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PDS and e-Submission Updates

January 2009

Grants.gov Update:• New versions of Adobe READER

• NIH timeline for Adobe transition

• NSF timeline for Adobe transition

• Grants.gov 2007 system, Processing Experience

• Grants.gov Blog

• New Forms and Form Versions

• S2S Submission Statistics

New versions of Adobe READER

QUESTION: Which version of Adobe READER should we be using?

ANSWER: Version 8.1.3 or higher. If you are currently using version 8.1.3 or 9.0, you are good to go!

More Explanation:

On November 10, 2008, Grants.gov announced the release of Adobe READER 8.1.3 was ready for use in preparing application packages.

Version 8.1.3 has been released to repair flaws in previous versions 8.1.1 and 8.1.2

Both Grants.gov and Adobe recommend applicants should convert to version 8.1.3 if they have not already updated to version 9.0

Again, this applies to Adobe READER only - the tool used to view .pdf files andfor preparing the new Adobe-based application packages. It does not apply to howyou generate .pdf attachment files.

Download Adobe Reader Software:

~ To ensure you have the latest compatible version, visit the download software page at Grants.gov. please refer to the information at the following link:

http://www.grants.gov/help/download_software.jsp#adobe811

Help Downloading and Installing the Software:

~ If you need technical help downloading and installing the Adobe Software, contact the computer desktop support professional for your area.

Resources:

~Adobe Reader and PureEdge FAQs

http://www.grants.gov/assets/AdobePEFAQs.pdf

~ Adobe Reader FAQs.

http://www.grants.gov/help/general_faqs.jsp#adobe

NIH timeline for Adobe transition:

Excerpts from NIH 11.19.2008 Adobe Transition announcement:

1) The form updates have been under development at Grants.gov and we (NIH) have yet to receive and incorporate into our eSubmission system the new information that will allow us to get where we need to go.

2) First destination – get to Adobe forms Adobe-based application packages will be available for most opportunities by

December 5. These packages, we’ll call “ADOBE-FORMS-A”, will containAdobe-based equivalents of the PureEdge forms we currently use....

.....Since we will still need to accommodate the additional form updates, these packages will likely be used only through April 2009.

3) Future destinations Beginning in March 2009, we will re-post application packages to align with

the latest OMB and FFATA form updates (“ADOBE-FORMS-B”). We hopethat these packages will remain for at least two submission rounds. This form set will position us to move forward with the Fellowship and Training transitions to electronic application submission. These transitions are

dependent on our ability to process applications that use the updated forms.

Excerpts from NIH 11.19.2008 Adobe Transition announcement (cont.)

How does this affect NIH's schedule to bring on additional funding mechanisms?

4) Career Development will transition as scheduled for the February 12, 2009 receipt date and will use the Adobe equivalent of the current PureEdge forms (“ADOBE-FORMS-A”).

5) The transition for the Training program is on schedule for a September 25, 2009 transition. The Training application packages, however, will include the OMB and FFATA form updates (“ADOBE-FORMS-B”).

6) Fellowships were currently scheduled to transition April 8, 2009. The delay in receiving

updated forms from Grants.gov has forced us to shift our development schedules. We will now be working to accommodate the form updates during the timeframe we had planned to prepare our system for the F transition. This leaves us much less certain about our ability to meet our current transition date for Fellowships. A decision on when to transition Fellowships will be made very soon and communicated through the normal channels.Note: August 2009 (tentative date)

NSF Grants.gov ImplementationNSF Grants.gov Implementation in FY 2009** in FY 2009**

Unless otherwise specified, FastLane Unless otherwise specified, FastLane oror Grants.gov may be used for the vast majority of Grants.gov may be used for the vast majority of NSF programsNSF programs Some programs will encourage use of FastLaneSome programs will encourage use of FastLane

Will not be mandated until a Grants.gov solution Will not be mandated until a Grants.gov solution has been developed for:has been developed for: Separately submitted collaborative proposals; andSeparately submitted collaborative proposals; and Fellowship programs that require submission Fellowship programs that require submission

of reference lettersof reference letters

**From NSF October 2008 SRA presentation

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Grants.gov 2007

Processing Experiences

GRANTS.gov 2007 PROCESSING EXPERIENCE:

• Busy Signals:

The high activity message you are seeing is due to activity at Grants.gov. This is a common condition with Ggov system to system (S2S) submissions,

which we particularly see over weekends, holidays, deadline days and later inthe afternoon and evening as activity picks up from the other time zones.

In general, our routinely successful times have tended to be during the 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM window M-F. Even then, it depends on the level of

activity at Grants.gov and we've seen that is it not unusual to require multipleattempts.

• General Delays in processing: Feb 4 through Feb 9

Reminder: Grants.gov does allow themselves 48 hours to process an application. This is stated in the confirmation Receipt e-mail messages along with the Tracking ID and TimeStamp. With the volume, re-processing and

re-submissions due to the “false errors” it took in some cases over 4 days and multiple submissions to resolve.

GRANTS.gov 2007 PROCESSING EXPERIENCE (cont):

• False Errors: • Error Message: Could Not Invoke Service..Nested Exception• “Failed to Update GrantApplication XML’s LOB”• “Buffer Overflow”• “REJECTED WITH ERRORS”

• Real Errors: • java.lang.Exception: 16 error (attachment naming conventions)• Missing Grants.gov Project Role (Senior Key Personnel)• Missing or Incorrect PI Credentials (Senior Key Personnel)

• PDS “time-out” (long wait & then kicked off)

• Grants.gov Upgrade weekend of Feb 7/8• Primarily aimed at performance and correcting processing errors• Processing and Busy Signals better • Some “false errors” persist

GRANTS.gov 2007 PROCESSING EXPERIENCE (cont):

• Procedures: • Important to work with your Grants Analyst

• The Grants.gov problems are universal• Some times we already have a Ggov case #

• Each problem with each application should be reported to the agency• Unique case #’s in this case are instrumental if cover letter needed

• Report all occurrences of PDS “time-out” to prevent duplicate submissions

• If you feel it is necessary contact Grants.gov directly:• S2S versus Adobe-package important – but……• Objective is to document problem and obtain case #• If you have Ggov Tracking ID, the objective is to confirm submission status and to determine a course of action

MISCELLANEOUS:

• Ggov TimeStamps: The time Grants.gov returns to us is Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). It is international time, the basis for the world clock. It is local time + 6 hours.We thought it best to simply capture the time exactly as it is sent back to us

rather than converting it.

In the PDS comments, we mark the submission with the local time. So you’ll be able to see that recorded along with the Ggov TimeStamp.

The e-mails we receive from Ggov are all Eastern Standard Time.

• Checking Ggov Submission Status:

The “Check Ggov Status” button on the Submission Status page has been removed. This function stopped working when we switched to Ggov 2007We intend to make this available again after we confirm it is working properly and consistently.

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Grants.gov BLOG

Another source of Information

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New R&R Forms

and Form Versions

NEW R&R Forms and Form Versions (“ADOBE-FORMS-B”) :

• S2S Submission of K-Award Funding Opportunity Announcements

• S2S Submission of Applications including Sub-Award/Sub-Contracts

• Forms:

SF-424 (R&R) V1.1 (*combo 1.1 and 1.2 vers)RR_OtherProjectInfo_1_2 V1.2PHS398_CoverPageSupplement_1_3 V1.3RR_KeyPersonExpanded_1_2 V1.2RR_PersonalData_1_2 V1.2PerformanceSite_1_2 V1.2PHS398_Checklist_1_3 V1.3PHS398_ResearchPlan_1_2 V1.2Attachment-V1.0 V1.0 (DOD, optional and required…)PHS398_CareerDevelopmentAwardSup V1.0 (New K-award) NSF CoverPage_1_2 V1.2NSF Application Checklist_1_2 V1.2SBIR/STTR Information_1_1 V1.1

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PDS S2S

Submission Statistics

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PDS S2S Submission Statistics

===============================================================================

As of 02.10.09 (PDS LIFETIME):

2149 - 155 (ggov rejects) = 1994 submissions for 1331 distinct proposals 67% to agy first time 93% to ggov w/o errors

From 12/25/08 thru 02/10/09 (based on ggov emails)

183 Receipts - 23 Errors* = 160 submissions for 77 Tracking numbers 48% to agy first time 87% to ggov w/o errors

*Note: The decline in success ratios for this period is relative to the Adobe Transition This is estimate based on ggov e-mails - likley higher due to Ggov 2007 processing issues

From 11/19/08 thru 12/24/08 (based on ggov emails)

54 Receipts - 10 Errors = 44 submissions for 24 Tracking numbers 56% to agy first time 81% to ggov w/o errors

===============================================================================

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PDS and e-Submission Updates

January 2009