Grants.gov at Berkeley

Grants.gov provides a common website for federal agencies to post discretionary funding opportunities and for grantees to find and apply to them.

Grants.gov Workspace

As of January 1, 2018, Grants.gov uses Workspace, a new way to create a federal grant application. The previously used application package and forms were phased out after December 2017.

Most federal agencies use Grants.gov to apply for federal funds. These applications are now submitted through Grants.gov Workspace. Exceptions are:

  • Proposals to NSF still may be submitted using FastLane,
  • NIH proposals still must be submitted via ASSIST, and
  • NASA proposals will continue to be submitted using NSPIRES.

What do PIs need to do?

All that Principal Investigators (PIs) need to do is register as an “Organization Applicant.” To do this, the PI will need Berkeley’s Berkeley’s Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): GS3YEVSS12N6. After registering, the PI should give their username to the campus Research Administrator (RA) who will be helping the PI with future Grants.gov applications in Workspace.

What do RAs need to do?

Before an RA can help a PI with a future Grants.gov application in Workspace, the RA must obtain a “Manage Workspace Role.” To do this, the RA will need to register in Workspace as an Organization Applicant using Berkeley’s Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): GS3YEVSS12N6. Then the RA must contact their assigned SPO Contract and Grant Officer (CGO), as SPO will need to approve the RA’s “Manage Workspace Role.”

Tips Before You Start

  • Start early! This is very important especially if you are using Grants.gov for the first time. If you have any problems with a Grants.gov application, contact a SPO CGO. You will find the CGO assigned to your unit by using the search box on the SPO staff list.
  • The Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) for the University of California, Berkeley is GS3YEVSS12N6. UC Berkeley is already in the System for Award Management (SAM); do not re-register the institution.
  • It is the responsibility of PIs and campus staff to prepare Grants.gov applications, but only SPO CGOs are authorized to submit these applications to federal sponsors via Grants.gov.

Steps for Using Grants.gov

Identify the Workspace Application Package

  • Each Workspace application package is specific to a specific grant program and deadline and cannot be used for other grant programs.
  • Use the Grants.gov Search to search for and identify the grant program you want to apply for, and click the Application Package tab.
  • Or, if you know the program-specific Assistance Listings (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance [CFDA]) number or Funding Opportunity Number, go to the Search for Opportunity Package page, type in the number, and download the application package and instructions. You can search for Assistance Listings (CFDA) numbers on SAM.gov.

Creating a Grants.gov Workspace Application

  • Carefully read the instructions to ensure you are following proper submission procedures for that program; some agencies may be using alternates to Grants.gov for application submission.
  • Grants.gov provides resources for learning and using the system, including Get Started on Your Workspace Application, For Applicants, and Learn Grants.

Submitting a Grants.gov Workspace Application to SPO

Submit Grants.gov applications to SPO for review and submission using Phoebe Proposal, the UC Berkeley system for proposal approvals and routing from departments and units to SPO and the Industry Alliances Office (IAO). When a proposal is being submitted through Grants.gov Workspace, no attachment is needed, unless required by the administering unit. Provide the Grants.gov-assigned Workspace ID number in the Sponsor Proposal ID field on the Proposal tab in Phoebe Proposal. If there are errors in Grants.gov submission, you must correct them and make any necessary changes in Workspace, prior to submission to SPO.

After Submission to Grants.gov

  • After the application is submitted, the SPO administrator will receive emails from Grants.gov and the agency confirming receipt of the application and whether or not the application passed or failed data verification. The SPO administrator will forward the pertinent email to the BRS/Department Research Administrator and the PI.
  • Once the proposal has been accepted by the agency, it is no longer in Grants.gov. The only way to check on its status is to query the agency (for example, eRA Commons for NIH proposals).

Resources

 

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