Agency web site: e-grants.ed.gov

The U.S. Department of Education is now using the Grants.gov electronic system for proposal submission to some of its programs and its own e-Grants system for submission to other programs. Check the program's Federal Register notice (www.ed.gov/news/fedregister/announce/index.html) to see which system it requires. Here are the basic steps for using e-Grants. (We also have posted Grants.gov guidelines.)

1. If you're a new user of e-Grants, you must register. See the instructions at e-grants.ed.gov. (NOTE: The Department of Education and some other federal agencies draw information about institutions from a database called the Central Contractor Registration. Principal investigators should not, and need not, try to register with CCR. Investigators only register with the individual funding agencies under the CCR umbrella.)

2. Follow the instructions at e-grants.ed.gov for creating your application online, filling out forms, and uploading the proposal narrative. Be aware that it can take from a few minutes to a few hours for the ED web site to upload this material. Allow lead time.

3. Print out your complete application package. Bring the complete application, including all the certification forms and the ED 424 Cover Page, to ORDA for review, processing, and signatures. Also bring your signed Proposal Checklist, as you would with any other proposal. ORDA director Prudence Rice signs the checklist, certification pages, and proposal cover page as the authorized institutional representative. The certification pages are kept on file at ORDA. The 424 Cover Page is returned to you after it is signed; it must be faxed to the agency after the proposal is submitted (see steps #4 and 5).

4. After your proposal is processed and signed by ORDA, log on to the e-Grants web site again and click on the "Ready to Submit" button at the bottom of your application. Key in and verify the Authorizing Representative information (Prudence M. Rice, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research). Click the "Submit" button. You will receive an e-mail to confirm that your application was received, and it will include a unique application number. Print this e-mail, send a copy to ORDA for our files, and keep a copy for your records.

5. Write your application number on the upper right cover of your signed ED 424 Cover Page (or program-specific cover page). ORDA will fax this page to the Department of Education for you if you bring it to us, or you may fax it to the Education Department's Application Control Center yourself (202-245-6272). Important: The form must be faxed within 3 business days of submitting your electronic application. The Department of Education will consider your application incomplete if they do not receive this fax, and the application will not be reviewed. Also important: If you choose to fax the form yourself, you must send ORDA a copy for our files so that we have it on hand if the agency contacts us.