Sponsored Programs

Appalachian’s Proposal Routing and Award Management System: AGrants

• AGrants is the system by which you route proposals for all required internal approvals prior to submission to the sponsor.

• It is also the official campus repository for all documents related to sponsored activities at Appalachian, both those that are submitted and those that are awarded. Sponsored Programs and Special Funds Accounting maintain the documents in AGrants after a proposal has been funded.
• Please note: You, or your contact person in Sponsored Programs, must still submit the proposal itself to the sponsor using the appropriate system/method mandated by the sponsor.

Sponsors’ Submission and Award Management Systems

• Some sponsors use electronic submission systems which require you to either create an account for uploading and submitting proposal materials yourself (see below) or for an authorized research administrator to log in and submit your proposal on your and the University’s behalf (your contact person in Sponsored Programs will do this for you).
• Some sponsors may have you submit a grant proposal through one system, such as Grants.gov, and then complete further requested information via their own site. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) do this; see below.
• Some of these systems (such as Research.gov and eRA Commons) also contain post-award functions which allow you to submit interim and final reports.

Tips for submitting proposals via electronic submission systems yourself:

• Read the program guidelines/RFP (Request for Proposals) to find the URL of the sponsor's online submission system/website, what will be required, and when.
• Usually, you will be required to set up an account with a username and password.
• Start early! Log in, and become familiar with the site and the electronic forms well before your deadline.
• Create a list of questions as you preview the site, and discuss them with the program officer.
• Fill in any required information, and attach any required items such as project narrative, budget, budget justification, letters of support, etc.
• Either share your account and login information with your contact person in Sponsored Programs, so they can log in to review and insure the information you provided is accurate; or send that person screen shots of what you have completed, in addition to any required attachments. 
• After submitting online, be sure to print the screen showing your submission was successful, and upload it to AGrants as confirmation.
• Save and upload to AGrants any response you receive confirming that your proposal was received as well.

Systems used by multiple sponsors

Systems used by specific sponsors

• Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy
• Alzheimer’s Association
• American Academy of Otolaryngology
• American Cancer Society
• American Heart Association
• American Lung Association
• Arthritis Foundation
• Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation
• Concern Foundation
• Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs
• Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
• Department of Defense (DOD)
• Department of Education (DoEd)
• Department of Energy (DOE)
• eRA Commons: Used by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this system allows Principal Investigators to obtain proposal status, submit reports, and enter Just-In-Time information. This system is not used for proposal submission. To apply for an NIH grant, use Grants.gov.
• FastLane: This is the electronic submission and reporting system used by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
• FedConnect: This is a one-stop location where you can find opportunities for federal contracts, grants, and other types of assistance funding.
• G5 (formerly eGrants): This is the electronic submission system used by the U.S. Department of Education (DoEd).
• Golden LEAF Foundation
• Grants.gov: This is the most widely-used electronic submission system, used by a large number of federal sponsors.
• Grants Online: Used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for full life-cycle grants management processing. This system is not used for proposal submission. To apply for a NOAA grant, use Grants.gov.
• Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
• HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)
• Institute of Education Sciences (IES)
• Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF)
• NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
• National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR)
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) ; see also eRA Commons
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) : To apply for a NOAA grant, use Grants.gov . You may also use NOAA’s Grants Online system for full life-cycle grants management processing.
• National Science Foundation (NSF)
• National Security Science and Engineering Faculty Fellowship (NSSEFF)
• NIH (National Institutes of Health)
• NOAA: To apply for a NOAA grant, use Grants.gov . You may also use NOAA’s Grants Online system for full life-cycle grants management processing.
• North Carolina Arts Council (NCAC)
• North Carolina Biotechnology Center (NCBC): Access this system from the online instructions for the funding opportunity in which you are interested.
• NSF (National Science Foundation)
• NSPIRES: This is the electronic submission system for NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration).
• Paralyzed Veterans of America
• proposalCENTRAL: This is an electronic submission system used by a variety of government, non-profit, and private grant-making organizations.
• Research.gov: This is the next generation of NSF’s FastLane system. Note: All NSF reports will be submitted here beginning January 1, 2013. The system also includes submission data for USDA and NASA research news.
• Space Telescope Grants Management System (STGMS)
• Space Telescope Science Institute
• STARTALK
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
• Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation