Hello, everyone,

I echo the thanks to Bob for helping us understand this process.

I am also concerned about another agency, the USDA Forest Service, and
how at least our local/regional office is requiring use of the revised
grant application forms from the Grants.gov site.  We have been told
that the Forest Service's paper forms reached their expiration, and they
are now requiring us to access the standard forms via Grant.gov to use
in lieu of the paper forms we have always used with them.

The problem is, we are not *submitting* these forms to the Forest
Service via Grants.gov.  We are simply accessing them, and as the PDF
versions are not fillable, that requires opening up the PureEdge
Versions, filling them out to the extent possible, printing them,
signing them and mailing them to the agency.  And by the way, it also
requires whiting out some of the prefilled items to put in correct
information that cannot be done on the screen before printing.  This
strikes me as an absurd exercise.

I cannot see a way to access the forms via the OMB website or Forest
Service Website, and the Forest Service folks are aware that they are
not in a fillable format.  The agency administrators are sympathetic,
but they're not running the show on this...

Has anyone else out there encountered this?  Am I missing something?

Thank you,
Susan

-----Original Message-----
From: Research Administration List [mailto:xxxxxx@hrinet.org] On
Behalf Of Bob Beattie
Sent: Thursday, March 27, 2008 11:41 AM
To: xxxxxx@hrinet.org
Subject: Re: [RESADM-L] Adobe Transition Timeline plus rant

Hi

Thanks for the comments.  Earmark???

I am preparing the way for a message sending campaign to Dr.
Zerhouni. Something along the lines: "In August of 2005 you required
us to adopt Grants.gov for grant applications, now I think you should
require your own organization to adopt the Adobe Forms option of
Grants.gov.  Making us deal with a two format system is just not
fair!"  This is the core, maybe make it softer?

Bob

On Mar 27, 2008, at 11:29 AM, Aull, Robert M wrote:

Bob,

For some time yours has been the reassuring voice calming the rest of
us while we wailed and gnashed our teeth about Grants.gov, so we know
this particular rant was earned honestly.

Though I doubt today's informed soapbox opinion will alter the course
of this journey to a one portal, one system solution let me repeat
the appreciation others have expressed for your role as point man.
Please continue to blaze the trail ahead and mark the trip wires in
our path.

For myself I'm submitting an earmark proposal to HRSA on an
interesting PureEdge variant of those old familiar forms.  Thanks,

Robert Aull
Indiana University School of Medicine

-----Original Message-----
From: Research Administration List [mailto:xxxxxx@hrinet.org] On
Behalf Of Bob Beattie
Sent: Thursday, March 27, 2008 10:40 AM
To: xxxxxx@hrinet.org
Subject: [RESADM-L] Adobe Transition Timeline plus rant

I am not sure if this has been posted anywhere yet, but there has
been a change in the timeline for the Adobe Forms Transition. This
will be announced at the April webcast but I thought people might
want to know earlier. I wonder what agencies need that December option?

(Steps up on soapbox)  Will this transition continue on into
2009??!!  Adobe 9 will be out by then.  I think Grants.gov staff are
doing a great job, and the Adobe system is working well.  Why do we
need to be working in this two format world? I wish that COGR and FDP
leadership would take on the task of getting this all resolved into a
1 submission format, asap.  Not to mention that some agencies are
still keeping their own submission systems running :(  Not to mention
agencies keeping their own form variations:( Wasn't the goal of this
whole effort to streamline to just one format, one portal, one
system?  (Steps down from soapbox)

Transition to Adobe Schedule
Adobe Posting: Agencies Begin Posting in Adobe Upon Successful Testing
-            Coordinate Testing w/ Grants.gov Program Advisors
*    June 1, 2008: PureEdge (PE) Opportunities NEW Posting Cutoff
Target Date
*    September 30, 2008: PE Application Submission Cutoff Target Date
*    March 31, 2009: 2006 PE System Retired
There should be NO OPEN PureEdge opportunities (Synopses and/or
Packages) that have a Package with a closing date greater than
September 30, 2008 on the 2006 System, unless an Agency has a waiver
from the Grants.gov PMO.

Any Agency Unable to Transition During These Dates Please Coordinate
w/ Grants.gov Program Advisors
Last Date Agency will be Posting in PE
Last Date Agency will Accept PE Applications
No Later Than December 31, 2008

There should be NO OPEN PureEdge opportunities (Synopses and/or
Packages) that have a Package with a closing date greater than
December 31, 2008 unless an Agency has a waiver from the PMO.

Bob
------------------------------
Robert Beattie
e-Business Point of Contact
UMich Grants.gov Liaison
Managing Senior Project Representative for Electronic Research
Administration
Division of Research Development and Administration
University of Michigan
xxxxxx@umich.edu   (734) 936-1283
Learn more about Grants.gov @ UMICH
http://www.research.umich.edu/era/grants_gov/

======================================================================
 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")
======================================================================

======================================================================
 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")
======================================================================

======================================================================
 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")
======================================================================

======================================================================
 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")
======================================================================