Grants.gov: How to Apply
Grants.gov is a website developed by the federal government to be the single portal for submitting all grant applications to the 26 federal grant-making agencies. Grants.gov lists all federal grant opportunities and provides a mechanism for applying for those opportunities. We recommend starting your grant application process early, especially if you are a first-time user.
Workspace requires a User Account to Access. To request an account associated with the University of Minnesota follow the steps on the Quick Steps to Register for a Grants.gov Account.
SPA is already registered and serves as the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR).
Apply for a Grant Opportunity
Proposals are created online after the user authenticates into the Grants.gov system with their Workspace account. Workspace allows for a team of participants to simultaneously access and edit different forms within an application. The Workspace creator may build a team of individuals within or outside the organization. Users in the workgroup have the option to fill out the forms online or access the download/upload feature.
An AOR (SPA) needs to be added as a participant. The best practice is to add:
- Your Grant Administrator & Principal Grant Administrator (List of Grant & Contract Officers (GCO) and Department Contacts)
- Two SPA managers
Complete and route the Proposal Routing Form (PRF) for signature.
- The PRF must be fully signed before submitting the proposal
- Email your completed Workspace application number to proposal@umn.edu with the PRF number, PI last name and the agency in the subject line of your email.
SPA will then submit the application to Grants.gov. An email from Grants.gov that confirms the application was received will be sent to SPA followed by a second email noting if it passed or failed data verification in Grants.gov. After, these emails, a third email will confirm that the agency received the application and if it passed or failed data verification there as applicable to the agency. Workspace allows the tracking of the application. Check the Detail tab in the Proposal Dashboard for this feature.
Grants.gov maintains a Contact Center for proposal support that is available 24/7 (closed on Federal Holidays). Call (800) 518-4726 or email support@grants.gov.