Preparing, Submitting & Tracking Your Small Business

Grant Application Using ASSIST

Sheri CumminsNovember 2015

What is ASSIST?

ASSIST is NIH's online system for the

preparation, submission & tracking

of grant applications through Grants.gov to NIH

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Key Benefits of ASSIST

Secure web-based data entry

Use of eRA Commons credentials alreadyin place for many users

Collaboration of multiple users

Pre-submission validation of many NIH and Grants.gov business rules

Pre-population of data from eRA Commons profiles

Pre-submission print/preview of application in NIH format

Submission status tracking for both Grants.gov and eRA Commons within a single system

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Application Submission Options4

Downloadable Forms*System-to-System ASSIST* Single-project only

Learn about options: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/ElectronicReceipt/preparing.htm#2

Your Application will be…

Subjected to the same registration requirementsCompleted with the same data itemsRouted through Grants.govValidated against the same NIH business rulesAssembled in a consistent format for review

considerationTracked in eRA Commons

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…regardless of submission option used.

In Addition to Standard Registration Requirements

You must have an eRA Commons account to use ASSIST

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Fun Fact: Over 308,000 people have eRA Commons accounts, including over 202,000 PIs.

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/ElectronicReceipt/files/registration_handout.pdf

Registration Notes

Grants.gov Designate E-Business Point of Contact (E-Biz

POC) Approves Authorized Organization Representatives

(AORs) providing authority to submit applications

eRA Commons Designate Signing Official (SO)

Registers or affiliates Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI)

The same person can be both an SO and a PI, but need two separate eRA Commons accounts

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Finding an Opportunity8

Success is where preparation and

opportunity meet.

-Bobby Unser

Find a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA)

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NIH Guide for Grants & ContractsGrants.gov Search

Opportunity

SBIR/STTR Parent Announcements10

http://sbir.nih.gov/

The SBIR/STTR website provides

direct links to omnibus and other funding opportunity

announcements.

SBIR: PA-15-269

STTR: PA-15-270

Standard Due Dates:• Sept 5• Jan 5• April 5

FOA11

Due Dates section links to standard dates web page or lists specific due dates

Carefully read full announcement

Check for updates in Related Notices• Guide notices supersede

announcement and application guide instructions

Instructions12

Pay special attention to Section IV. Application and Submission Information• Includes any FOA-specific

submission instructions• Instructions in FOA supersede

instructions in the application guide

Link to Application Guide

Application Guide

Read and follow application guide instructions Part I: Instructions for

Preparing and Submitting an Application

Agency-specific instructions are marked with the HHS logo

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http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/index.htm

Supplemental Instructions

Refer to Supplemental Instructions as needed

Part II: Supplemental Instructions for Preparing the Protection of Human Subjects Section of Research Plan

Part III: Policies, Assurances, Definitions and Other Information

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http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/index.htm

FOA “Apply” Buttons

Excerpt from FOA in NIH Guide…15

https://public.era.nih.gov/assist

Login with eRA Commons

Username & Password

Preparing Your Application16

A smart man makes a mistake, learns from it, and never makes

that mistake again. But a wise man finds a smart man and learns from him how to avoid

the mistake altogether.

-Roy H. Williams, Businessman

Intuitive Screen Layout

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Form navigationActions - vary based

on application context and access

ASSIST messages

Screen tips

Access online help

Automatic Application Access

ASSIST automatically provides application access to some individuals based on their role in eRA Commons or role on the application

Examples: Users with eRA Commons accounts that have the

Signing Official (SO) or Administrative Official (AO) role have access to all applications for their organization

PD/PIs have access to all their applications Application initiator has access to that

application

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Manage Access Feature

Signing Officials (SOs) can provide application access to anyone with an eRA Commons account SOs can delegate Access Maintainer authority to

others to manage application access for a specific application

Application access can be controlled across these variables: Read vs. Edit

Budget vs. Non-budget data

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Include All Required Attachments

Whether an attachment is required or not is often based on how you answer specific questions throughout the application

Examples: Human Subjects = Yes, then Human Subjects section

of the PHS 398 Research Plan is required Vertebrate Animals = Yes, then Vertebrate Animals

attachment is required More than one entry on the R&R Sr/Key Person Profile

form with the role of “PD/PI,” then the Multiple PD/PI Leadership Plan attachment on the PHS 398 Research Plan form is required

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Avoiding Common Errors

Annotated form sets are a great resource for helping identify many conditional

requirements.

Annotated form sets:http://grants.nih.gov/grants/ElectronicReceipt/communication.htm

Use PDF Format for All Attachments

Use simple PDF-formatted files Do not use Portfolio or similar feature to bundle

multiple files into a single PDF Disable security features such as password protection

Keep file names to 50 characters or lessUse meaningful filenamesDo not include headers or footers

Section headings as part of the text (e.g., Significance,

Innovation, Approach) are encouragedFollow guidelines for fonts and margins

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PDF Guidelines: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/ElectronicReceipt/pdf_guidelines.htm

Follow Specified Page Limits23

Page Limits: http://www.grants.nih.gov/grants/forms_page_limits.htm#other

Validate Application Screen

Errors and Warnings are

displayed

Corrective submissions must be made BEFORE the submission deadline and overwrite previous submissions.

Errors stop application processing and must be corrected You will be unable to

submit in ASSIST until all identified errors are corrected

Warnings do not stop application processing and are corrected at the discretion of the applicant

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Follow All Instructions26

Conformance to all instructions is required and strictly enforced1. Notices in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts 2. Funding Opportunity Announcement

Pay special attention to FOA-specific notices in the Related Notices section and to FOA-specific requirements in section IV

3. Application guide and supplemental instructions

eRA systems will catch many, but not all errors Some items are checked by staff post-submission

without the opportunity to correct for the same due date

Submitting Your Application

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I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.

-Douglas Adams

On-time SubmissionError-free applications must be accepted by Grants.gov with a time stamp on or before 5:00 p.m. local time of the submitting organization on the due date.

Important reminders:

NIH recommends submitting early (days, not minutes!) to allow time to address any unforeseen issues

NIH’s late policy does not allow corrections after the due date

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Submitting an Application in ASSIST

Submit Application button prompts for Grants.gov Authorized

Organizational Representative (AOR) login information

Must be logged into ASSIST with an eRA Commons account with

the Signing Official (SO) role

Application must be error-free and status updated to

Ready for Submission

You’re Not Finished Yet…30

Application Successfully submitted to NIH

Submitting to Grants.gov is NOT the last step in the process!

Tracking & Viewing Your Application

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Trust, but verify.

-Ronald Reagan

Assembled Application Image

Once an error-free application is received by NIH, the eRA system will:

Assemble the grant application image Insert headers (PI name) and footers (page numbers)

on all pages Generate Table of Contents and bookmark important

sections Post the assembled application image in the PD/PI’s

eRA Commons account Send notification

Email can be unreliable – proactively check application status

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View Submission Status Details

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Click View Submission Status Details

Track Submission Status within One System

Happy path…

• ASSIST = Submitted• Grants.gov = Agency

Tracking Number Assigned

• Agency = Processed

Agency Tracking # link brings you to the detailed

status screen in eRA Commons

Accessing the Application in eRA Commons

eApplication is the application image reviewers use.

Cover Letter and Appendices (when allowed) are stored separate from the application image.

Final Assembled Application Image36

TIP: This is the same application image that will be accessed by reviewers and staff, so

check it carefully!

Application Viewing Window

You have two (2) business days to view your assembled application image before it automatically moves forward for further processing

SO can Reject application in eRA Commons within viewing window and submit a Changed/Corrected application before the submission deadline

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If you can’t VIEW it, we can’t REVIEW it!

Submission Complete!

If no action is taken during the two business day viewing window, the application automatically moves forward for further processing at NIH

Any subsequent application changes are subject to the NIH policy on late submission of grant applications and the NIH policy on post-submission application materials NOT-OD-13-030

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ASSIST Demo39

Dealing with System Issues40

You must follow NIH’s standard ‘system issue’ procedure if you run into problems beyond your control that threaten your on-time submission: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/ElectronicReceipt/support.htm#guidelines

Finding Help & Resources

HELP DESKSON-LINE RESOURCES &WEB SITES

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Getting Help with ASSIST

eRA Service Desk Web: http://grants.nih.gov/support/ Phone: 1-866-504-9552 TTY: 301-451-5939 Hours : Mon-Fri, 7a.m. to 8 p.m. ET

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General Self-Help Resources

SBIR/STTR Application Guide SF424 (R&R) Forms Version C http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/SF424_RR_G

uide_SBIR_STTR_VerC.pdf

Small Business Grant Applications: Annotated SF424 (R&R) Form Set http://

grants.nih.gov/grants/ElectronicReceipt/files/Annotated_Forms_FORMS-C_SmallBus-1.pdf

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ASSIST Self-Help Resources

Getting Started: Preparing Your Single-project Application Using ASSIST http://

grants.nih.gov/grants/ElectronicReceipt/files/ASSIST-Getting-Started-Single-project.pdf

ASSIST Online Help https://era.nih.gov/erahelp/ASSIST/default.htm

ASSIST User Guide https://era.nih.gov/files/ASSIST_user_guide.pdf

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Systems & Sites

eRA Commons: https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/

ASSIST: https://public.era.nih.gov/assist

NIH SBIR/STTR: http://sbir.nih.gov/

NIH About Grants: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/oer.htm

Electronic Research Administration: http://era.nih.gov/

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