The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has recently released Electronic Handbooks (EHBs-- https://grants.hrsa.gov/webExternal/) designed to streamline the grants application and administration process and enable applicants and grantee organizations to communicate with HRSA and conduct activities electronically. The EHBs provide all potential grantees a means to access competitive funding opportunities published as a part of the annual HRSA Preview.

This system requires SPA (as the grantee organization) to submit applications electronically.

Because SPA has registered with HRSA, an organization record for the University of Minnesota already exists within HRSA EHB. Therefore, to use the new system, University of Minnesota users only need to create individual accounts for themselves then affiliate their accounts with the existing organization record. U of M users are considered Existing Grantees, and therefore must not create new organization records.

To register for the HRSA Electronic Handbook

1. Go to https://grants.hrsa.gov/webExternal/Registration.asp and complete personal information.
2. As a new user, you will associate your account to our Organization (Sue Marshall, EIN #1416007513A5).
3. The last section of the registration page asks users to identify their role in the HRSA grants management process. Choose your role based on the following information:

• Authorizing Official (AO): The individual, named by the applicant organization, who is authorized to act for the applicant and to assume the obligations imposed by the Federal laws, regulations, requirements, and conditions that apply to grant applications or grant awards. This individual is responsible for submission of applications and other post award deliverables, and for updating institutional data and managing other registered users for their organization. The designated authorizing officials (AOs) for the University of Minnesota are the SPA authorized signing officials.
• Business Official (BO): The individual, named by the applicant organization, who is authorized to review and submit the financial status report, and, interact with the payment management system. The designated business official (BO) for the University of Minnesota is Sponsored Financial Reporting (SFR).
• Other Employee: All other individuals of an organization who wish to participate in the e-grants process should register using this role. This allows additional staff members to perform or assist in various application preparation and post award activities (management of grants). Other employees are PIs, departmental staff, and SPA grant administrators.
  (PIs can grant "peer access" to their staff and to the appropriate SPA grant administrator (select: edit application and/or view application). This allows certain changes to be made after SPA has received the proposal.)

4. Once all required forms in the application have been completed, put each section in the "complete" status, print out a complete copy and bring it, along with a completed PRF, to SPA (Applications must be in "SUBMIT TO AO" status).
5. Once SPA has the completed copies, the proposal is logged into the EGMS system and a SPA GA will review the documents and contact you if there are questions. If there are none, the GA will arrange for the Authorized Representative in SPA to submit the final proposal. Once SPA receives a confirmation e-mail from HRSA, SPA will be required to print the face page of each application, have it signed by the AO, and mail it to the address listed on the application face page.

More detailed instructions on this process (how to find funding opportunities, download forms, and prepare applications on-line can be found at:

https://grants.hrsa.gov/webExternal/ and

https://grants.hrsa.gov/webExternal/help/hlpTOC.asp

For assistance with HRSA EHBs, contact the HRSA call center at 877.Go4.HRSA (877.464.4772) or 301.998.7373, or send an e-mail to CallCenter@HRSA.GOV. Users can also use the questions/comments link available on each page of the Web site. HRSA Call Center hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. eastern standard time, Monday through Friday.