MN-GEMS Training
These training, guides, and workshop materials will help users navigate the new MN-GEMS system. Leading up to launch, emails highlighting newly released or updated materials are sent weekly to all grants management user network listservs, certified approvers, and the Council of Research Associate Deans.
Reference Guides are detailed, step-by-step instructions that cover all major functions within the overall topic listed. Indexes at the start of these documents allow users to quickly locate the subtopic they are seeking. They are best used as overall desk references and will be most frequently used by central and departmental research administrators.
Quick Guides are short (usually 1-2 pages) high-level summary documents that itemize the steps needed to perform a specific function in MN-GEMS (such as how to certify a proposal or create a budget). These guides are sometimes targeted to a listed population of users deemed most likely to use them (e.g., PIs, collegiate approvers, etc.). Quick Guides may be listed here more than once if used for multiple functions in MN-GEMS.
Videos are available for selected high-need topics and walk through the process steps in one or more Quick Guides. This format is ideal for users who are visual learners.
Resources not falling into one of these categories are referenced by the name/purpose of the document. Please send any questions to [email protected].
- Overview
- Funding Proposals
- Awards & Modifications
- Subawards
- Funded Agreements
- Unfunded Agreements (UFRAs)
Introduction to MN-GEMS – All Users
- Quick Guides:
- Sending Emails in MN-GEMS (11/25/24)
- Reference Guides:
- MN-GEMS Overview (3/21/24)
- Status Updates (12/23/24)
- Supplemental Resources:
- MN-GEMS Glossary (3/21/24)
- Business Process Workflow (3/21/24)
- MN-GEMS Quick Start Dashboard (4/12/24)
- MN-GEMS Grants-at-a-Glance (4/12/24)
- Training Session Recording: Intro to MN-GEMS and What is a ________? (watch) & Q&A Notes (4/4/24)
- Symposium Workshop: How to Be a MN-GEMS Super Sleuth presentation materials (3/6/24)
Funding Proposals in MN-GEMS
- Quick Guides:
- Requesting New Sponsors (11/25/24)
- Pre-Proposals (4/4/24)
- PI Certification of a Proposal (4/4/24) and Video (4/4/24)
- Create Ancillary Review and Check Review Status & video (4/4/24)
- Submit an Ancillary Review Response (4/4/24)
- Department/Collegiate Reviewer Activities (uses “Department Review” function) (4/9/24)
- Initiate a JIT Request (4/9/24)
- PI/Department Response to a JIT Request Initiated by SPA (4/9/24)
- Create a Renewal Funding Proposal (4/4/24)
- Create a Resubmission Funding Proposal (4/4/24)
- Advance Account Request (4/10/24)
- Award Modification Request – Award Transfer (4/10/24)
- Continuation Funding Proposal (4/18/24)
- NIH Modular Budget Creation (4/18/24)
- Follow-On Proposal Types (4/18/24)
- F&A Waiver Request Ancillary Review (8/6/24)
- Create and Edit a Budget & 9 Month Calculator (4/18/24)
- Reference Guide: SF424 User Guide for Departmental Administrators (3/28/24)
- Proposal Status Updates (1/10/25)
- Funding Proposal Attachments (9/28/25)
- FP Preparation and Routing Checklist (12/19/25)
- Reference Guides:
- Training Session Recordings:
- Creating a Funding Proposal (watch) (4/9/24)
- Creating a Budget (watch) (4/11/24)
- Monitoring a Funding Proposal & Ancillary Reviews (watch) (4/18/24)
- SF424 Form (watch) (4/18/24)
- MN-GEMS Follow-up Creating a Budget (watch) (4/24/24)
- Symposium Workshop: Funding Proposal Creation presentation materials (3/6/24)
- Videos:
- Creating Multiple Budgets (4/25/24)
- Funding Proposal Creation (4/25/24)
- How to Approve an FP as an Ancillary Reviewer (4/29/24)
Awards & Modifications in MN-GEMS
- Reference Guides:
- Quick Guides:
- Manage Award Access (4/10/24)
- Effort on Award SmartForm (4/10/24)
- Supplement Funding Proposal (4/10/24)
- Linking Protocols (4/10/24)
- Financial Setup on Award SmartForm (4/10/24)
- Budget Allocations on Award SmartForm (4/10/24)
- Budget Reconciliation on Award SmartForm (4/10/24)
- Award Modification Request - Rebudget (4/10/24)
- Award Modification Request - No-cost extension (Quick Guide)
- Award Modification Request – Carryforward Request (4/10/24)
- Award Modification Request – Award Transfer (4/10/24)
- Advance Account Request (4/10/24)
- Continuation Funding Proposal (4/18/24)
- How to Request a Modification to an Award that Requires Department Head and College Level Approvals (e.g. PI changes) (5/23/24)
- Award Status Updates (1/8/25)
- Award Modification Status Updates (1/9/25)
- Award Modification Request Status Updates (1/8/25)
- NIH Foreign Sub with Separate NOA (10/7/25)
- Requesting Multiple Projects (10/31/25)
- Modifications with 13+ Allocations (1/6/26)
- Training Session Recording: All Things Award (watch) (4/25/24)
- Symposium Workshops:
- Video: How to Reconcile an Award (4/25/24)
Subawards in MN-GEMS
- Quick Guide: Subaward Status Updates (1/10/25)
- Requesting a Subaward or Subaward Modification (11/20/24)
- Reference Guide: Outgoing Subaward Agreements (4/17/24)
- Symposium Workshop: Award Modifications & Subawards presentation materials (3/6/24)
- Training Session Recording: Subawards and Subaward Amendments in MN-GEMS (watch) & Presentation Materials (PDF) with linked resources (1/10/25)
- FAQs: Subawards and Subaward Modifications (8/8/25)
- Quick Guide: NIH Foreign Sub with Separate NOA (10/7/25)
Expedited Clinical Trial FP
Funded Agreements in MN-GEMS
- Quick Guides:
- Agreement Status Updates (1/10/25)
- Ancillary Review (8/18/25)
- Expedited Clinical Trial FP - WITH Advance Account (10/29/25)
- Expedited Clinical Trial FP - NO Advance Account (10/29/25)
- Reference Guides:
- Funded B&I Agreements (4/17/24)
- Funded Non B&I Agreements (4/17/24)
- Industry Funded Clinical Trial Grants & Agreements (4/24/24)
- Ancillary Review (6/7/24)
- Training Session Recording: Creating an Agreement (4/29/24)
- Symposium Workshop: Walking your Clinical Trial Down the Aisle (a First Look with B&I) presentation materials (3/6/24)
Unfunded Agreements (UFRAs) in MN-GEMS
- Quick Guides:
- Agreement Status Guide (1/10/25)
- UFRA Quick Guide (11/25/24)
- Addgene MTA Process (5/23/24)
- Ancillary Review (8/18/25)
- Reference Guide: UFRA Agreements (4/24/24)
- Training Session Recordings:
- Creating an Agreement (4/29/24)
- Unfunded Research Agreements (UFRAs) (5/6/24)
- Symposium Workshop: Unfunded Research Agreements (UFRA) presentation materials (3/6/24)
Open Labs
SPA staff will host casual Open Lab sessions Wednesdays from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. until further notice to answer questions about MN-GEMS. The purpose of the Open Lab is to stop in and ask questions of the new system.
Training Sessions
These topic-specific training sessions are held via Zoom, in a webinar-style with opportunities to post questions throughout. These sessions will also be recorded and posted to our Media Space channel once they have passed.
Thursday, May 2nd
Funded B&I and Non-B&I Agreements (watch)
Wednesday, May 1st
Clinical Trial Agreements (watch)
Wednesday, May 1st
Unfunded Research Agreements (UFRAs) (watch)
Thursday, April 25th
Creating an Agreement (watch)
Tuesday, April 23rd
All Things Award (watch)
Thursday, April 18th
MN-GEMS Follow-up Creating a Budget (watch)
Thursday, April 18th
SF424 Form (watch)
Tuesday, April 16th
Monitoring a Funding Proposal & Ancillary Reviews (watch)
Thursday, April 11th
Creating a Budget (watch)
Tuesday, April 9th
Creating a Funding Proposal (watch)
Tuesday, April 4th
Intro to MN-GEMS and What is a ________? (watch) Q&A Notes