| FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS |
Question: How do I register with Grants.gov?
Answer: UT Southwestern Medical Center is registered with Grants.gov. Principal Investigators do not need to register with Grants.gov.
Question: What software do I need for completing grant applications?
Answer: Adobe Reader 8.1.2 or later. Adobe reader can be acquired for free at http://get.adobe.com/reader/
Question: What is Grants.gov?
Answer: Grants.gov simplifies the grants management process and creates a centralized, online process to find, and apply for,over 900 grant programs from the 26 Federal grant-making agencies. Grants.gov streamlines the process of awarding over $360 billion annually to state and local governments, academia, not-for-profits and other organizations. This program is one of the 24 Federal cross-agency E-Government initiatives focused on improving access to services via the Internet. The vision for Grants.gov is to be a simple, unified source to electronically find, apply, and manage grant opportunities.
NIH FAQ
Question: Where can I find the link to download the generic/parent R01 application?
Answer: Please CLICK HERE to access the SF424 NIH parent R01 electronic application package.
Question: How do I register to get an eRA Commons user account?
Answer: Please contact the Research Administration Help Desk at 214.648.5006. Please provide the following information about the PI: last 4 digits of the Social Security number, Date of Birth and the grant number of any prior support the PI has received from the NIH.
Question: I am not a PI but I plan to assist my PI with e-Submissions for the NIH. Do I need an eRA Commons account?
Answer: Yes. Please contact the Research Administration Help Desk at 214.648.5006. An appropriate account will be created for administrative personnel.
Question: What will be the submission deadline — the date the application is stamped as received by Grants.gov or the date the data is received by NIH?
Answer: The submission deadline will be the date and time the application is stamped as received by Grants.gov.
Question: Once my application is submitted to Grants.gov how long does it take to receive a confirmation email from Grants.gov and the NIH?
Answer: Depending on how close your application is submitted to the deadline, please allow up to 48 hours to receive a confirmation e-mail from Grants.gov and the NIH. Grants.gov will confirm receipt of the application. The next e-mail will confirm when the application package has been received by the NIH.
UT Southwestern FAQ
Question: Why do I have to submit ALL my proposals at least 5 days in advance of the submission date?
Answer: The process for submitting a grant via Grants.gov takes quite a bit longer than the old mailing process. Submitting to a sponsor via Grants.gov with no problems can take 2-4 business days alone. If there are errors, the time to submit can increase significantly. A 5 day submission policy is actually quite liberal. Because we will have so many grants submitted via Grants.gov, the lead time for all proposals is increasing, therefore we have implemented the new submission deadline across the board.
Question: I am using a Macintosh machine to complete my NIH electronic application. What software do I need?
Answer: Please reference the Grants.gov informational site at http://grants.gov/help/download_software.jsp
If you need additional assistance, you may contact Research Administration technical help at 214.648.5006.
Question: What is the purpose of putting budget data on the OGM1 if the grant/protocol/contract is to be attached?
Answer: The information will be captured in ERGO and will be uploaded to the Grant Trak database.
Question: When calculating percent of effort, are you asking about time as it relates to this particular grant or the PI's overall time? If overall, what is the purpose of asking this question with every new grant submission and non-competing renewal? Also, what is done with this information.
Answer: Please input the overall time. The purpose for asking this question is because this information changes over time and we need to ensure data accuracy and quality. This information is captured in ERGO and will be uploaded to the Grant Trak database.
Question: Does UT Southwestern have a conversion table that will convert percent of effort to person months?
Answer: Yes. Please follow the link on the Grants.gov and UT Southwestern page:
UT Southwestern Percent Effort Conversion Table
Question: How do I send my SF424 application to the Office of Grants Management?
Answer: Once you have completed the application package and it is ready to be submitted, log on to ERGO (ergo.utsouthwestern.edu). Complete the OGM1 and Upload your SF424 application form to the OGM1 using the upload feature. The SF424 application will route to the Office of Grants Management through the current electronic Institutional approval process.
Question: Is there a sample SF424 that I may reference for assistance with completing my NIH electronic application?
Answer: Follow the link: Sample SF424. Please do not hesitate to contact your Grants Specialist if you require assistance 214.648.4494.
Question: What file type is the SF424 application package?
Answer: The SF424 application package is .xfd. Please note: When downloading a SF424 package to your local computer do not right-click "save target as". The file-type changes from .xfd to xfdl. ERGO will only accept .xfd. when uplaoding the form to the OGM1.
Question: Are there any special considerations when creating PDFs from other software packages?
Answer: Yes.
Know formatting rules for PDFs:
- Don't use editable fields.
- You can add active links, but NIH advises reviewers not to follow links. The only place you should use links is for publications. Read more in Adding Publications to Appendices.
- Don't add page numbers, headers, or footers. NIH Commons will add these after it validates your application.
- If using Adobe Acrobat, turn signature off when creating originals.
- Do not submit protected documents; do not select any security settings.
- Save all PDFs at print resolution.
Go to Working with Forms and Attachments to see general application formatting requirements.
Question: I have more than one degree, I how I display them on my application?
Answer: The SF424 currently only accepts one degree on the Senior/Key Personnel page. Choose only one for your submission. For further information contact your Grants Specialist at 214.648.4494.
Question: Where can I find NIH electronic submission attachment templates?
Answer: PLEASE CLICK HERE
