Here is my take on some of John's questions.

I think we can expect all agencies to keep their grants management
systems -- FastLane, NIH Commons, Education eGrants, etc.  Grants.gov
is currently only planned for grants submission (and the Find part of
course).  Grant seekers can send their applications via Grants.gov to
the agencies who will then post them to their own sites.  In the
Grants.gov webcast there was mention of error checking but this can be
nothing like what NIH Commons or FastLane currently do.  So, G.g is
"just" a conduit to get the applications into the agency system.  There
is a meeting soon of G.g staff and some of its user community to
discuss adding features to the system such as post award functions and
faculty profiles.

Given that NIH is the sponsoring agency for Grants.gov it seems
doubtful that they can continue to avoid using the system.  Might we
soon see a merging of the data on the 398 to fit into a Grants.gov
schema?  Thus Grants.gov will have a substantial effect on those who
are heavy NIH grant seekers.  Again, error checking is a stumbling
block.

The NIH Commons is good for many things besides eSNAPS even now.  JIT
and NCTX for example.  PI's can look up scores and other aspects of the
review process.  The electronic Competing Grants Application Program
(eCGAP) is well under way already, allowing electronic submission by
anyone as of January.  You can work through one of the original 6
vendors who created submission programs or develop your own.  I believe
some other venders are getting into the business too.  See here
http://era.nih.gov/Projectmgmt/SBIR/sbir_grants.htm

You do not actually use the Commons to submit the applications but they
end up in the Commons for viewing and the PI and the Signing Official
must go to the Commons for final approval.

Bob
__________________________________
Robert Beattie
Managing Senior Project Representative
 for Electronic Research Administration
Division of Research Development and Administration
University of Michigan
3003 S. State Street   Ann Arbor, MI  48109-1274
office: 734 936-1283    mobile: 734 717-6281
xxxxxx@umich.edu

On Mar 10, 2005, at 11:09 AM, John A Brown wrote:

Great comment Robert. I too was at the webcast and did not learn much.
The Q&A was very short. NIH is about 80% of our funding so if the 398
is not implemented via Grants.gov, then this has no substantial effect
on us. Also, I saw that NSF is participating. Does anyone know if they
are going to drop FastLane?

Regarding the NIH eRA Commons, does anyone know if they is just going
to be a place to submit eSNAP's online, or will be soon submitting New
applications as well

Regarding the Technical aspects, great point Robert regarding different
platforms. Also, there was no mention if it is compatible with
different browsers (i.e. netscape, windows, etc.)

Thanks

John Brown

Robert Beattie wrote:

> Strange, I just got the invitation TODAY! I noticed the dates after I
> sent my message. I did listen to the talking screen and downloaded the
> slides and transcript and did not learn anything except about NIH
> applications.
>
> I wanted to ask some questions. Nobody asked any tough questions.
> Why not Macs?
> What's up with the system to system version?
> and suggest that they explain better that individual grant seekers do
> not need to register if they are at an institution with central
> submission. Only the central office needs to register.
>
> The most important comment was that NIH is going to allow Form 424
> submissions using the new 424 Research and Related form (424R&R)
> starting in June of 2005. This will present a very interesting
> situation as I do not think NIH is dropping the 398. So three ways to
> get applications to NIH: standard paper 398, electronic 398 via the
> eCGAP (electronic Competing Grant Application Program), and via
> Grants.gov with the 424R&R.
>
> The G.g people say they are going into the community to talk-up the
> system. A good chance for us to promote a better interface that uses
> more than just PCs.
>
> Bob
> xxxxxx@umich.edu
>
>
>
> On Mar 10, 2005, at 10:40 AM, Charlie Hathaway wrote:
>
> It was yesterday. If you like listening to someone read a PowerPoint
> presentation, slides not scrolling automatically, and find
> testimonials convincing (like a GWB "townhall" meeting), you'd have
> loved it.
>
> CH
>
> At 10:24 AM 3/10/2005, you wrote:
>
>> I forgot to mention there is a webcast about G.g today at 11am est
>> go here
>> http://w.on24.com/r.htm?e=11256&s=1&k=C759A231D90C42F2939152CD48738CF
>>
>> live questions -- Why not Mac? for example
>>
>> Bob
>> xxxxxx@umich.edu
>>
>>
>>
>> On Mar 9, 2005, at 4:46 PM, Richard Magyar wrote:
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Has anyone come across a submission in which using the new grants.gov
>> process was MANDATORY?
>>
>> My understanding was that the grants.gov system would be phased in
>> gradually, with only voluntary participation for at least the next
>> year or
>> so. Imagine my surprise when we found out that our latest DOE grant
>> REQUIRES the grants.gov submission mechanism.
>>
>> The problem, for us, is in the software grants.gov requires us to use.
>> The
>> “PureEdge” viewer is incompatible with Macintoshes, and the company
>> developing that software (PureEdge Solutions) has no plans to ever
>> create a
>> Mac solution.
>>
>> They recommend using VirtualPC, which is awkward and unreliable
>> workaround.
>>
>> I’d originally hoped that grants.gov would mature as a service in the
>> next
>> year or so, and eventually expand it’s support to multiple platforms.
>> "Fastlane" is a good example of exactly that kind of success through
>> graduate service roll-out.
>>
>> But if we are all to be required to use this new service more-or-less
>> immediately, then waiting for the bugs to be worked out will NOT be an
>> option.
>>
>>
>> Anyone else in the same boat?
>> Anyone have any insight on grants.gov or solutions to these platform
>> issues?
>>
>>
>> --
>> Thanks for your time,
>>
>> Rich Magyar
>> Systems Administrator
>> Eastern Michigan University
>> Graduate Studies & Research
>> 734-487-3090
>> xxxxxx@emich.edu
>>
>>

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