August 2014 Grant Runner Release

New Features

eGC1 Abstract & RFA/RFP Data Required

  • On the eGC1 Abstract & RFA/RFP page, the RFA/RFP Number, Funding Announcement Title, and Funding Announcement URL will now be required. For Grant Runner applications, the URL will be defaulted, but users can edit as necessary.

Grant Runner Design Enhancements

Grant Runner Accordions for Section Breaks

Expandable accordions have been implemented, to allow users to see a more streamlined view of the form data. They are primarily used:

  1. When a section of data is read-only, standard information that the user does not need to pay as much attention to. The SF 424 organization information is an example.
  2. Where users might want to see a summary view of larger collections of data within a form. Modular Budget, Key Persons Expanded, and Performance Sites forms are examples of forms where summary data is presented in accordions, with ability to expand to view more details.

Wherever accordions are used, users will also see an “expand all/collapse all” link for quick “open/close” of accordions.

For SPAERC views, all accordions will be open by default, per OSP’s request.

Grant Runner Validation Changes

Across the entire Grant Runner form set, validation improvements have been made to add clarity and provide a better user experience. Updates include:

  • Required fields with missing data will be highlighted with a red border, for easy identification
  • Additional popover help text will display as the user is moving through fields, to guide users with detail of errors or omissions needing to be fixed before completion.
  • A “Show Form Errors” feature link was added at the top of each form, to allow users to see all remaining errors on a given form at one time, with the guiding popover help text.
  • The “Show Form Errors” feature will also display a summary list at the top of the form of all errors/omissions found.
  • Where errors are found within an expandable accordion section, the user will see a red icon (exclamation point) to indicate an error that might at times be hidden from their view.

This release also incorporates more of the NIH-specific requirements that exceed Grants.gov requirements, for a more comprehensive list of errors that are expected to cause problems on submission. Note that there is still work to be done to more fully incorporate NIH requirements, especially those that are activity type-specific. Future releases will be targeted for continued work in NIH requirements and error identification.

On a final note, users will continue to be able to see the entire list of errors across all forms, using the ‘Check for Form Package Errors’ link on the left navigation menu.

Grant Runner Infrastructure Improvements

The Grant Runner section of SAGE has been updated to a more modern infrastructure. This will allow ORIS to more easily maintain and support the forms, and offers opportunities to improve the speed by which new forms can be incorporated into the system. This applies to only those applications using Form Set C.

Grant Runner: Key Person Expanded Update

The Key Persons Expanded form incorporates the new expandable accordion, which allows the user to see a high level summary of the persons included, while expanding to see each person’s full detail.

This form will also now default the zip code (based on the box number) for the PD/PI and for any other persons added through use of the UW Directory “person lookup” feature.

Grant Runner: Modular Budget Updates

The Modular Budget form includes the new accordion feature which displays summary information for each budget period when closed, and exposes full period detail when expanded.

Additional updates to this page include:

  • Validation of budget start and end dates against project start and end dates, to alert users when budget periods fall outside of the project period range.
  • Validation of period start and end dates to assure they do not overlap with a prior period.

Grant Runner: Other Project Information Updates

The Other Project Information page will now hide from the user’s view any questions that are not applicable, because they are conditioned upon another question’s yes/no answer. This is to reduce confusion over when questions are expected to be answered.

Grant Runner: Performance Site Updates

The Performance Sites form incorporates the new expandable accordion, which allows the user to see a high level summary of the sites included, while expanding to see each site’s full detail. The user will also be provided with better help text for the congressional district field.

Grant Runner: PHS 398 Research Plan Updates

The Introduction to Application attachment (item 1) will only display when the eGC1 Application Type is a Resubmission or Revision. This is to reduce confusion over when the attachment is to be used.

Grant Runner: SF 424 Updates

The SF 424 form incorporates some new design elements to provide a more streamlined user experience.

  • Expandable accordions are used to initially hide from view the details of the standard read-only organization information on this form, so that users can more easily focus on the required entry fields.
  • Sections are re-ordered slightly, to make for a more intuitive, logical flow.

Additional enhancements/updates to this form include:

  • The “Total Federal Funds Requested” field will be defaulted based on the modular budget totals, to keep these numbers in sync
  • The “Total Federal and Non-Federal Funds” field will now be auto-calculated
  • Added informational text to read-only fields that are editable in the main eGC1 sections (e.g. Application Details, PI information)
  • Various UW contact ZIP Codes will now be defaulted, based on the box number provided in the address
  • Fixed a bug related to the length of the opportunity title
  • Fixed a bug related to CFDA number not displaying

Grant Runner: Wizard Detail Manager Eliminated

User feedback indicated that the Wizard Detail Manager feature of Grant Runner was confusing and an additional burden to users, since the information editable through that section was data the users were accustomed to editing elsewhere for standard eGC1s. This feature will be removed from Grant Runner, and the affected data will be editable in the eGC1 instead.

  • Application title, start and end dates, application type, and organization code are editable on the Details page.
  • PI Details are editable on the PI and Personnel page.
  • Opportunity information is incorporated on the Abstract & RFA/RFP page.