All good points Tom, thanks.

I wonder when Jean Feldman says "FastLane... around for another year at
least" does she mean as a grants submission system or in any form.  The
current mandate for Grants.gov is only for grants submission so
agencies will need to keep their current systems for all the other
functions.

Bob
xxxxxx@umich.edu

On Mar 10, 2005, at 1:07 PM, Tom Drinane wrote:

I think Bob gave some excellent answers, but I think there are a few
points that need to be emphasized.

 * NIH has announced its commitment to accept applications through
 Grants.gov.  As I understand it, you submit to G.g (in some
 version of the 424 R&R, whether that's using Pure Edge or a S2S
 route), G.g sends to NIH, and NIH then converts the information
 from NIH to a 398.  Some of us question the wisdom of this
 approach, but as I understand it, this is the plan as of now.
 * On the expected life span of FastLane & other systems.  Last Fall,
 in a presentation to our Regional NCURA group, Jean Feldman
 committed to FastLane being around for another year at least.  My
 interpretation is that we don't know how long FastLane & others
 will be around, but that the goal is that all grant activity at
 some point will travel through G.g.  In the long run, this is a
 good thing, but the transitions will be difficult.  Frankly, the
 progress on these fronts has been a lot faster than I would have
 predicted three years ago, although clearly there is still a long
 way to go.
 * Just to clarify one point.  NIH Commons was never intended to be a
 front end for grant application submission.  NIH does accept
 applications electronically, but only through some third party -
 one of the CGAP vendors Bob mentioned or G.g.  There is also the
 possibility of using a home grown S2S solution - either by sending
 e-applications directly to NIH or through G.g.

Robert Beattie wrote:

> 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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Tom Drinane
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xxxxxx@direcway.com

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 Instructions on how to use the RESADM-L Mailing List, including
 subscription information and a web-searchable archive, are available
 via our web site at http://www.hrinet.org (click on "Listserv Lists")
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