Since the federal government 
launched Grants.gov, electronic grant proposal submissions have experienced 
explosive growth.  The best evidence of this growth is the increased 
use of  <a href="http://www.grants.gov/" target="_blank"><u>www.Grants.gov</u></a> to apply for more than $400 billion 
in federal <a name="0.1_indexentry71" id="0.1_indexentry71"></a>agency grants.  In October 2003, 
the U.S. Department of Education received the first online grant application 
through Grants.gov.  Within two years, Grants.gov had received and processed 
15,000 grant applications, and ten federal agencies had achieved their 
goal for electronic grant submission.  The site processed more than 
60,000 grant submissions by the end of June 2006, and another 150,000 
applications by June 2007, far surpassing its own goals and expectations.  
This explosive growth in online grant submissions benefits both grant 
applicants and federal agency <a name="0.1_indexentry72" id="0.1_indexentry72"></a>grantors.<br>
</p>
<p>The U.S Department of Housing 
and Urban Development (HUD) was an early leader in the electronic application 
transition.  In a statement that seems prescient today, HUD's 
Secretary said in 2003, "This electronic application process is clearly 
how government will do business in the future and . . . HUD is leading 
the way."   <br>
</p>
<p>HUD recognized that the electronic 
transition would have benefits as well as challenges for grant applicants.  
HUD's Secretary also said, "(We) continue to work with Grants.gov 
to reach out to (those) . . . grant applicants experiencing difficulty 
adjusting to this new way of doing business so they have the greatest 
possible opportunity to access funding." <br>
</p>
<p>Grants.gov has streamlined <a name="0.1_indexentry73" id="0.1_indexentry73"></a>grants 
management and it has centralized grant information and electronic submission 
for more than 1,000 federal grant programs.  The OMB established 
specific <a name="0.1_indexentry74" id="0.1_indexentry74"></a>program objectives and requirements, 
and federal agencies are required to post all <a name="0.1_indexentry75" id="0.1_indexentry75"></a>grant 
opportunities and 75 percent of their grant application packages, including 
required forms, on Grants.gov. <br>
</p>
<p>This coordinated effort has 
made federal grantors the most consistent in transitioning to electronic 
grant submission.  They have set the pace in rapidly changing their 
grant policies and procedures.  <i>Yet despite this centralization, 
each federal agency still has its own procedures, forms, and requirements</i>.<br>
</p>
<p>These changes are illustrated 
by the following case study. It shows how the <a name="0.1_indexentry76" id="0.1_indexentry76"></a>National 
Institutes for Health (NIH) has dramatically changed the rules for grant 
seekers <a name="0.1_indexentry77" id="0.1_indexentry77"></a>applying for its <a name="0.1_indexentry78" id="0.1_indexentry78"></a>grants.<br>
</p>
<h2 style="text-transform:uppercase"><u>Case Study 
in Electronic Grant Submissions</u></h2>
<h2>National 
Institute of Health Transforms Its Grant Submission Policies</h2>
<p>The National Institute of Health 
(NIH) entered the <a name="0.1_indexentry79" id="0.1_indexentry79"></a>electronic age of grants 
in August 2005. One year later, the agency described its transition 
to electronic submission as a huge change:<br>
</p>
<ul><p><i>"The transition to 
electronic submission has been a huge change for NIH and grantees alike. 
. . . </i> <br>
</p>
<p><i>Stacks of grant application 
packages on paper will soon be a thing of the past at the National Institutes 
of Health (NIH) as it readies to receive grant applications   
electronically through the federal portal at 
<a name="0.1_indexentry7A" id="0.1_indexentry7A"></a>Grants.gov, marking a major change in the 
way it has traditionally conducted its grants submission business. . 
.</i> <br>
</p>
<p><i>NIH expects to eliminate 
approximately 200 million pieces of paper a year and reduce the costs 
of scanning, data entry, data validation, printing, and reproduction. 
. . . Instead, bits and bytes will be part of the new grant submission 
lexicon at NIH as it launches a new state-of-the-art way for applicants 
to submit their grant applications electronically."</i> <br>
</p></ul>
<h2>NIH Introduces a New Application 
Form</h2>
<p>NIH replaced its old grant 
proposal application form, PHS-398, with a new form SF-424 (R&amp;R) 
for electronic submission.  All grant applicants submitting electronic 
grant proposal applications using Grants.gov must utilize this new form.  
All you have to do is fill out the application package and upload it 
to <a name="0.1_indexentry7B" id="0.1_indexentry7B"></a>Grants.gov.  At that point, NIH retrieves 
it and generates an application online.<br>
</p>
<p>You can find form SF-424 (R&amp;R) 
"Application and Electronic <a name="0.1_indexentry7C" id="0.1_indexentry7C"></a>Submission 
Information for Research and Related" grant proposals and other federal 
application forms in the <a name="0.1_indexentry7D" id="0.1_indexentry7D"></a><i>Appendix</i>.</p>
<p>NIH has completed its transition 
to electronic forms and processing.  <i>All grant applicants must 
learn how to use these new procedures as soon as possible. </i></p>
<p>NIH also made guides and other 
resources available to help both grant seekers and grantees with electronic 
transition. You can read these new publications on the NIH website at <a href="http://grants.nih.gov/grants/ElectronicReceipt/index.htm" target="_blank"><u>http://grants.nih.gov/grants/ElectronicReceipt/index.htm</u></a>.<br>
</p>
<h2> NIH Grant 
Submission Policy Changes</h2>
<p>Effective January 2007, the 
NIH and three other agencies, the <a name="0.1_indexentry7E" id="0.1_indexentry7E"></a>Agency 
for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), National Institute for Occupational 
Safety and Health (NIOSH), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
(CDC), launched a major policy change that limits the length and amount 
of grant proposal Appendix materials that may be submitted with grant 
applications. This new policy is intended to
encourage<i> </i>applications to be as concise as possible, while still 
providing the information needed for expert scientific review.  
Applicants may not use the grant proposal's appendix to circumvent 
the page limitations of the grant proposal's Research Plan.  The complete 
"Notice of Policy Change" is included <a name="0.1_indexentry7F" id="0.1_indexentry7F"></a>on 
the NIH website.<br>
</p>
<h2> Roles of Electronic Research Administration 
and the Commons</h2>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentry80" id="0.1_indexentry80"></a>The 
Electronic Research Administration (eRA) and the eRA Commons are at 
the heart of NIH's transition to electronic grant administration and 
submission. The eRA Commons is a virtual online meeting place for exchanging 
biomedical and behavioral <a name="0.1_indexentry81" id="0.1_indexentry81"></a><a name="0.1_indexentry82" id="0.1_indexentry82"></a>research 
information. The eRA reduces NIH's <a name="0.1_indexentry83" id="0.1_indexentry83"></a>overhead 
costs by electronically capturing, managing, and protecting research 
grant-related data, and reporting that data to NIH and other communities. 
It provides for secure receipt, review and administration of electronic <a name="0.1_indexentry84" id="0.1_indexentry84"></a>grant 
proposals.  It also provides NIH with effective grant management tools.<br>
</p>
<h2>Preparing 
to Apply: Registering Electronically</h2>
<p>Grants.gov has its own registration 
system, and all grant applicants must register with Grants.gov in order 
to submit their grant proposal(s) using its system.  NIH summarizes 
these registration requirements in a chart on its website.   Organizations 
must also establish an eRA Commons account through their Principal Investigators 
(PIs).<br>
</p>
<p>Checklists for applying for 
NIH grants through eRA Commons and/or Grants.gov, including registration 
FAQ, are on the NIH website.<br>
</p>
<h2>Downloading 
and Completing a Grant Application Package Using Grants.gov</h2>
<p>Upon the release of an NIH 
Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), applications may be submitted.  
NIH and several other agencies have developed generic "Parent Announcements" 
for applicants who want to submit what were previously called "unsolicited" 
or investigator-initiated applications.  You must use the electronic 
application package from Grants.gov.  (A table of NIH applications packages 
can be found on the NIH website.) <br>
</p>
<p>You can download only the application 
package with the term "Version-2-Forms" in the Competition ID field. 
(Grants.gov allows NIH to leave this field blank, and NIH completes 
it after submission.) <br>
</p>
<p>NIH and other agencies serviced 
by eRA Commons want organizations' Principal Investigators to initiate 
all grant applications.  The NIH "Guide to Grants and Contracts"   
is the applicant's guide to applying electronically for NIH grants.  
An "Apply for Grant Electronically" button in the guide links to 
the Grants.gov application package.<br>
</p>
<p>When completing the application, 
you can ignore the CFDA field; do not try to enter or change any data 
in this field.<br>
</p>
<h2>Submitting Your Grant Application 
Electronically Using Grants.gov</h2>
<p>Your first step in the grant 
submission process is to select your methodology for submitting your 
grant proposal electronically.   Your three choices for submitting your 
grant proposal to NIH through <a href="http://www.grants.gov/" target="_blank"><u>www.Grants.gov</u></a> are: </p>
<ul type="disc">
  <li>Forms-based submission:  
  This method should be utilized as the forms are provided for online 
  free of charge by <a href="http://www.grants.gov/" target="_blank"><u>www.Grants.gov</u></a>.  This is the most common means 
  of utilizing Grants.gov to submit your application to the National Institute 
  of Health.</li>
  <li>System to System 
  Transfer of Data:   This is intended for organizations that 
  have existing grants management systems which do not use the same application 
  forms provided by Grants.gov, but want to submit applications directly 
  from their system to Grants.gov.   However, the integration of 
  such systems with Grants.gov can be difficult.  By utilizing a 
  third-party system that is already integrated with Grants.gov, the integration 
  process can be made easier, though some knowledge of system configuration 
  and digital certificates is required.   A service provider can be helpful 
  in the facilitation of this process. </li>
  <li>Utilization of 
  a Service Provider:  A service provider is an established company 
  that has already developed a system-to-system interface with <a href="http://www.grants.gov/" target="_blank"><u>www.Grants.gov</u></a>. A service provider can submit your 
  grant proposal on your behalf using Grants.gov.  The Service Providers 
  offer an alternative to Grants.gov's forms-based approach, as well 
  as various grant administrative services.  Two of these services are 
  checking for errors based on NIH rules prior to submission, and the 
  capability of printing your entire application prior to submission.  
  Learn more about using service providers at <a href="http://grants.nih.gov/grants/ElectronicReceipt/index.htm" target="_blank"><u>http://grants.nih.gov/grants/ElectronicReceipt/index.htm</u></a>. </li>
</ul>
<h2>Avoiding 
Common Errors in NIH Electronic Submission</h2>
<p>NIH provides a <i>checklist 
of common errors to avoid </i>in <a name="0.1_indexentry85" id="0.1_indexentry85"></a>electronic 
submission of <a name="0.1_indexentry86" id="0.1_indexentry86"></a>grant proposals. This checklist 
includes the following:</p>
<ul type="disc">
  <li>An Invalid or Missing 
  eRA Commons Username</li>
  <li>A Missing Organization 
  Name for Senior and Key Personnel</li>
  <li>PDF Issues</li>
  <li>Federal Identifier 
  Format</li>
</ul>
<p>NIH also offers helpful Frequently 
Asked Questions (FAQ) about its electronic submission process.   You 
can peruse the full FAQ on the NIH website at <a href="http://grants.nih.gov/grants/frequent_questions.htm" target="_blank"><u>http://grants.nih.gov/grants/frequent_questions.htm</u></a>.<br>
</p>
<h2><a name="0.1_indexentry87" id="0.1_indexentry87"></a>Correcting 
Errors and Warnings on Your Grant application on Grants.gov</h2>
<p>If you fail to fill in all the required information or have entered incorrect information on your 
grant application, you will receive an error message from Grants.gov 
into the grant application form fields.  <i>You will get it every time 
you save your grant application until you complete your grant proposal</i>.  
You can<i> </i>ignore the message until you are ready to submit your 
proposal.  <br>
</p>
<p>If you are ready to submit 
your proposal and this message persists, click the "<a name="0.1_indexentry88" id="0.1_indexentry88"></a>Check 
Package for Errors" button to find out if there is a problem that 
you need to fix before submitting your proposal.  <i>If 
<a name="0.1_indexentry89" id="0.1_indexentry89"></a>Grants.gov finds any errors, you will see 
a message stating the total number of errors found, but with details 
only about the first error.  If you have several errors, you will have 
to fix the first one, and then repeat the 
"check package for errors" process until you correct all of them.</i>  
See the NIH "Guidelines to Preparing and Submitting Your Grant Proposal 
Electronically" section for details.<br>
</p>

<p>The easy way to avoid errors is to download and follow the instructions to the grant application line-
item.
<br><br>
Adobe: <a href="http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/search/index.cfm?term=print+driver&amp;loc=en_us"> http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/search/index.cfm?term=print+driver&amp;loc=en_us</a>
</p>

<h2>New 
<a name="0.1_indexentry8A" id="0.1_indexentry8A"></a>PDF Forms</h2>
<p>Grants.gov website now uses 
the Adobe reader software, and PDF reader forms are now available to 
you with a free download on the Adobe reader page.  There is no 
necessity for you to subscribe to a more sophisticated Adobe Reader 
package, such as Adobe reader Professional.<br>
</p>
<p>All grant application packages 
posted to Grants.gov use <a name="0.1_indexentry8B" id="0.1_indexentry8B"></a><i>Adobe Reader</i> 
forms.  </p>
<p>Grants.gov also accepts <a name="0.1_indexentry8C" id="0.1_indexentry8C"></a><i>PureEdge </i>
forms submissions, but is in the process of phasing this form from its 
system.  During the transition time, you can use PureEdge as applicable.
Grants.gov recommends downloading both <i>PureEdge and Adobe Reader</i> 
when applying for grants on this site.  Grants.gov will only continue 
to support and accept <a name="0.1_indexentry8D" id="0.1_indexentry8D"></a>PureEdge-based grant
application packages for a limited time, so plan for and expect this 
transition.<br>
</p>
<h2>PDF Attachments</h2>
<p>Another change to the federal 
grant submission process is that all federal agency grant applicants 
must submit all text attachments to Grants.gov forms as PDF format files. 
However, <a name="0.1_indexentry8E" id="0.1_indexentry8E"></a>attachments generated from forms, 
such as the "<a name="0.1_indexentry8F" id="0.1_indexentry8F"></a>R&amp;R Sub-Award <a name="0.1_indexentry90" id="0.1_indexentry90"></a>Budget 
Attachment Form," should not be submitted in PDF format.  You will 
need to create PDF files for that type of submission. (Your basic <a name="0.1_indexentry91" id="0.1_indexentry91"></a>Adobe 
Reader software version that you use to read forms on Grants.gov will 
only <i>read</i> the PDF form; it will not<i> create</i> one.)<br>
</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentry92" id="0.1_indexentry92"></a>Grants.gov 
provides a list of companies that provide downloadable programs that 
can generate PDF files.  The following list contains some of the 
PDF creators available, many of which are free or inexpensive.  
The following list includes programs for both PCs and Macs.  Vendor 
descriptions are current as of this <a name="0.1_indexentry93" id="0.1_indexentry93"></a>writing, 
but you should check for more recent updates and current information.<br>
</p>
<p>[Disclaimer: <i>The Grant Authority,</i> 
Grant Authority, Inc., the author, and Grants.gov do not endorse or 
recommend any particular software or vendor on this list.]</p>
<ul type="disc">
  <li>Adobe: <a href="http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobatstd/main.html" target="_blank"><u>http://www.adobe.com/products<wbr>/acrobatstd/main.html</u></a>.   Print driver that will work 
  with any application. (For PC or Mac) </li>
  <li>Create Adobe 
  PDF Online:  <a href="https://createpdf.adobe.com/index.pl" target="_blank"><u>https://createpdf.adobe.com<wbr>/index.pl</u></a>.  Web-based converter.  Vendor e-mails 
  PDF back to you. (For PC or Mac)</li>
  <li>Cute PDF:  <a href="http://www.cutepdf.com/" target="_blank"><u>www.cutepdf.com</u></a>.   Print driver that will work 
  with any application. (For PC) </li>
  <li>Go2PDF:  <a href="http://www.go2pdf.com/" target="_blank"><u>www.go2pdf.com</u></a>.   Print driver that will work 
  with any application. (For PC) </li>
  <li>PDF995:  <a href="http://site4.pdf995.com/" target="_blank"><u>http://site4.pdf995.com</u></a>.   Print driver that will work 
  with any application.  (For PC) </li>
  <li>PDF Creator:  <a href="http://docupub.com/" target="_blank"><u>http://docupub.com</u></a>.  Web-based converter.  View 
  the PDF or have it e-mailed back to you.  (For PC or Mac) </li>
  <li>Win2PDF:  <a href="http://www.win2pdf.com/" target="_blank"><u>www.win2pdf.com</u></a>.   Print driver that will work 
  with any application. (For PC) </li>
  <li>Zeon Corporation:  <a href="http://www.pdfwizard.com/" target="_blank"><u>www.pdfwizard.com</u></a>.   Print driver that will work 
  with any application.  (For PC)</li>
</ul>
<p>Grants.gov also advises you 
not to use special characters or spaces in file names when saving your 
document.  Files with special characters (quotes, asterisks, etc.) or 
spaces in the title are unrecognizable on some systems.<br>
</p>
<h2><a name="0.1_indexentry94" id="0.1_indexentry94"></a>Grants.gov 
Accommodations for Non-Windows Users</h2>
<p>In 2007, the Grants.gov site 
provided accommodations for those systems that did not use the Microsoft 
Windows operating system.  In the past, if you did not have Microsoft's 
Windows operating system you could not download and complete forms.   
In 2007, <a name="0.1_indexentry95" id="0.1_indexentry95"></a>Grants.gov made a <a name="0.1_indexentry96" id="0.1_indexentry96"></a>Citrix 
server available to enable Macintosh and UNIX users to work with its 
system, and provided PDF forms that support Macintosh, UNIX, and Windows 
systems.<br>
</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentry97" id="0.1_indexentry97"></a>Special 
Edition Mac Viewers for PC are available for download for users who 
do not have Windows emulation software, or the Citrix server.  Grants.gov 
also recognizes the limitations of these programs, including:</p>
<ul type="disc">
  <li>Occasional computer 
  crashes, with the subsequent loss of data that was unsaved.</li>
  <li>Inability to run 
  on PC or Mac OS versions.</li>
  <li>No support for the 
  visually impaired users.</li>
</ul>
<p>Consider these limitations 
and warnings and read all of the release notes carefully before using 
this software.  Grants.gov will provide more information on releases 
of this product as it becomes available.  You can keep updated 
on these developments by checking the 
"<a name="0.1_indexentry98" id="0.1_indexentry98"></a>PureEdge Support for Non-Windows Users" 
webpage at Grants.gov.
</p><h2>NIH and 
<a name="0.1_indexentry99" id="0.1_indexentry99"></a><a name="0.1_indexentry9A" id="0.1_indexentry9A"></a>Small Business 
Innovative Research (SBIR)/<a name="0.1_indexentry9B" id="0.1_indexentry9B"></a>Small Business 
Technology Transfer (STTR) Grants</h2>
<p>In January, 2007, NIH revised 
its "<a name="0.1_indexentry9C" id="0.1_indexentry9C"></a>SBIR/STTR Application Guide Version 
2," with updated references to parent Small Business Innovative Research 
(<a name="0.1_indexentry9D" id="0.1_indexentry9D"></a>SBIR), and Small Business Technology Transfer 
Grants (STTR) funding opportunity announcements.  Other revisions included 
a new chapter on "Award Guidelines, Reporting Requirements, and Other 
Considerations," and clarification of other policies that apply to 
its SBIR/STTR grant programs.<br>
</p>
<p>NIH is just one of a dozen 
federal agencies that participate in SBIR and STTR small business grant 
programs. All these agencies require electronic submission of 
SBIR/STTR grant proposals through <a name="0.1_indexentry9E" id="0.1_indexentry9E"></a>Grants.gov, 
including the Departments of Defense (DOD), Commerce (DOC), Agriculture 
(USDA), <a name="0.1_indexentry9F" id="0.1_indexentry9F"></a>Transportation (DOT), and the <a name="0.1_indexentryA0" id="0.1_indexentryA0"></a>National <a name="0.1_indexentryA1" id="0.1_indexentryA1"></a>Science 
Foundation (NSF).  The latest forms and instructions are available on <a href="http://www.grants.gov/" target="_blank"><u>www.Grants.gov</u></a>  when you apply for either the SBIR 
or STTR grant.<br>
</p>
<h2>Frequently 
Asked Questions (FAQ)</h2>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryA2" id="0.1_indexentryA2"></a> 
Some of the more frequently asked questions in regard to electronic 
grant submissions are as follows: <br>
</p>
<p><b>Q: NIH and Grants.gov seem 
to use different terminology for application type. 
 How do I know which term is correct for my situation?</b></p>
<p>A:  
<a name="0.1_indexentryA3" id="0.1_indexentryA3"></a>Grants.gov has created new terminology for 
the Type of Application field of the SF-424 (R&amp;R) Cover Component 
(box #8).  NIH is changing all of its materials to correctly reflect 
the new terminology.  <br>
</p>
<p><b>Q: What do I put in the 
Federal Identifier field of the SF-424 (R&amp;R) cover component?</b></p>
<p>A: If "Type of Application" 
is "New," you can leave the Federal Identifier field blank on your 
first submission attempt.  However, the Federal Identifier field becomes 
a required field when submitting a "Changed" or "Corrected" 
application to address errors or warnings.  When submitting a Changed 
or Corrected "New" application, enter the <a name="0.1_indexentryA4" id="0.1_indexentryA4"></a>Grants.gov 
tracking number of the previous submission attempt (e.g. GRANT00123456). 
If you are unable to find the tracking number enter "N/A."  
If the "Type of Application" is "renewal," "revisions," 
or "resubmission," enter the NIH Institute and Centers (IC) and 
serial number of the prior application/award number (e.g. CA123456).  
For these types of applications, do not change the Federal Identifier 
field when submitting changed or corrected applications.<br>
</p>
<p><b>Q: When re-submitting an 
application to address errors or warnings, how do I indicate on the 
form that the current submission supersedes the previous one?</b></p>
<p>A: On the SF-424 (R&amp;R) 
cover component, Box #1, "Type of <a name="0.1_indexentryA5" id="0.1_indexentryA5"></a>Submission" 
should be set to "Application" on the initial application submission.  
Box #1 should be set to "Changed/Corrected" for all subsequent submissions 
of the same application to address errors or warnings.  "Type 
of Application," Box #8, remains the same from one submission attempt 
to the next within the same receipt deadline.  See the section of the 
application guide titled "Correcting Errors" for more information. <br>
</p>
<h2>Foundation 
and other Non-Government Grants</h2>
<p>Non-government <a name="0.1_indexentryA6" id="0.1_indexentryA6"></a>grantors 
have not kept pace with the federal government's transition to electronic 
grant submission.  Progress toward electronic transmission among 
these <a name="0.1_indexentryA7" id="0.1_indexentryA7"></a>grantors has been inconsistent, scattered, 
and inadequate to meet the needs of grant applicants.  The non-government 
grantors utilize their websites to post their grant offerings, and send 
out their press releases to various other websites, such as the Foundation 
Center.<br>
</p>
<p>In a 2003 article, <a name="0.1_indexentryA8" id="0.1_indexentryA8"></a>"Grantmaking's 
Looming Digital Divide," Joseph G. Perpich reported that fewer than 
2,500 out of 60,000 foundations listed by the Foundation Center had 
adopted commercial electronic grantmaking <a name="0.1_indexentryA9" id="0.1_indexentryA9"></a>technology. 
He warned that:<br>
</p>
<ul><p><i>"Web-based grant-making 
is the wave of the future - and federal funders are riding the wave. 
The philanthropic sector can not afford to be left behind in this."</i> <br>
</p></ul>
<p>(Source: Joseph G. Perpich, 
Foundation News and Commentary, © 2003 Joseph G. Perpich) <br>
</p>
<p>Perpich recognized that grantees 
are not the only ones trying to do more with less.  Grantors are doing 
the same because of the high costs each grantor must absorb in order 
to develop its own electronic grant submission system.  However, he 
also described how various regional associations of grantmakers had 
already gone online with searchable grantor <a name="0.1_indexentryAA" id="0.1_indexentryAA"></a>databases 
and common application forms.<br>
</p>
<p>"Online or off," Perpich 
said, "there is the same critical ingredient - that grantmakers come 
together and relinquish some personal preferences, toward a better system 
for all. . . Ideally, the result would not only be a common system among 
the private grantmakers, but one compatible with federal systems as 
well . . . <i>it is essential for user acceptance that private [<a name="0.1_indexentryAB" id="0.1_indexentryAB"></a>grantors] 
achieve consistency with the federal format, as many private foundation 
applicants will submit alternative applications to federal agencies</i>" 
(emphasis added).<br>
</p>
<p>It is important to recognize 
the major costs in terms of both money and time involved in the transformation 
and implementation of an electronic <a name="0.1_indexentryAC" id="0.1_indexentryAC"></a>grants 
administration system. Implementing an online grant submission system 
similar to <a name="0.1_indexentryAD" id="0.1_indexentryAD"></a>Grants.gov can take years to develop.  
This makes those organizations that have devoted their <a name="0.1_indexentryAE" id="0.1_indexentryAE"></a>resources 
to "going electronic" all the more praiseworthy.<br>
</p>
<h2>Non-Federal 
Grantors Using Electronic <a name="0.1_indexentryAF" id="0.1_indexentryAF"></a>Submission</h2>
<p>The <a name="0.1_indexentryB0" id="0.1_indexentryB0"></a><a name="0.1_indexentryB1" id="0.1_indexentryB1"></a>American 
Heart Association (AHA) is a good example of a national non-profit organization 
that has implemented Internet-based electronic grant programs by using 
a staged approach in the following areas:</p>
<ul type="disc">
  <li>Grant application 
  preparation and submission. </li>
  <li>Application assignment 
  and review.</li>
  <li>E-mail notification</li>
  <li>Post-award communications</li>
  <li>Financial reporting</li>
  <li>Other aspects of 
  electronic grant administration </li>
</ul>
<p>The AHA used this incremental 
approach to enter the electronic age of grants in an affordable way.<br>
</p>
<h2>Names of 
Non-government Organizations Utilizing Electronic Grant Submission</h2>
<p>The following is a list of 
organizations and <a name="0.1_indexentryB2" id="0.1_indexentryB2"></a>foundations that have joined 
the <a name="0.1_indexentryB3" id="0.1_indexentryB3"></a>electronic age of grants by providing 
electronic grant submission and, in many cases, other aspects of electronic 
grant administration.  This list is certainly not complete.  There may 
be many other organizations whose names could and should be added.  
However, its short size does reflect the relatively slower pace of progress 
toward electronic submission in this sector, or perhaps the "slow-but-sure" 
trend of non-profit associations, foundations, and other non-government 
grantors toward using the Internet to assist both grant seekers and 
themselves as grantors.<br>
</p>
<ul><p><a name="0.1_indexentryB4" id="0.1_indexentryB4"></a>Alliance 
for Cancer Gene Therapy</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryB5" id="0.1_indexentryB5"></a>Alliance 
for Lupus Research</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryB6" id="0.1_indexentryB6"></a>Alzheimer's 
Association</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryB7" id="0.1_indexentryB7"></a>American 
Association for Cancer Research</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryB8" id="0.1_indexentryB8"></a>American 
Cancer Society</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryB9" id="0.1_indexentryB9"></a>American 
Diabetes Foundation </p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryBA" id="0.1_indexentryBA"></a>American 
Heart Association </p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryBB" id="0.1_indexentryBB"></a>American 
Lung Association</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryBC" id="0.1_indexentryBC"></a>Arthritis 
Foundation</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryBD" id="0.1_indexentryBD"></a>Burroughs 
Welcome Fund</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryBE" id="0.1_indexentryBE"></a>Cancer 
Research and Prevention Foundation</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryBF" id="0.1_indexentryBF"></a>California 
Breast Cancer Research Program</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryC0" id="0.1_indexentryC0"></a>Cancer 
Research Foundation of America</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryC1" id="0.1_indexentryC1"></a>Concern 
Foundation</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryC2" id="0.1_indexentryC2"></a>Craig 
H. Nielsen Foundation</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryC3" id="0.1_indexentryC3"></a>Cystic 
Fibrosis Foundation</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryC4" id="0.1_indexentryC4"></a>Dreyfus 
Foundation</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryC5" id="0.1_indexentryC5"></a>Food 
Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryC6" id="0.1_indexentryC6"></a>Foundation 
for Digestive Health and Nutrition</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryC7" id="0.1_indexentryC7"></a>Juvenile 
Diabetes Research Foundation</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryC8" id="0.1_indexentryC8"></a>Knight 
Foundation </p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryC9" id="0.1_indexentryC9"></a>Lance 
Armstrong Foundation</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryCA" id="0.1_indexentryCA"></a>Muscular 
Dystrophy Association</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryCB" id="0.1_indexentryCB"></a>Multiple 
Myeloma Research Foundation</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryCC" id="0.1_indexentryCC"></a>National 
Multiple Sclerosis Society</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryCD" id="0.1_indexentryCD"></a>National 
Alliance for Autism Research</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryCE" id="0.1_indexentryCE"></a>Paralyzed 
Veterans of America</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryCF" id="0.1_indexentryCF"></a>Susan 
G. Kormen Breast Cancer Foundation</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryD0" id="0.1_indexentryD0"></a>State 
of New Jersey Commission on Spinal Cord Research</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryD1" id="0.1_indexentryD1"></a>Tobacco 
Related Disease Research Program</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryD2" id="0.1_indexentryD2"></a>University 
Wide AIDS Research Program</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryD3" id="0.1_indexentryD3"></a>USIDnet</p>
<p><a name="0.1_indexentryD4" id="0.1_indexentryD4"></a>Walther 
Cancer Institute</p></ul><br>
<p>There is no doubt that electronic 
grant submission process has streamlined and modernized the methodology 
of the system, and that it is in the best interest of  both the 
grantors and the applicants that all non-government grantors adopt this 
system as soon as possible.  </p>