Sponsored Projects Office, University of California, Berkeley
Grants.gov “Apply” at Berkeley

Grants.gov is the central portal that the federal government is implementing for grant submissions. Grants.gov is intended to be a simple, unified source to electronically find, apply for, and manage grant opportunities from all federal grant-making agencies. The various agencies are phasing in the transition to Grants.gov incrementally. The system was developed as part of the President’s Management Agenda and related E-Government Strategy.

Tips before you start

  • Start early! especially if you are using Grants.gov for the first time. If you have problems, contact a SPO research administator.
  • Principal investigators and campus staff do not create Grants.gov accounts. The only account holders are SPO research administrators who submit applications with Grants.gov.
  • The Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number for the University of California, Berkeley is 124726725. UC Berkeley is already in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR); do not re-register the institution.
  • Principal investigators and campus staff do not submit the application. SPO research administrators submit applications with Grants.gov. PIs must submit a printed proposal copy to SPO for review along with the signed Proposal Review Form (PRF). After SPO reviews the printed proposal and the PRF, the completed and checked final application package is sent to SPO as an email attachment, on a CD, or to the SPO Electronic Proposal Drop Box. SPO then submits the application.
  • The Grants.gov Help section has some good resources for learning and using the system: Applicant Resources and Outreach Materials.
  • SPO provides guidance on Optimizing Files for Electronic Submission.
Steps for using Grants.gov “Apply”

Grants.gov has replaced PureEdge application packages with Adobe Forms. For information and news, see Grants.gov Applicant Resources, Help, and Program Status pages.

Please make sure you are using a compatible version of Adobe Reader or Acrobat Professional before working on your Grants.gov application. For information, see Grants.gov Compatible versions of Adobe Reader on the Grants.gov Download Software page.

1. Identify and Download the Application Package

  • Each application package is specific to a specific grant program and deadline and cannot be used for other grant programs.
  • Use Grants.gov “Find” to search for and identify the grant program you want to apply for, and click the “Apply for Grant Electronically” button at the bottom of the page.
  • Or, if you know the program-specific Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number or Funding Opportunity Number, go to https://apply.grants.gov/forms_apps_idx.html, type in the number, and download the application package and instructions. You can search for CFDA numbers on the CFDA web site.
  • Carefully read the instructions to ensure you are following proper submission procedures for that program; some agencies may be using alternates to Grants.gov for application submission. See Grants.gov Recovery Act and System Alleviation Notice.

3. Complete the Application Package

  • Application instructions provide guidance on how to complete the application. The steps below, for application packages in Adobe, should be sufficient to have your application accepted by Grants.gov. However, the agency may reject it in a later step if you do not follow all of the program application instructions.
  • Set the Adobe Reader’s page layout options to “Continuous” instead of “Single Page” to ensure all features function properly. To do this, choose View > Page Layout, and then choose the “Continuous” option.
  • Open the application package with a compatible version of Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader.
  • To open a form in the application package, select the form from the left side “Mandatory Documents,” and move it from the left side to the right side “Mandatory Documents for Submission.” Click the “Open form” button. This will allow you to complete the document. Move all the required forms from the left side to the right side. Open and complete all the forms.
  • Complete all required fields (yellow with red outlines), or the application package will not be validated. If a yellow field doesn’t apply, answer with a zero or N/A.
  • For the SF424(R&R) form, the DUNS for UC Berkeley is 124726725, the Employer Identification number (EIN) is 94-6002123, and the Congressional District is CA-009.
  • Do not use the Document>Attach function in Adobe Reader to attach the file. Upon submission, Grants.gov will remove any files attached in this manner. Use only the “Add Attachment” buttons on the forms to attach files.
  • Attachment file names should be 30 characters or less. Also, do not use any special characters (example: %, /, #) or spacing in the file and for word separation, use underscore (example: my_Attached_File.pdf) in naming the attachments.
  • After all required documents are completed and any required or optional documentation is attached, click on the “Check Package for Errors” button. If any of the required fields are not completed, an error notice which will indicate where revision is needed within the package. Correct any errors.
  • When no errors are found, click the “Save” button to save the final copy of the application.
  • Make sure that the “Save & Submit” button is now active, although you will not be able to submit the application. (The SPO Applicant Organizational Representative (AOR) is the only official with the authority to submit applications through Grants.gov.)
  • If you revise the application, you must repeat the last three steps.

Standard UC Berkeley information to use on Form SF 424 (R&R)

  • Application Filing Name: PI LAST NAME - Agency Name
  • Application Identifier: leave blank - for SPO use only
  • Organizational DUNS: 124726725
  • Legal Name: The Regents of the University of California
  • Department: Sponsored Projects Office
  • Street: 2150 Shattuck Avenue, Suite 313
  • City: Berkeley
  • County: Alameda
  • State: CA
  • ZIP Code: 94704-5940
  • Person to be contacted on matters involving this application
  • Authorized Representative
    • First Name: Patricia
    • Last Name: Gates
    • Position/Title: Associate Director
    • Phone Number: (510)642-8109
    • Fax Number: (510)642-8236
    • Email: spo_grants_gov@lists.berkeley.edu
  • Employer Identification (EIN/TIN): 94-6002123
  • Type of Applicant: Public/State Controlled Institution of Higher Education
    (if that option is not available, use State Controlled Institution of Higher Education)
  • Congressional Districts Of: Applicant: CA-009
  • Is the Applicant Delinquent on Any Federal Debt: No
  • Cognizant Federal Agency (on budget page): DHHS, Alice Norwood, 415/437-8360
  • Executive Order 12372

4. Provide a Printed Copy and PRF to SPO for Review

  • Submit a printed copy of the application to the appropriate SPO administrator for review along with the signed Proposal Review Form (PRF). This includes documentation of collaborative subagreements.
  • Submit applications to SPO five or more working days before the agency deadline (VCR Policy on Late Proposal Submissions to SPO).
  • After SPO review, make any necessary changes in Grants.gov and provide SPO with the revised printed copy.

5. Provide the Final Copy to SPO for Submission to Grants.gov

  • Submit a final electronic copy of the grant application to the appropriate SPO administrator by sending the file as an email attachment or delivering a copy on CD to SPO. The SPO Electronic Proposal Drop Box provides secure uploading of electronic proposals instead of sending them as email attachments.
  • SPO will then submit the application to Grants.gov.

6. After Submission to Grants.gov

  • After the application is submitted, the SPO administrator will receive email and forward it to the administrator and the PI.
  • Email from Grants.gov will confirm if the proposal was received and if it passed or failed data verification.
  • Later, email from the agency will confirm that the agency received the application and if it passed or failed data verification.
  • If there are errors in Grants.gov submission, you must correct them and email or deliver the application to SPO so that SPO can resubmit it.
  • Once the proposal has been accepted by the agency, it is no longer in Grants.gov. The only way to check on its status is to query the agency (for example, FastLane for NSF proposals).
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