When your proposal requires Grants.gov submission, it is important to start working early. Read instructions and guidelines carefully—each agency has different rules, and each program has its own specific application package. Submit the proposal early to give yourself time to make any corrections and resubmit if an error causes it to be rejected by Grants.gov. Below are some of the most common errors, compiled from agency sources, that may cause applications to be rejected or need to be corrected.

Grants.gov “Frequently Asked Questions”
http://www.grants.gov/help/faq.jsp

Some common errors are listed below (from "Applicant FAQs").

• All mandatory fields (yellow fields or fields with an asterisk next to them) have not been completed.
• Email field(s) are not formatted properly (name@domain.something) or the date fields have not been completed in their specific format (mm/dd/yyyy).
• The congressional districts field on the SF 424 is not listed in numerical format.
• All forms that have data in them (even optional forms) have not been moved over to the right.
• Save button was not clicked one last time, allowing the Submit button to become active.

National Science Foundation Top Concerns
http://nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/docs/grantsgovguide.pdf

• Allow time for editing after submission. An NSF applicant can make changes using the NSF “Proposal File Update” module in FastLane. The changes automatically will be accepted prior to the deadline date or prior to the initiation of external peer review.
• Check for duplicate persons on the SF 424 (R&R) senior/key person form. Applicants should make sure that no name in this section is entered twice.
• Review the NSF checklist form. The NSF application form includes a detailed application checklist that should be reviewed thoroughly to ensure that all required information is submitted.
• Always use the organization’s legal name. All references to the organization name should be consistent throughout the application, from the cover page to other sections listing project/performance site locations.
• Electronic document attachments to the application must be in PDF format using Adobe Acrobat. Non-Adobe Acrobat users can use the “Convert files to PDF” function on FastLane.

National Institutes of Health “Top Two Errors in Electronic Submission”
http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/files/Top_Two_Errors_in_Electronic_Submission.htm

• Missing Commons User ID in the Credential Field
  The application did not Include the PI’s Commons User ID in the field called “Credential, e.g. agency login.” This field is not marked as required on the government-wide form but is required by NIH, as noted in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide. The field is located in the first section called “Profile – Project Director/Principal Investigator” on the Senior/Key Person Profile(s) component of the SF 424 (R&R) form.
• PDF issues
  NIH only accepts attachments in PureEdge or PDF format. Do not submit attachments in other formats such as Microsoft Word, Word Perfect, etc. Do not put special characters in file names. Disable all security features in the PDF document. Do not send PDF documents with editable fields (fields that can be changed).

NIH “Avoiding Common Errors”
http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/avoiding_errors.htm

• Missing DUNS number in the Organization Profile in the eRA Commons (may lead to missing Commons User ID).
  The DUNS number for UC Berkeley is 124726725.
• Total cost does not equal direct and indirect costs.
  The direct costs and the indirect costs (G + H) on Section F-K must EQUAL the Total Direct and Indirect Costs (G + H) on the Cumulative Budget page. Only whole numbers should be used on the budget page, no decimals. Round calculations DOWN to the nearest dollar. IDC rates cannot exceed 99 on any line.
• Missing PI/PD info on Detailed Budget Page.
  There must be a Personnel entry listed for the PI or PD on the Detailed Budget Page for budget year 1.
• Fee exceeds 7 percent of total direct and indirect costs.
  The fee that has been entered for year of the Project budget exceeds 7% of the Total Direct and Indirect Costs.
• Fee entered in null area for subaward/consortium budgets.
  A fee has been entered for year 1 of the budget for null. Fees are not allowed for subaward/consortium budgets.
• Preferred address not included in PI's and SO's Personal Profiles.
  Employment sections of the PI's and SO's personal profiles is not updated to include preferred address.
• The state code for US or Canada is invalid.
  Use the provided two digit abbreviation for all state code entries.

National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases on Grants.gov SF 424
http://www.niaid.nih.gov/ncn/newsletters/2006/0206.htm#a02

• Other Support—Leave That Field Blank!
  Though the SF 424 has a field for other support, do not include it in your grant application. NIH does not use that field.