Submitting Your Application

Allow enough time to prepare and submit your application. SAMHSA recommends that you submit your electronic application 24 to 48 hours before the application due date. If any technical problems occur, this extra time should allow you to resolve them and re-submit your application by the due date. Grants.gov will reject applications submitted after 11:59 PM (Eastern Time) on the due date.

Registration Checklist for New Grant Applicants

SAMHSA strongly encourages any organization intending to apply for a SAMHSA grant to follow Grants.gov’s Organization Registration Checklist. This checklist provides registration guidance for an entity submitting for the first time through Grants.gov.

Electronic Submission

(eRA ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace, or other S2S provider)

After completing all required registration and application requirements, applicants are required to electronically submit using eRA ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace, or another system to system (S2S) provider. Information on eRA ASSIST and Grants.gov Workplace is below:

  • ASSIST – The Application Submission System and Interface for Submission Tracking (ASSIST) is an NIH sponsored online interface used to prepare applications using the SF-424 form set, submit electronically through Grants.gov to SAMHSA and other participating agencies, and track applications.
    NOTE: ASSIST requires an eRA Commons ID to access the system
  • Grants.gov Workspace – You can use the shared, online environment of the Grants.gov Workspace to collaboratively work on different forms within the application.

The specific actions you need to take to submit your application will vary by the submission method. The steps to submit your application are as follows:

To submit to Grants.gov using ASSIST: eRA Modules, User Guides, and Documentation | Electronic Research Administration (eRA)

To submit to Grants.gov using Grants.gov Workspace.

Regardless of the option you use, your application will be subject to the same registration requirements, must be completed with the same data items, routed through Grants.gov, validated against the same agency business rules, assembled in a consistent format for review consideration, and tracked in eRA Commons. All applications that are successfully submitted must be validated by Grants.gov before proceeding to the NIH eRA Commons system and validations.

Waiver from Electronic Submission

SAMHSA will not accept paper applications except under very special circumstances. If you need special consideration, SAMHSA must approve the waiver of this requirement in advance.

If you do not have the technology to apply online, or your physical location has no Internet connection, you may request a waiver of electronic submission. You must send a written request to the Division of Grant Review at least 15 calendar days before the application due date.

Direct any questions regarding the submission waiver process to the Division of Grant Review at dgr.applications@samhsa.hhs.gov.

Deadline

On-time submission requires that electronic applications be error-free and made available to SAMHSA for processing from the NIH eRA system on or before the application due date and time. Applications must be submitted to and validated successfully by Grants.gov and eRA Commons no later than 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the application due date. Applications submitted in Grants.gov after the application due date will not be considered for review.

You are strongly encouraged to allocate additional time prior to the submission deadline to submit your application and to correct errors identified in the validation process. You are also encouraged to check the status of your application submission to determine if the application is complete and error-free.

Resources for Assistance

Monitor your application to make sure it is successfully received and validated by both Grants.gov and NIH's eRA system. If it is not, Grants.gov and NIH's eRA system will not forward it to SAMHSA.

If you encounter problems submitting your application in Grants.gov, you must attempt to resolve them by contacting the Grants.gov Service Desk:

  • By e-mail: support@grants.gov
  • By phone: (toll-free) 1-800-518-4726 (1-800-518-GRANTS). The Grants.gov Contact Center is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, excluding federal holidays. 

Troubleshooting Application Packages provides additional tips.

Make sure you receive a case/ticket/reference number that documents the issues/problems with Grants.gov. If you do not receive a Grants.gov tracking number after your submission, you should contact the Grants.gov help desk immediately.

Additional support is also available from the NIH eRA Service desk:

If you experience problems accessing or using ASSIST, you can:

It is highly recommended that you submit your application 24-72 hours before the submission deadline. Many submission issues can be fixed within that time and you can attempt to re-submit.

Last Updated: 06/05/2023
Source: https://www.samhsa.gov/grants/how-to-apply/submitting-your-application