Who is SPA and How Can We Assist You?

SPA stands for Sponsored Project Administration, a unit of the Office of the Vice President of Research (OVPR). SPA is a system wide office authorized to submit proposals in behalf of the Regents of Minnesota, accept and administer awards and act as a resource to the University research community.

This class explains:

• Who is SPA?
• What does SPA do?
• Proposal outline and common submission problems to avoid
• Pre-award accounts and cost share summary
• Award overview
• Resource guide

This class is geared toward anyone who wants to know more about SPA.

To register for this class, please choose a session from the schedule below, and send an email to ersstraining@umn.edu with the title of the class, session date, and your name.

Preparing the Proposal Routing Form (PRF)

The PRF (Proposal Routing Form) is an internal University of Minnesota document that follows all proposals through SPA to submission to an external agency. The routing of the PRF assures review and approval by all the necessary parties in the proposal submission process and facilitates the compliance process. This class covers what information must be captured in the fields, common pitfalls, and suggestions on the best way to handle data.

Participants will learn:

• What is required for PRF data fields.
• Associated SPA policy necessary to complete the form correctly.

This class is geared toward anyone who prepares the PRF.

To register for this class, please choose a session from the schedule below, and send an email to ersstraining@umn.edu with the title of the class, session date, and your name.

The 26 federal agencies that award grants have transitioned to an electronic proposal submission system called Grants.gov. This overview class explains how to use Grant.gov for electronic proposals, discusses the different 424 form sets and their associated family of forms as well as the new Adobe form set functionality.

Participants will learn:

• How the process of electronic submission works from find to submit
• How to prepare the Grants.gov forms
• The ins and outs of the Adobe form set

This class is geared toward individuals completing their first Grants.gov proposal, those looking for a refresher on the system’s functionality, or those who might be interested in the Adobe form set and its transition to be the new standard submission tool.

Class Handouts:
Sample NIH SF424 R&R Package Complete with U of MN help notes added
Information for acquiring Adobe software required to make PDF attachments
Grants.gov Applicant User Guide November 20, 2009
Proposal Submissions to SPA Quick Reference Guide
Grants.gov Application Process Flow Chart

To register for this class, please choose a session from the schedule below, and send an email to ersstraining@umn.edu with the title of the class, session date, and your name.

Introduction to NIH Grants and EGMS Proposal Prep

The National Institutes of Health is considered the steward of medical and behavioral research for the US and one of the major sponsors of research grants here at the University of Minnesota.  EGMS stands for Electronic Grants Management System, an electronic site that assists users in preparing proposals.  This short course blends both into a tool to assist users in creating a competitive proposal.

Participants will learn:

• More information on NIH and its funding mechanisms
• What is entailed for a “traditional” NIH proposal in the Grants.gov world
• How to build a budget using EGMS for a NIH SF 424 R&R proposal

This class is geared to individuals who are interested in researching how they can use EGMS to create NIH proposals in the Grants.gov world.

To register for this class, please choose a session from the schedule below, and send an email to ersstraining@umn.edu with the title of the class, session date, and your name.

Creating Fast Lane Proposals using EGMS Proposal Prep

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering.  Fast Lane is NSF arm to proposal submission and management.  EGMS stands for Electronic Grants Management System, an electronic site that assists users in preparing proposals.  This short course blends both into a tool to assist users in creating a competitive proposal.

Participants will learn:

• More information on NSF and Fast Lane
• What is entailed for a “traditional” NSF proposal in the Grants.gov world
• How to build a budget using EGMS for a Fast Lane or a standard SF 424 R&R proposal

This class is geared to individuals who are interested in researching how they can use EGMS to create NSF proposals for submission either in Fast Lane or Grants.gov.

To register for this class, please choose a session from the schedule below, and send an email to ersstraining@umn.edu with the title of the class, session date, and your name.

eSNAP Primer

The University is transitioning to a greater use of the eSNAP mechanism to submit progress reports for the annual non-competing awards. This class explains how to access the eRA Commons to   create and electronically submit a SNAP report.

Participants will learn:

• What the eRA Commons is
• Info and tips on eSNAP
• An overview of the eSNAP Science section
• An overview of the eSNAP Business section
• How to submit an eSNAP to SPA

This course is geared toward staff who assist faculty entering data and uploading documents.

To register for this class, please choose a session from the schedule below, and send an email to ersstraining@umn.edu with the title of the class, session date, and your name.

xTrain

xTrain provides Training grant program directors, university administrators and Trainees the ability to electronically process the required paperwork associate with Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards (NRSA).  The system resides as a part of the NIH eRA Commons suite of functionality.

Participants will learn:

• Understanding of system’s key roles
• How to get started navigating the screens
• How to process PHS forms 227 (the appointment form) and PHS416-7 (termination forms)
• Familiarity with other System functionality.

This class is geared to individuals who will be working with NIH Training Grant awards or have interest in the subject.

To register for this class, please choose a session from the schedule below, and send an email to ersstraining@umn.edu with the title of the class, session date, and your name.

EGMS Refresher

EGMS stands for the Electronic Grants Management System, proposal creation software built here at the University of Minnesota for the members of the University’s community.  The class will be in review format and cover the common elements of the system:

• Setting up a proposal type that would work with Grants.gov
• Wandering through the key personnel section
• How EGMS handles budget calculations
• What else needs to be completed to freeze the proposal and create the PRF

Taken from the most common calls to the EGMS helpline users will discuss the most common issues and learn how to avoid pitfalls.

This class does not take the place of the Training Services EGMS Proposal Prep class.

This class is for individuals who have EGMS experience or took the Training Services EGMS class but would like a refresher course. 

To register for this class, please choose a session from the schedule below, and send an email to ersstraining@umn.edu with the title of the class, session date, and your name.

Clinical Trials and SPA

Have you been curious about clinical trials?  This class will remove the mystery and share interesting and informative data on the subject.  You will learn what is a clinical trial and important roles in the process. 

• What are the pieces of a clinical trial
• Budget development and compliance issues
• SPA’s role as both resource and guide

The class also includes a question and answer section with a SPA Grant Administrator who can field questions on the subject.

This class is for individuals who want to know more about the Clinical Trial process.

To register for this class, please choose a session from the schedule below, and send an email to ersstraining@umn.edu with the title of the class, session date, and your name.

Grants.gov/NIH: Submitting an error free Grants.gov application

This short course will cover the “ins and outs” for completing an error free SF424 R&R package. We will review the traditional form set used by NIH, provide an overview of the instructions and highlight some common errors to avoid based on the SPA grant administrators' experiences.

Participants will learn:

• NIH Grant Application basics
• Grant Process overview
• How to avoid some of the more common problems SPA GAs encounter during their review of the proposal materials

A grant administrator will be present to discuss current issues and field your questions.

This class is for individuals who want to know more about the SF424 R&R forms as they relate to NIH packages.

To register for this class, please choose a session from the schedule below, and send an email to ersstraining@umn.edu with the title of the class, session date, and your name.

EGMS/Grants.gov/eSNAP Labs

These are hands-on lab sessions where you can bring an application that you are currently preparing and receive assistance.

Registration for labs is not compulsory - just bring your applications to a session listed on the schedule below.