Subject: Grants.gov Update

The message today covers the following topics:

1. To Use or Not to Use (Grants.gov) when given an option.
2. Macs and Grants.gov (PureEdge for Macs; Citrix not needed)
3. Proposed Subawardees - DUNS Numbers Required
4. eResearch Update
5. G.g Required Fields Reminders

1) To Use or Not to Use

During this transition period, some federal agencies are offering Grants.gov as an option, allowing applicant institutions to choose a preparation and transmission process. NSF, for example, permits use of FastLane or Grants.gov for nearly all grant competitions. NASA permits use of either its NSPIRES system or Grants.gov for most of its grant programs. Some agencies even offer the option of paper applications as an alternative to Grants.gov submissions. All these options are designed to ease the transition for the constituency of that particular agency.

At the moment, the University permits the individual investigators and his/her research teams to make the submission process selection. When given the option of Grants.gov versus another submission method, DRDA strongly encourages investigators and their teams to use Grants.gov. Ultimately, we believe the Grants.gov system will be the only submission option for federal grants programs. The earlier we train the entire campus to use Grants.gov, the better positioned our faculty and staff will be to compete for federal funding.

2) Macs and Grants.gov

Grants.Gov has released a version of the IBM Workplace Viewer (formerly known as the PureEdge ICS Viewer) for Apple Macintosh systems. This software is available from:
http://www.grants.gov/resources/download_software.jsp#pureedgeviewer

It can installed on Mac-PPC and Mac-Intel systems running Mac OS X 10.4.6 or later. The Grants.gov installer will install the software into a single user's folder, and requires that the software be installed in an administrative account (though you can switch it back to a standard user post-install).

For information on installing it in a more system wide manner, as for computer-lab or multi-user machines, please contact Dan Stanish at stanyon@umich.edu.

The MAIS Citrix server will continue to host the PC PureEdge client in the short term to provide functionality coverage. However, DRDA does recommend you use the new client if possible. There is no new version of the client software for PCs.

3) Proposed Subawardees - DUNS Numbers Required

Grants.gov applications proposing a Subawardee (aka, Subcontractor, Consortium Partner, etc.) generally require the upload of an R & R Subaward Budget Attachment Form (NIH modular budget submissions are an exception). A required field on that form is the Subawardee's DUNS number; to wit, Subawardees are required to have DUNS numbers at the time of Grants.gov submission.

If your proposed Subawardee does not have a DUNS number, have them go to: http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform and complete the request form. The process should take a business day to complete.

Questions? Contact Bob Beattie at beattie@umich.edu

4) eResearch Proposal Management System

The Office of the Vice-President for Research (OVPR), Division of Research Development and Administration (DRDA), and Michigan Administrative Information Services (MAIS) are working with members of the research community to develop the new proposal management part of eResearch. The goal of this work is to reduce the administrative burden related to sponsored projects management for faculty and staff.

Funding has been approved by University leadership. MAIS Senior Project Manager Cathy Handyside and I have been named co-managers. MAIS has begun hiring project staff, and orders have been placed for hardware and software.

The project team plans to maximize involvement of users in the design of the proposal management system. A team meets regularly to outline the data requirements. This committee is one of several teams that will be involved in the development of the system.

The proposal management system will be implemented over three years, with the initial focus on the design of an ePAF--a proposal approval form that will be routed and approved electronically.

Also part of the initial scope is electronic submission of proposals to Grants.gov using a system-to-system method, replacing current person-to-system methods.

Future parts of the proposal management system will include automation of internally sponsored proposals and online budget development tools.

Regular updates on the progress of the project will be available at on the eResearch website at: http://eresearch.umich.edu/ Look in the lower left corner for a link. [url updated April 2007]

5) G.g Required Fields Reminders

Application Filing Name on Grant Application Package sheet (first page of forms package):
Agency Initials space PR initials space DRDA No. (if you know it) space PI last name
For example: NIH TGM 07-1234 Anderson

In the Applicant Information section (item 5):
Organizational DUNS: 073133571

Some people have transposed the last two digits. Do not worry if the system adds some extra zeros.

Legal Name: Regents of the University of Michigan
Street: 3003 South State St
City: Ann Arbor ZIP Code 48109-1274

*NOTE that this address will fill in for the PI section of the 424 and the Senior/Key Person Profile form so be sure to change those entries.

Employer Identification Number: 38-6006309

If you are doing an NIH application, do not forget to fill in the PI eRA Commons user name in the credential line of the Senior/Key Person Profile form. No need to do so for other people.

As always, I encourage your comments on this transition to Grants.gov. From my perspective, it is going well.
Jim

Jim Randolph
nihjim@umich.edu