Re: Any minds changed? Molly Daniel 02 Mar 2007 11:21 EST

If I may, let me add to the gripes about the agencies who are dragging their feet and perpetuating the dual process of paper and electronic submissions. It has not been uncommon for those same agencies to direct applicants to the "electronic" versions of the required application forms, which in reality, are not fillable forms but scanned digital images saved in a PDF format. This forces us to print the forms and -- do what?? Use a typewriter? or to go searching the internet for the true fillable version of the form. These agencies could at the very least, make the electronic versions of their forms available in a format that allows applicants to enter text electronically, even while they insist on getting the paper copies. I won't name any names, but it has been my experience that agencies relying on the PHS-5191 forms are woefully out of step in this regard.

After a couple days of searching, I finally located a fillable PDF form for the PHS-5191, only to learn that not all the forms in it are fillable and many fields use a font size too large to allow entry of information that exceeds a certain length. Of course, if I try to edit the form, I find that it has a security feature that requires a password. Yes, I tried emailing the agency (several times, to different contact persons) to request a non-passworded version and never received a reply.

-------------------------------
Molly Daniel
Grants Specialist
Planning Department
Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center
1000 Health Center Drive
Mattoon, IL  61938
xxxxxx@sblhs.org
tel. 217-258-2195
fax 217-258-4135

-----Original Message-----
From: Research Administration List [mailto:xxxxxx@hrinet.org]On Behalf
Of Robert Beattie
Sent: Friday, March 02, 2007 9:22 AM
To: xxxxxx@hrinet.org
Subject: [RESADM-L] Any minds changed?

Robert Bloomberg asks a good question below.  Without question, I am
still happy with "where we are going."  We are not there yet.  It's
been only a year.  The prior paper system evolved over 40 years. For
me, at least, since I helped a professor prepare a proposal: typing,
copying on a ditto machine, and hand carrying from Chicago to DC.  I
look forward to getting to the new place.

The great situation is not that a few of us are having a few
problems, but that all of us are actually getting many proposals to
sponsors with not much effort.  Just last year we had stacks of
copies of paper proposals, piled high around the office, boxes to
pack, fedex labels to make, PI's and staff coming and going, picking
up and delivering at the last minute.  The goal of Grants.gov must be
valued and worth a couple years of hassle to get it right.
One Form, One System, One Portal

It's not the agencies like NIH that we need to be critical of, or
even DOJ and DoEd and DOD (who are trying)  but those who are
dragging their bureaucratic feet -- not making it mandatory or
allowing their old systems or still asking for paper.

Bob
xxxxxx@umich.edu

On Mar 1, 2007, at 4:17 PM, Bloomberg, Robert wrote:

There was a discussion on this list a few days or so ago about
whether grants.gov was a positive or a negative.  After reading all
the emails today about errors, fixes, warnings, re-submissions, etc,
I wonder what people think about that prior discussion.  Any minds
changed either way?

-----Original Message-----
From: Research Administration List [mailto:xxxxxx@hrinet.org]On Behalf
Of Bonnie Kwit
Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2007 4:09 PM
To: xxxxxx@hrinet.org
Subject: Re: [RESADM-L] do errors self-correct?

My EIN was a warning not an error once, and the other time it was an
error.
I found that in both cases I needed to eliminate the A1 at the end.
Also,
you shouldn't use the "-" 38-XXXXXXX.  That was something else that
hadn't
been affected before but now seems to be causing warnings.
Bonnie

Bonnie Kwit
Grants & Contracts Officer
Oakland University
544 O'Dowd Hall
(248) 370-4116
-----Original Message-----
From: Research Administration List [mailto:xxxxxx@hrinet.org] On
Behalf Of
Robert Beattie
Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2007 3:52 PM
To: xxxxxx@hrinet.org
Subject: [RESADM-L] do errors self-correct?

I do not think the system is  self-correcting.  If something is an
error the first time, if you make no change, it will be an error
every other time.

I may be wrong.  Does anyone have an example of a error not being
fixed but resubmitted and then not being an error?

My experience is such that I recommend  errors be fixed.

Angela, what happened the 4th time you submitted?  That is how did
you get the EIN to be accepted

Bob
xxxxxx@umich.edu

On Mar 1, 2007, at 3:35 PM, Angela Willis wrote:

I will put my two cents in for complaints.  The problem that we
experienced is our EIN #.  Even though it was 9 digits, Commons saw
it as not being long enough.

We submitted it three times and still the same thing error came up,
among other things.

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