INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING GRANTS.GOV
PUREEDGE AT UCSF

This page is a quick reference for UCSF investigators and staff using Grants.gov PureEdge when applying to a non-NIH agency.

Note: If you are applying to NIH you will need to use the instructions for Grants.gov Cayuse.

Grants.gov using PureEdge has two main components:

Find – search for funding opportunities
Apply – download application packages, complete applications locally

Tips before you start

• Start early! especially if you are using Grants.gov for the first time.



• Grants.gov requires use of a free software program called PureEdge Viewer to open and work on application packages.



• Grants.gov Cayuse: If you are applying to NIH you are required to use Cayuse application software. PureEdge was written for Windows machines, but will work on Macintosh computers when using a Windows emulation program or if connected to the NIH Citrix server. For Macintosh users, a pre-release version of the IBM Workforce Forms Viewer for the Macintosh has been make available by IBM.



• Principal investigators and campus staff do not create Grants.gov accounts. The only account holders are C&G research administrators who submit applications with Grants.gov.



• The Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number for the University of California San Francisco is 094878337. UC San Francisco is already in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR); do not re-register the institution.



• Principal investigators and campus staff do not submit the application. C&G submits applications to Grants.gov. PIs must submit a printed proposal copy to C&G for review along with the signed OSR Approval Form. After C&G reviews the printed proposal, C&G submits the application electronically.



• The Grants.gov Customer Support section has some good resources for learning and using the system: Training Demonstration, Tutorial, and User Guide.

Steps for using Grants.gov “Apply”

1. Download and Install PureEdge Viewer

• PureEdge Viewer is a small, free program required by Grants.gov to access, complete and submit applications. The software should be installed by everyone who will be working on the submission. People who will be only contributing documents such as PDF files will not need the software.



• To install the viewer, go to http://grants.gov/DownloadViewer and download the viewer and the upgrade patch.



• PureEdge Viewer was written for Microsoft Windows. To run the software on an Apple Macintosh computer, install Virtual PC or other emulator software first or install the Citrix client application and Citrix ICA file. Download the Citrix Client Startup Guide and follow instructions for downloading the Citrix Client application and the Citrix ICA file.)

2. Identify and Download the Application Package

• Each application package is specific to a specific grant program and deadline and cannot be used for other grant programs.



• Use Grants.gov “Find” to search for and identify the grant program you want to apply for, and click the “Apply for Grant Electronically” button at the bottom of the page.



• Or, if you know the program-specific Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number or Funding Opportunity Number, go to https://apply.grants.gov/forms_apps_idx.html, type in the number, and download the application package and instructions.

3. Complete the Application Package

• Application instructions provide guidance on how to complete the application. The steps below should be sufficient to have your application accepted by Grants.gov. However, the agency may reject it in a later step if you do not follow all of the program application instructions.



• Complete all fields that are yellow, or the application package will not be validated. If a yellow question doesn’t apply, answer with a zero or N/A.



• For the SF424(R&R) form:
  the DUNS for UCSF is 094878337,
  the employer identification number (EIN) is 946036493 (1946036493A6 for NIH), and
  the Congressional District is 12th



• Open and complete all the forms listed in the mandatory box.



• Move all the forms in the mandatory box to the “Completed Documents for Submission” box.



• Move all optional completed forms and/or documents to the “Optional Completed Documents for Submission” box.



• Click the “Verify Package” button. Make sure no errors are returned.



• Click the “Save” button to save the final copy of the application.



• Make sure that the “Submit” button is now active, although you will not be able to submit the application.



• If you revise the application, you must repeat the last three steps.

4. Provide an Electronic Copy, a Printed Copy, OSR Approval Form and Internal Certification Materials if Applicable to C&G for Review

• Allow ten working days before the agency deadline to allow sufficient time for review and electronic submission. Errors in the application will require multiple submissions.



• Submit a printed copy of the application to the appropriate C&G Analyst for review along with the signed OSR Approval Form and all other required documents.



• Contracts and Grants now has a server dedicated for the uploading of PureEdge files (attachments) for Grants.gov submissions. This server should be used when sending files to C&G as part of an electronic Grants.gov submission.



• You will need FTP client software on your computer prior to being able to upload PureEdge files to the C&G server. There are many different types and brands of FTP client software on the market today to accommodate all computer platforms and security requirements. The connection to the C&G server is not limited by the type of FTP client utilized. We highly recommend that you speak with your Computer Support Coordinator (CSC) prior to using or installing FTP software.



• Information to Connect to the C&G Server:

  Server Address: 128.218.52.22
  User: anonymous
  Password: There is no password

• Pure Edge File Naming Convention

  PI Last Name.Proposal Express #.Version# (example: Helton.P0007258.v1). Any subsequent revisions of a PureEdge file that is sent to C&G should be reflected in the version #(i.e. v2, v3…..)

  Your C&G Analyst will remove your PureEdge file from the server once the hard copy of the proposal has been received and reviewed at C&G. It will then be submitted to Grants.gov.
  

• Other Options to Submit PureEdge Attachments
  1. Depending on the size of the PureEdge file you may be able to send it as an attachment via email. Although this is not the preferred method we will accept the PureEdge file in this manner if for some reason you are not able to connect with the C&G FTP server.
  2. Depending on the size of the PureEdge file you may be able to save it onto a CD. Again, this is not the preferred method as you may have to use more than one CD if corrections need to be made to the file. If you choose to copy the PureEdge file onto a CD please bring it to C&G with the hard copy of the proposal.
     
• C&G will then review and submit the application to Grants.gov.

5. After Submission to Grants.gov

• Email from Grants.gov will confirm if the proposal was received and if it passed or failed data verification.



• Later, email from the agency will confirm that the agency received the application and if it passed or failed data verification.



• If there are errors in Grants.gov submission, you must correct them and email or deliver the application to C&G so that C&G can resubmit it.



• 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, FastLane for NSF proposals or Commons for NIH proposals).



• If you have any questions regarding this procedure, please contact Debbie Caulfield at 476-2782 or by email at debbie.caulfield@ucsf.edu