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The HRSA Electronic Handbooks (EHBs)

Judy CeresaHRSA - Division of Grants Policy

Elisa PeetHRSA Call Center

August 27, 2007

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Today’s Goals

HRSA’s electronic grants submissions process

Applying for competing grantsApplying for non-competing grantsEHB Technical Assistance

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Electronic grants submissions process

Public Law (PL) 106-107 Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act

of 1999 Improve the effectiveness and performance of Federal financial

assistance programs Simplify Federal financial assistance application and reporting

requirements Improve the delivery of services to the public

President’s Management Agenda (2002) “Agencies to allow applicants for Federal Grants to apply for,

and ultimately manage, grant funds online through a common web site, simplifying grants management and eliminating redundancies . . .”

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Electronic grants submissions process (cont.)

Since January 1, 2006, HRSA :

Requires electronic submission through Grants.gov for all HRSA grant applications

Transitioned from the PHS 398/6025 application form to SF424 family of forms data set

SF424 Research and Research-Related(SF424 (R&R))

SF424 Discretionary

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Two Systems Working Together

Grants.gov – the Federal government’s single on-line portal to find and apply for Federal grant funding Used by all 26 Federal grant-making agencies

HRSA Electronic Handbooks (EHBs) - allow applicant/grantees, program and grants management staff to transmit and manage application award and performance data

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Applying for a competing grant

All competing grant application must be submitted through Grants.gov

Step 1: Grantee registers in Grants.gov

All required registrations must be completed prior to submission.

Step 2: Grantee searches for and identifies a grant opportunity in Grants.gov

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Applying for a competing grant (cont.)

Step 3: Grantee downloads and saves grant application package to their local computer system.

Step 4: Grantee completes the application making

sure to save a copy of the application to their local computer system.

Step 5: The Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) submits the application

to Grants.gov.

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Applying for a competing grant (cont.)

Step 6: Grantee submits the application, prints off and signs the Face Page from the Grants.gov submission and submits to HRSA Grant Application Center:

The Legin Group, Inc.

Attn: Your Grant Program

Program Announcement No. HRSA-XX-XXX

CFDA No. 93.XXX

910 Clopper Road

Suite 155 South

Gaithersburg, MD 20878

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Applying for a competing grant (cont.)

Step 7: Grantee tracks the status of the submitted application package at Grants.gov until they are notified via email that HRSA has received it.

(After verification, EHBs saves the data and attachments, and HRSA begins processing the application)

Important: Do not submit your application to Grants.gov more than once!

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Applying for a non-competing grant

Step 1: Grantee registers in Grants.gov. All required registrations must be completed prior to submission. To search for Non-competing applications posted on Grants.gov, please select the link “Apply for Grants” not the link “Find Grant Opportunities”

Step 2: Grantee enters funding opportunity number from guidance application or information received on funding opportunity number from HRSAExample of funding opportunity numbers:

Compete: HRSA-08-001 Non-compete: 5-D04-08-001

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Applying for a non-competing grant (cont.)

Step 3:Grantee downloads and saves guidance and grant application package (424 Short Form or 424 R&R Short Form and 5161 Checklist) to their local computer

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Applying for a non-competing grant (cont.)

Step 4: The Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) submits completed application forms to Grants.gov.

(Applications are downloaded to EHBs from Grants.gov)

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Applying for a non-competing grant (cont.)

Step 5: HRSA notifies Project Director, Authorizing Official, Point of Contact and Business Official listed in the Grants.gov application that their application is available in EHBs for entry of program specific and other application information to complete the application process. (This will happen about three days after the grantee receives notification from Grants.gov that their application has been accepted)

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Applying for a non-competing grant (cont.)

Step 6: Applicant reviews and enters additional information for non-competing continuations in EHBs.

Step 7: Grantee submits the application, prints off and signs the Face Page from the EHB submission

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Applying for a non-competing grant (cont.)

Step 8: Applicant sends signed Face Page to the HRSA Grant Application Center:

The Legin Group, Inc.

Attn: Your Grant Program

Program Announcement No. HRSA-XX-XXX

CFDA No. 93.XXX

910 Clopper Rd., Suite 155 South

Gaithersburg, MD 20878

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Approval of Waivers and Extensions

Competitive Opportunities: Grantees must request waivers by submitting a

written request to: DGPWAIVERS@HRSA.govInclude in request: Organization name and contact information and opportunity number

Non-Competing Continuations: Grantees must request extensions by submitting a

written request to: DGPWAIVER@HRSA.govInclude in request: Organization name, opportunity number, grant number, name of organization’s project director

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COMING SOON: EHBs New Submissions Module

Will allow grantees direct electronic interface with their HRSA Project Officers and Grants Management Specialists

(All grantees registered in EHBs will have access to the new Submissions Module)

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EHBs Technical Assistance

The Electronic Handbook is a web-based system that existing grantees use to complete non-competing continuation applications as well as specific post award reports that are required as part of the terms and conditions of the grant.

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Registration

Register a new account ONLY if you do not already have an account.

Never register more than once.

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Registration – 2 Steps

Create a user account.Associate yourself with an organization.

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Step 1Create User Account

Individual users from an organization who participate in the grants process such as applying for non-competing continuations must create individual system accounts.

Username: must be 6-20 characters (not case sensitive).

Password: must be at least 8 characters consisting of at least one upper case, one lower case, one number, and one special character (case sensitive).

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Step 2Organization Association

Choose the correct role: Authorizing Official: authorized individual who

does the final submission to HRSA for new grants and signs the face page for all grant applications.

Business Official: individual authorized to handle the finances.

Other Employee: any individual not classified as one of the above (i.e.: project director, coordinator, data submitter).

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Step 2Organization Association

Search for your organization by the grant number. Note that since all existing grantee organization records already exist within the EHB, there is no need to create a new one.

Make sure to add yourself to the organization.

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Grant Portfolio/ Handbook

Provides the appropriate individuals a means to perform various post award activities (i.e.. CADR, ADAP, CPMS, non-competing continuation applications).

Ensures that only the right individuals from the organization have access to grant data.

Allows the project director to control the privileges of various users and delegate certain responsibilities to other users from the same organization.

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Grant Portfolio/ Project Director

Once the Project Director adds the grant to their portfolio, they automatically will have all privileges.

They must have their most recent Notice of Grant Award (NGA) in order to verify their identity when adding the grant to their portfolio.

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Grant Portfolio/ Data Submitter

All other users from the organization must add the grant to their portfolio to request access to the grant.

The Project Director can then approve the request and grant necessary access rights so that the users can view relevant information.

The Project Director can determine which privileges they would like to grant the user.

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Email Notifications – Through EHB

Project Directors will receive an email notification every time a user adds the grant to their portfolio/requests access.

Users in which the Project Director approves or disapproves the request will receive an email.

Actions are not dependent on email notifications.

All emails are generated through the system. No one needs to initiate the email.

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HRSA Call CenterHours of Operation: Mon – Fri 9:00am –

5:30pmPhone: (877) 464 - 4772 Phone: (301) 998 - 7373Email: callcenter@hrsa.gov

Where to Go for Help

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Questions?