Grants.gov

ATTENTION: Montana State University is already registered as an institution through Grants.gov. No additional registration by Principal Investigators is necessary.

Most federal grant proposals are now submitted electronically through Grants.gov. This website is a single access point allowing organizations to electronically find and apply for competitive grant opportunities from all federal grant-making agencies including grant programs such as NSF, NIH, EPA, USDA, DoED, DOD, DOE, USGS, DHHS, etc. See http://www.grants.gov for complete details.

If your sponsor requires submission through Grants.gov, contact your Fiscal Manager in OSP well in advance of due dates in order to assure an on-time application through this federally required system.

Find Grant Opportunities

PIs can search the Grants.gov database to find federal opportunities, and also register to receive for e-mail notifications. Comprehensive search mechanisms are available. Use the funding opportunity number of the program you wish to apply to for the next step.

Apply for Grants: Be sure that you have the Adobe Reader version that is compatible with the Grants.gov application process by following the instructions on this page: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html.

Transfer your Application to OSP: Your completed Grants.gov file and/or any other required agency files can now be attached to the Electronic Proposal Clearance Form (ePCF). Look for "Transfer Agency Files to OSP" on the Menu Options screen of the ePCF. The maximum file size is 100 megabytes. After attaching your files, select Finish at the top of the screen. An email message will be sent to the OSP Fiscal Manager and OSP Administrators to notify them that the files are ready to be received.

Submission of your Application: Your Fiscal Manager in OSP is the Authorized Organizational Representative who will then review and submit the proposal to the agency. PIs cannot submit the electronic proposal directly to Grants.gov.

Tips for Using Grants.gov

1. Use the latest version of your chosen web browser. Although Grants.gov supports the latest versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE), Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Apple Safari. They warn that because web browsers undergo frequent changes and updates, legacy versions may cause issues.
2. Enable cookie support and pop-ups.
3. Adobe applications will work on a PC or Macintosh computer.
4. When downloading your application package, it's a good idea to register to receive notification of any changes that might be made to the application package.
5. Download Adobe Reader or use Adobe Professional if you are using fillable application forms. Save on your desktop.
6. Notify OSP as soon as you begin the application process.
7. Complete the SF 424 (R&R) Form first (it populates other fields) - see below
8. PIs sometimes need to register with individual agencies. Call 994-2381 for assistance (ie NIH, NSF, NASA). "Credential, agency login" "on the R&R Sr/Key Person Profile" form refers to your agency specific username (ie, eRA Commons username, NSF user id).
9. Mandatory forms must be moved to Mandatory Documents for Submission (on right) in order to complete them.
10. Fields not completed will show in yellow (these are Grants.gov mandatory fields; agencies may have others which are mandatory).
11. After entering data into the file, click the SAVE button each time before exiting. Save this file on your desktop. The file does not automatically save the data.
12. Most agencies require attachments to be in PDF. Do not use special characters (such as &, /, \, [, ], %, #, -, ', ) or periods or spaces in file names. For word separation, use an underscore (_).
13. Do "Check Package for Errors" when done uploading files.
14. The "Save and Submit" button becomes active after all mandatory elements are completed and moved to the right, and the document has been "Saved". Again, PIs cannot submit the electronic proposal directly to Grants.gov.
15. Transfer your completed Grants.gov file to OSP for submission by attaching it to the Electronic Proposal Clearance Form. Look for "Transfer Agency Files to OSP" on the Menu Options screen. The maximum file size is 100 megabytes. After attaching your files, select Finish at the top of the screen. An email message will be sent to the OSP Fiscal Manager and OSP Administrators to notify them that the files are ready to be received.
16. Note your application deadline (Mountain time? Eastern time? 2 pm? 5 pm?) Submit early!
17. Remember that OSP has a 72-hour rule!

Agency-specific Reminders

NIH - PI must enter eRA Commons username at "Credential, agency login" (on Sr/Key Person form)
NIH - Letters of support with electronic signatures will cause an error in eRA Commons. They need to be scanned or resaved every time they are submitted to remove the electronic signature block.
USDA - Complete the Conflict of Interest form (on Supplemental Info form)
HRSA - May require application to be completed in HRSA online, and signed cover sheet to be mailed by OSP.
NSF - Please use FastLane unless Grants.gov is required. If using Grants.gov, include your User ID at "Credential, agency login" (on Sr/Key Person Profile form).

Form 424 R&R

The first form you should complete in any Grants.gov application is the 424 R&R. Once saved it will populate other required forms. Here is the information you will need for this initial form. (Field numbers may vary across agencies.)

(Note: For proposals to the National Science Foundation, FMs must use their own email address.)

Resources

Grants.gov Help Desk – 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov

Grants.gov User Guide – http://www.Grants.gov/CustomerSupport

OSP assistance – 994-2381