| 4. Complete Your Application |
| BASICS |
- Use the specific application package and instructions linked to each FOA. Note that each FOA can have different instructions and forms.
- Review both the instructions and the application. Be sure to read every page of the instructions as crucial information can be buried.
- Make sure you have all the documentation available for the particular FOA to which you are responding.
- DO NOT reuse grant application packages. Download a fresh copy each time you apply. Sample application packages cannot be used to apply to any funding opportunity announcements (FOA).
- Once down loaded, an application is completed off line on a personal computer, and then forwarded via a CD, email or USB drive to your Institutional Representative for electronic submission to Grants.gov.
Stony Brook's DUNS
number: Stony
Brook already has an assigned
Data Universal Number System
(DUNS) number. Stony Brook's
DUNS number (required for
every SF 424 and SF 424RR)
is: 804878247 (Grants.gov
will add 4 zeros)
| NAVIGATING THE APPLICATION PACKAGE |
Instructions for completing the application package are listed at the bottom of the screen. Immediately turn on the Help Mode. Use the help button on the Grants.gov toolbar. Once the help mode is on as you hover over a box it will provide instructions.
Each application package has a cover page that lists all the forms necessary to complete the grant application package. The cover page also acts as the central point form which you will navigate through to complete all forms.
All fields highlighted in yellow are mandatory, regardless of the agency. However, there may be additional fields which are mandatory under agency specific guidelines.
- These fields must be completed, even if it means entering a "0" or "NA" in the field. Note: When editing, be careful to not leave highlighted mandatory fields blank.
- When you type over a highlighted field, the highlight will disappear. However if you delete what you typed when editing, the highlighting will not reappear.
- Some mandatory fields are completed only when you upload an attachment. Follow the agency-specific instructions for the required information. The field will show the filename of the uploaded information. Use file names that describe the material; do not include empty spaces in the file name (use underscoring if there are spaces to the file name; e.g.: file_name).
The first box to complete is the Application Filing Name. This box is for you so that you can keep track of your proposal. We recommend the PI name and SPO number, if available.
Open and complete all of the documents listed in the Mandatory Documents and Optional Documents sections. The documents listed in these sections may be predefined forms, such as SF-424, or documents that need to be attached, such as a program background statement. Mandatory Documents are required for this application. Optional Documents can be used to provide additional support for this application or may be required for specific types of grant activity. Reference the application package instructions for more information regarding Optional Documents.
You begin working on a form by selecting the form from the list, and clicking the button Open Form. When the form is completed, click the Close Form button at the top left of the page.
Then, on the cover page, move the form from the “Mandatory Documents” section to the “Mandatory Completed Documents for Submission” section (see image below).
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Note: The file can be modified continually as you enter data. As you save each form, you will overwrite the existing file. If you choose, you can save different versions but name the file accordingly.
| APPLICATION FORMS |
- The two Grants.gov documents in Grants.gov that are common to most federal agencies are the SF 424 or SF 424 RR cover page and budget page. The SF 424 and SF 424RR form sets are very similar – just a few fields differ. If the SF-424 is in the application package, you must complete the SF-424 first. SF-424 will automatically complete additional fields on other forms with the information you entered.
- All agencies include their OWN additional form sets. The documents that are to be uploaded must be completed in accordance with the agency-specific program guidelines (e.g., font type, size, margins, page limitations, etc.) and uploaded in PDF format (conversion must be coordinated at the department level).
The following fields may require some research; use the following information and tips to complete your application.
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- Section 15 - Project Director/Principal Investigator Contact Information
- These fields will be populated by information entered in Section 5 above. Change to PI's mailing address.
- Section 16 - Estimated Project Funding
- Total estimated project funding includes F&A. The amount listed here must match the cumulative total calculated automatically by Grants.gov.
- Total Federal & Non Federal amount will be the same as in field "a" unless there is mandatory cost-sharing.
- Estimated Program Income: If none, put “0” in the field-do not leave blank.
- Section 17 - Is application subject to review by State Executive Order 12372?
- Most of the time the answer will be “b- NO, Program is not covered by E.Q.12372”
- If a program is subject to state review, the program announcement will clearly state so. When in doubt, contact your Institutional Representative
- Section 19 - Authorized Representative
- These fields will be populated by information entered in Section 5 above. Change to Institutional Representative's mailing address.
| RESEARCH AND RELATED BUDGET |
- Line items in the budget, must be rounded to the nearest whole dollar amount. (Do not use commas, decimal points or cents.)
- Sections A and B: effort is reflected by person-months not % effort. To calculate person-months, multiply the percentage of effort by the number of months of the appointment.
- Example of 12 Month Appointment: 50% effort X 12 months = 6 man months
- Example of a nine Month Appointment: 50% effort X 9 months = 4.5 man months
- Section H: indicates indirect costs as “F&A” followed by the base, e.g.,“MTDC”, “TDC”, etc.
- Section H: the Cognizant Agency : Department of Health and Human Services.
- You MUST upload a PDF budget justification before you can access an additional budget period.
If the budget justification is not ready, upload any document so you can proceed to another budget period; but don’t forget to upload the justification later! - Data for each budget period must be entered separately (data from one period does not automatically populate the same fields in the next period).
- Grants.gov will automatically create the cumulative budget. You will receive an error message if the cumulative budget does not match the amount you listed on box16.
- For NIH Applications, see Checklist for submitting an NIH Grants.gov application
| AS YOU PROGRESS |
Note: Be sure to save frequently, as your Grants.gov session may be locked after a period of inactivity.
- When all the pages within a form are completed, select the “Close Form” button to close it.
- Then, click the “save” button on the Grant Application Package page.
- An error message may occur. Ignore this warning, and save.
- Once all forms are completed, and the application is saved, select the “Review Package for Errors” button. This will identify all mandatory fields that have not been completed. The process is time-consuming and tedious. Only one error at a time shows, and you cannot move to the next error until the first error is corrected.
- Ensure the partially-completed application package is saved to a location on your computer or on a shared drive. Do this by clicking the “Save” button in the ICS Viewer.
- Documents uploaded must be formatted in accordance with the agency's specifications and relevant program instructions (font size/type; margins; page limitations, etc.) and in PDF format. It is the responsibility of the department to coordinate conversion to PDF.
- Continue to complete all the necessary forms in the application package. When all mandatory elements of the grant application have been completed, the "Submit" button at the top left corner of the page becomes active. DO NOT click this button.
| PRINTING |
- The Print Button on the Grant Application Package page does not print a complete, clean copy of the application! The result is lots of wasted paper printed with meaningless data.
It is best to print each page as you complete it. Use the print button at the top of each page. - Attachments do not print automatically. You must first open an attachment for viewing, then print.
- It takes TIME to print an application.