FAQ

Admin and Funding Actions

How do I change a PAC to an FA when that option is not available in the drop-down menu?

A PAC can only have an FA as its parent, and an FA can only have an Application as its parent. If the PAC you want to change has an FA parent, you would have to go through the following steps:

  • Change the PAC to an AA (unidentified admin action)
  • Change the parent to the appropriate Application
  • Change the AA to an FA
How do I route a Funding Action to GCA?

Before you send a Funding Action to GCA, it must be in Approved status. To approve it, open the FA, and then click Approve in the left navigation menu. After it is approved, the Send to GCA link displays in the left navigation menu, if there are no Holds. Click this link to send the FA to GCA. The associated application will be changed from Approved to Awarded status as soon as the FA is sent to GCA.

Once the FA is sent, it displays a pink banner with “In GCA” and is no longer editable by OSP. This means you can view but not change any of the information in the FA.

How do I delete an Admin Action that I created?

Only individuals with the OSP System Administrator ASTRA role can delete Admin Actions, Funding Actions, or Subcontracts. If you have the System Administrator role, you’ll see a Delete option under the Actions + button next to the item. If you do not have this role, you will need to consult with someone who does.

When can I delete a Funding Action?

To delete an item in SPAERC, you must have the OSP System Admin ASTRA role.

For Funding Actions, you can delete one

  • regardless of status
  • with or without a parent
  • whether or not it is in a Cycle

If the FA has a non-Subcontract child item, the “Mid-Hierarchy Delete” dialog will display.

Exceptions: You cannot delete an FA while it has a Subcontract child.

General SPAERC

When sending my comments back to the PI, how do I get auto-generated language to populate in my review notice to campus?

You must click on the associated check box to include any of the optional Body Text or Closing sections in the email (including “Free Text”).

example auto-generated documents option section

Which e-mail alerts are automatically generated and to whom are they sent?

The SAGE/SPAERC system automatically generates and sends several email messages during eGC1 routing and after OSP approval.

For information about email messages associated with approvals, review Approvals: Reviewer Notifications.

Also review the following sections in the Communications chapter:

SPAERC automatically generates documents which SPAERC users may customize and send. These documents are covered in Communications: Auto Generated Documents and Ready for Pickup.

What’s the difference between the OSP Notes and History & Comments pages?

The OSP Notes page displays any information provided by an OSP staff member in the OSP Notes field. OSP Notes also displays system-generated information about changes in status, assignments, and holds, and the creation of auto-generated documents. If the application was created by copying another, that is indicated and includes the number of the original eGC1.

The History & Comments page provides an overview of all actions related to approvals, from when the application is first completed to when it is approved by OSP, including withdrawals, returns, and re-completions. For Grant Runner and Adobe package applications, submission status is also displayed here. History & Comments also includes any comments entered by campus users or OSP when processing the application. If the application was created by copying another, that is indicated and includes the number of the original eGC1.

Managing Sponsor Information

Campus needs to use a sponsor that’s not listed. What steps need to be taken?

When a user searches for a sponsor to add to their eGC1, the following text always displays. It includes the steps the user should follow.

Not finding the sponsor you are looking for?

We recommend you try your search again using single words, abbreviations, or alternate spellings. A partial search term such as “American” or “Americ” will return all sponsors whose names contain that term. You can also search on common acronyms, such as “NIH.”

If you cannot find the sponsor you are looking for, please follow the Sponsor Request Instructions below:

Sponsor Request Instructions

    1. Select “Request Sponsor.”
    2. Navigate to the Sponsor Request form in a separate browser tab.
    3. Fill in the form, and then select “Submit.”
    4. Leave the Sponsor blank until the new sponsor is added in order to route your eGC1.

You will receive an email confirming the new sponsor is now available. Return to your eGC1, search again for that sponsor and select it.

The Request Sponsor button displays below the instructions.

SAGE Applications and Approvals

How can campus change their administrative/fiscal contacts on their eGC1s?

If a person is an Owner (PI, Admin Contact, Budget Contact, eGC1 Preparer) or has Read/Write status, either directly assigned on the eGC1 or through the Global Edit ASTRA role, they can update the Contacts & Access page.

If the eGC1 has a connected budget, then the Budget Preparer is also an Owner.

What system validations occur in a Grant Runner application before it arrives in OSP?

SAGE checks that all of the required fields have data and all required attachments are in place for the Grant Runner forms. In addition, SAGE checks for any NIH errors or warnings. A user cannot complete an eGC1 if any errors are present.

When is the Office of Animal Welfare added to the approval graph of an eGC1?

The application would be one that involves the use of vertebrate animals (non-fiscal compliance question AU-1 = Yes). The Animal Subjects node appears as an approver if the application is After-the-Fact (ATF).  If not ATF, then if the Application Type is Transfer from Another Institution or Supplement and Extension.

Otherwise, the node is added “just-in-time” when the sponsor notifies the PI that the proposal has received a fundable score. The PI or other application owner adds Animal Subjects to the Approval Graph as an ad hoc Watcher. This sends an email notification to the Animal Subjects reviewers and gives them access to the application.

Just-in-time application types are:

  • Pre-Application
  • New
  • Competing Renewal
  • Competing Resubmission
  • Competing Supplement

For more information, see Approvals: Compliance Reviewers.

Troubleshooting

An eGC1 owner cannot get into the eGC1 because it says I am in it. However, I got out of the eGC1 ten minutes ago. How do I let them have access to the eGC1?

If the user opened the item before you exited, they will need to close out and then re-open to switch from read-only access to read-write. If you had not properly exited the item by either using “Save & Close” or “Back to Spaerc Tasklist”, you can re-open the item, and exit properly to clear your hold on it. Then the user should re-open it.

I am running into a SPAERC error and need to submit this proposal today. Whom do I contact?

Send an email to osptech@uw.edu; if necessary, they will consult with ORIS. However, if the system is down or you are receiving a 99 error, call the ORIS Support Desk directly at (206) 685-8335 and leave a voice mail. The desk is staffed Monday through Friday, 8:00AM to 5:00PM.

How do I avoid the attachment file type error message when changing an Admin Action type (e.g. PAN to PAC)?

All Admin Actions have the same choices for attachment types, so changing from one AA type to another should not be a problem. If you’re changing an Admin Action into a Funding Action, the only attachment type in common is Internal (UW) Document. See the Common AA Fields section of the User Guide for more information.

I changed my Tasklist options, but the view of my tasklist isn’t changing. What am I doing wrong?

After you make changes to your Tasklist Options, click Update View to see the results of those changes. This changed view is temporary and  will be used only until you log out of SPAERC or close your browser window.

If you want to save a particular view of a tasklist as its standard one, click the Actions button, and then select Save Tasklist Settings.

Why aren’t the items in my tasklist sorting correctly when I click a column heading?

Try opening the Tasklist Options and clicking Clear Sorting to clear any existing sort order, then click the column you want to sort on. Sorting is cumulative in SPAERC, which means that if you click a second column without clearing the existing sort order, items will be sorted by the first column and then the second column.

Note: You can also sort items in your tasklist by using the Initial Sorting for Items section of the Tasklist Options, then updating the view.