FEMA Mitigation e-Grants System Training Grant Applicant Quick Reference Guide October 5, 2006 Version 2.07.03 Table of Contents Introduction 1 Overview 1 About This Guide 2 Your Experience 3 Welcome to the Mitigation e-Grants System 4 What e-Grants Can Do 4 Who Uses e-Grants? 5 How Applications Are Processed 6 Becoming a Registered User 8 Internet Access 8 System Requirements 8 User ID and Password 8 Using the Mitigation e-Grants System 10 Using e-Grants 10 Navigating within e-Grants 10 Menus 11 Entering Data 12 Required Fields 12 Saving Data 13 Grayed Buttons 14 Getting Help 14 Field Help 14 Application Help 14 Technical Support 15 Logging On to the Mitigation e-Grants System 16 How to Access the Mitigation e-Grants System 16 Requesting Access and Creating Your User ID 17 Logging In Once You Are a Registered User 18 The Grant Applicant Home Page 19 Changing Your User Profile 20 Changing Your Password 20 Logging Out of e-Grants 21 e-Grants System Administration 22 System Administration 22 Accessing the e-Grants Administration Function 22 Setting Preferences 23 Managing User Registrations 24 Reviewing User Registration Requests 25 Changing User Roles 27 Revoking a User ID 28 Reviewing Subgrant Applications 29 What is a “Review”? 29 Checking Out and Checking In Subgrant Applications 29 Reviewing a Subgrant Application 30 Creating Applications in e-Grants 35 Grant Applications in e-Grants 35 Sections of the Application 36 How to Create a New Grant Application 37 How to Use a Search Function 38 Attaching Subgrant Applications to Your Grant Application 39 Attaching Documents, Maps, and Studies to Your Application 41 Updating/Completing an Un-submitted Application 42 Copying an Existing Grant Application 44 Deleting an Un-submitted Grant Application 46 Entering Assurances and Certifications for a Grant Application 47 Reviewing and Submitting Your Grant Application 48 Authorizing Access to Grant Applications 50 Working with Submitted Grant Applications 54 Viewing the Status of a Submitted Application 54 Revising/Amending a Submitted Application 54 Changing the Point of Contact for a Submitted Application 57 Award Packages 58 The Award Packages in e-Grants 58 How It Works 58 Reviewing an Award Package 59 Accepting an Award Package 60 Not Accepting an Award Package 61 Viewing a Submitted Award Package 62 Quarterly Reports 65 Quarterly Reports in e-Grants 65 Creating a Quarterly Report 65 Updating a Quarterly Report 67 Submitting a Quarterly Report 68 Revising a Submitted a Quarterly Report 69 Introduction Overview Welcome to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) Mitigation e-Grants Management System. The objective in developing this system was to provide states, federally recognized Indian tribal governments, territories, local communities, and non-profit organizations the ability to apply for grants and manage their grant application processes electronically. FEMA developed this intuitive, user-friendly, Web-based system, which follows the current paper-based application process. Relationships established for processing the paper applications are used in e- Grants. With this electronic system, local entities submit applications for mitigation grant funds to their state. The states review and approve the local applications and include them as sub-applications in their grant applications to FEMA. Federally recognized Indian tribal governments may apply directly to FEMA or through their state. Award packages, revisions, and amendments are all handled electronically. Paper documents can be scanned and attached to the electronic applications as necessary. For assistance with e-Grants, please contact the e-Grants Help Desk toll- free at 1-866-476-0544 or via email at MTeGrants@dhs.gov. For answers to eligibility and program questions, local entities should contact their state hazard mitigation officer, and states should contact their FEMA regional office. We also welcome your input and comments as we continue to improve the e-Grants system. About This Guide This guide introduces you to the FEMA’s Mitigation e-Grants System and tells you: ? About the Mitigation e-Grants System ? How to access the Mitigation e-Grants System ? How to use the Mitigation e-Grants System to create and submit grant applications This guide also helps you master: ? Registering and approving Subgrant applicant users ? Reviewing submitted and un-submitted Subgrant applications ? Creating and submitting Grant applications to FEMA ? Accepting an award package ? Preparing and submitting quarterly reports Because this guide is a “quick reference guide,” it focuses specifically on the information you need to step through the activities associated with creating, managing, and submitting grant and Subgrant applications. In addition, this guide offers tips to help you enter the information needed and use the Mitigation e-Grants System effectively. Look for this symbol for tips on how to use e-Grants effectively. Your Experience This guide assumes that you know how to use a personal computer and are familiar with how to operate the computer using the Microsoft® Windows® operating system. It also assumes that you have at least some experience working with Web-based applications and Internet browsers. Welcome to the Mitigation e-Grants System The Mitigation e-Grants System (e-Grants) is an intuitive, user-friendly, Web-based application that allows Grant and Subgrant applicants to use the Internet to apply for Grants and Subgrants. e-Grants replaces the paper- based process that has previously been used. A part of the eGovernment initiative, e-Grants streamlines the application process by providing the ability to apply for and manage their Grant and Subgrant applications over the Internet. It manages the processing of applications and facilitates FEMA’s review and award process, from submission of an application through the entire Grant life cycle. Because e-Grants is a Web-based application, the “program” is installed on an application server managed and maintained by FEMA; there is no software to install on your system. In addition, files are stored on the application server, not on your computer. What e-Grants Can Do e-Grants allows users to: ? Create and submit a Subgrant pre-application to the Grant applicant ? Create and submit a Subgrant application to the Grant applicant ? Review and process Subgrant applications ? Create and submit a Grant application to FEMA ? Review and process Grant applications ? Accept award packages ? Prepare and submit quarterly reports e-Grants currently processes applications for the following types of Grant applications: ? Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) ? Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) Program ? Pre-Disaster Mitigation – Competitive (PDM-C) Program Who Uses e-Grants? e-Grants is for: ? FEMA regional FMA and PDM coordinators ? Assistance officers and regional management ? State points of contact for implementing the FMA and PDM programs ? Local community officials who would like to submit applications for funding ? Federally recognized Indian Tribal Governments. Note: Tribal Governments may apply either as a Grant applicant directly to FEMA or as a Subgrant applicant, applying through a Tribal Grant applicant or State agency. ? FEMA headquarters program and administrative offices How Applications Are Processed e-Grants uses the same preparation and processing of applications as in the paper-based process. Figure 1: Application Flow Through e-Grants depicts the application process flow in e-Grants. Figure 1: Application Flow through e-Grants The main difference between the paper-based process and the electronic process in e-Grants is that applications are created and revised online (over the Internet) and submitted electronically. ? A Subgrant applicant creates a Subgrant application using e-Grants. When the Subgrant application is complete, the Subgrant applicant submits the application, which is forwarded to the appropriate Grant applicant for review. ? The Grant applicant reviews the Subgrant application for eligibility. The Grant applicant may request revisions to the Subgrant application. If changes are requested, the Subgrant applicant may revise the Subgrant application and resubmit it to the Grant applicant. ? Once the Subgrant application is approved, the Grant applicant may include these Subgrants in a Grant application to FEMA. Subgrants that are not selected are stockpiled for future consideration. ? The Grant applicant creates a Grant application, attaches Subgrant applications, and submits the Grant application to FEMA for consideration. ? FEMA reviews the Grant application. FEMA may request revisions to the Grant application. If changes are requested, the Grant applicant may revise the Grant application and resubmit it to FEMA. ? FEMA conducts its review of all of the submitted applications and selects applications for award. FEMA notifies the Grant applicant of a pending award and the award package is sent to the Grant applicant through e-Grants. ? The Grant applicant reviews the award package and either accepts or not accepts the award. If the Grant applicant accepts the award, the award package is sent back to FEMA through e-Grants for final signature and obligation. If the Grant applicant does not accept the award package, the award package is sent back to FEMA through e- Grants for withdrawal. ? Once FEMA signs an accepted award package, the signed award package is sent back to the Grant applicant through e-Grants. The Grant applicant then manages the Grant and submits quarterly reports to FEMA. Becoming a Registered User You must be a registered user to use e-Grants. To become a registered user of e-Grants, contact your FEMA region and request user access. You will receive information that will allow you to register. Note: You must register before you can register Subgrant users. Internet Access Because e-Grants is a Web-based system, you must have Internet access and email service to become a registered user and access e-Grants. You are free to choose any Internet service provider and email service that meet your needs. System Requirements e-Grants is accessed via a personal computer with either: ? Microsoft® Internet Explorer®, version 5.0 or later, with 128-bit encryption, or ? Netscape®, version 4.7 or later, with 128-bit encryption. User ID and Password User access to e-Grants is authenticated via a User ID and a password to protect the integrity of the system and the application information. You will create your own User ID and password the first time you access the e-Grants site. It is your responsibility to secure and protect your User ID and password from easy detection and use by unauthorized users. Anyone with your User ID and password can log in to e-Grants as you, and the system cannot tell the difference. As a precaution, consider changing your password every 30 to 90 days. If at any point you believe your User ID and password have been compromised, immediately notify your FEMA regional office. Using the Mitigation e-Grants System Using e-Grants e-Grants is intuitive and user friendly, making it easy to transition from the paper-based system to the electronic system of preparing and submitting Subgrant and Grant applications. In addition, e-Grants offers written directions and helpful hints at the beginning of each screen and at critical positions on each screen to guide the user through the system and follows many of the conventions used in other Web-based systems. Navigating within e-Grants e-Grants works much like other Web-based applications: ? Click on a button to perform a function ? Click on a blue link to move to a specific place in the application ? Use the [TAB] key (on the keyboard) to move from field to field ? Enter text into text boxes in the format described next to the field ? Use drop-down menus to make selections where applicable ? Use the scroll bars to move up and down through the screens ? Click on underlined help links to access help screens Unlike most Web-based systems, however, when working in e-Grants, do not use the Back and Forward buttons on your browser to move from one page to another. Instead, use the application buttons—Go Back, Save, and Save and Continue—located at the bottom of the screens. Using these application buttons ensures that the information you enter is saved and stored in e-Grants. Failure to use these application buttons could result in loss of your data. Remember to always use the application Back and Forward buttons and not the Back and Forward buttons on your browser. Using the buttons on the browser could result in loss of your data. Menus Like most Web-based solutions, e-Grants is menu driven. Several types of menus are used in e-Grants. The Main Menu, located across the bottom of the screen, allows you to navigate to various user features in e-Grants, for example: ? FEMA Home ? e-Grants Home ? Contact Us ? Frequently Asked Questions ? Glossary ? Help Task menus, such as those found on the Grant Applicant Home Page, allow you to navigate to a particular activity to perform, for example: ? Administration ? Review Submitted Subgrant Applications ? Create New Grant Application The sidebar menu, shown to the left of the Grant Application window, allows you to move to a specific section of the Grant application without having to view each section consecutively. Entering Data To enter data into a field, click on the field, if it is a text field, or click on the down arrow, if the field has a drop down menu. Then either type the data into the field or select the appropriate data from the drop-down menu. If a specific format is required for the data, the format is shown next to the field. To change data you have entered in a field, click on the field, delete the data you previously entered if it is a text field and type in the new, correct data or make a different selection from the drop-down menu. Remember to save the data by clicking on the Save or Save and Continue buttons at the bottom of the screen to ensure that the data you entered are saved in e-Grants. On some screens, you will find buttons that will help you to locate the information you need to enter into a field. As you progress through e-Grants, you will sometimes encounter fields that have already been filled with data. e-Grants fills these fields for you from information you have previously entered, reducing the amount of data you need to enter. Required Fields Certain fields within each section of the application are required. Required fields are designated by an asterisk (*). Data must be entered into all of the required fields before an application can be submitted. This does not mean that you have to enter data into every required field as you create the application. You can enter the data you have, save data you have entered and move to another section of the application, and then return to that section at a later time to complete all of the required fields. e-Grants tests for data in the required fields only in the final stages of preparation when an application is being reviewed and submitted. Required fields can remain empty until that time. Saving Data It is important that you actively save the data you enter into sections of e- Grants to prevent the loss of your data. Data is not saved in e-Grants until you actually save it. Saving the data causes the data to be sent from your PC to the e-Grants server, where it is stored. Two Save buttons are provided at the bottom of each section: ? Save and Continue—saves the data you have entered in a section of the application and automatically moves you to the next section of the application ? Save—saves the data you have entered in that section of the application but does not automatically move you to the next section of the application Be sure to save your data: ? Before you move to different section or page in the application ? Before you take a break from entering information into an application ? Before being timed-out by the system. Remember: ? Failure to use the Save buttons will result in loss of the data you have entered since the last time you clicked on the Save or Save and Continue button. ? e-Grants times-out after 30 minutes of inactivity, at which time your session is closed and any data you have entered that you have not saved is lost. Grayed Buttons As you access different screens and functions within e-Grants, you will notice that, at various points, certain buttons are grayed out, which indicates that they are not activated for use at that particular point. Usually this means that information must be provided in a prior field in order to activate a grayed button. Entering data into the field and clicking on the Save button will cause an inactive button to become active. Getting Help Help with e-Grants is available to you from a variety of sources. Field Help Many fields offer a Help feature. Click on Help at the end of a field to receive an explanation of the information that is expected in that field. Application Help Help at the application level is offered in a variety of ways, all of which are accessible from the Main Menu that appears at the bottom of the e-Grants screen: ? e-Grants Help—allows you to access help, including hints and tips for first-time users, help on technical issues, and lists of resources ? Glossary—defines key terms used within e-Grants ? Frequently Asked Questions—answers questions that users frequently ask about e-Grants Technical Support For additional help, contact your FEMA regional office or the e-Grants Help Desk at 1-866-476-0544 or MTeGrants@dhs.gov. Help Desk hours are normally Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. Help Desk hours may be extended preceding published FEMA Grant application deadlines. Logging On to the Mitigation e-Grants System How to Access the Mitigation e-Grants System Access to e-Grants and the e-Grants Web site is restricted and controlled. e- Grants is to be used only for official business. Contact your FEMA regional office to obtain the e-Grants Web site address and a special Access ID (access code), which will allow you to request access to e-Grants and create your User ID and password. Note: To access e-Grants, you must first have Internet service and an email account. To access the Mitigation e-Grants Web site: 1. Contact your FEMA regional office to request user access and obtain the required Access ID. 2. Establish your Internet connection and open your browser window. 3. Enter the Web site address into the Address field of your browser and press Enter. The FEMA?Integrated Security and Access Control System (ISAACS) screen is displayed. 4. Click on the New User? button to begin creating your User ID. 5. Follow the instructions on the Security check page and type the characters in the image into the text box and click the Submit button. Requesting Access and Creating Your User ID The first time you access e-Grants, you must complete the profile information to request access to e-Grants and to create your User ID and password. You may be notified by email when your application for access is approved. You only create a User ID and password the first time you login to e-Grants. Even though the Access ID allows you to access the e-Grants registration process, your request for registration and the User ID and password you create must be approved before you can use them to access the e-Grants application system to perform tasks. More than one official from a Grant applicant agency may request access and register to use e-Grants. To request access to e-Grants and create your User ID and password: 1. Select the New User? button. 2. Complete the data boxes by entering text and making the appropriate selections from the drop-down menus. You will create a User ID and password only this first time you access e-Grants to register. Your User ID must be at least 4 characters and cannot contain the special characters ", space character, ', or #. Your password must be at least 7 characters and cannot contain the special characters ", space character, ', or #. All letters entered in the User ID and Password fields are converted to lowercase characters. 3. When you have completed all of the fields, click on the Submit button at the bottom of the form. 4. Create a password and re-type it to confirm, and click on the Submit button at the bottom of the screen. 5. You will receive a confirmation screen, acknowledging your Account has been created, and allowing you to request privileges to specific electronic Applications 6. Click on the Click here to request new privileges link. 7. Click on the Request Access button for Mitigation eGrants Application. 8. Enter the Access ID you were given by your FEMA regional office and click on the Submit button. 9. You will receive an email message (at the email address you entered) when your registration has been approved or if your request is, for some reason, denied. Note: The Grant applicant must be registered with e-Grants before any of its Subgrant applicants can be registered. If information you entered when you created your User ID changes, you must update this information in your user profile. Logging In Once You Are a Registered User Once your request for access has been approved by your FEMA regional office, you will be able to access and login to e-Grants. Login to the system by entering the User ID and password you created when you completed the registration request. To login to e-Grants: 1. Enter the address for e-Grants in the address field of your Internet browser. The Integrated Security and Access Control System screen is displayed. 2. Enter your User ID and password and click on the Login button. The Grant Applicant Home Page is displayed. The Grant Applicant Home Page The Grant Applicant Home Page is the primary screen for navigating and accessing the different tasks you perform in e-Grants. From this screen that you access the functions that allow you to: ? Perform Administrative functions, such as reviewing and approving user registration requests ? Enter, work on, and review Subgrant applications ? Create and work on a Grant as Subgrant application ? Create, work on, and review a Grant application ? Accept Grant awards ? Create, work on, and submit Quarterly Reports ? Change your Password ? Edit your User Profile ? Access the e-Grants help functions, including: – Contact information for e-Grants – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – e-Grants Glossary ? Link to the FEMA and e-Grant home pages Click on the appropriate activity link to access these functions. Note: This QRG does not cover how to create a Subgrant application either from a paper application on behalf of a Subgrant applicant or as a Grant applicant acting as a Subgrant application. Consult the Subgrant Applicant Quick Reference Guide for directions on how to create a Subgrant application. Changing Your User Profile If information you entered when you created your User ID, such as your email address or phone number, changes, you should update this information in e-Grants. In addition, you will periodically be prompted by e-Grants to update your user profile. To change your user profile information: 1. Login to e-Grants. The Grant Applicant Home Page is displayed. 2. Click on Edit Profile at the top of the screen. The Edit Profile screen is displayed. 3. Click on the field to be changed. Delete the existing information and enter the new information. 4. When you have entered all of the changes, click on the Save button at the bottom of the screen. Your User Profile is updated. Changing Your Password You should change your password if you have reason to believe your User ID or password has been compromised. You should also consider changing your password every 30 to 60 days as a precaution. To change your password: 1. Login to e-Grants. The Grant Applicant Home Page is displayed. 2. Click on Change Password at the top of the screen. The Change Password screen is displayed. 3. Enter your Username, your old password, your new password, and then your new password again to confirm the new password. 4. Click on the Save button at the bottom of the screen. Your password is changed. Logging Out of e-Grants When you are finished performing your activities in e-Grants, you should exit the system by logging out. Do not simply click on the “X” and close the window because this may leave your e-Grants session active. To logout of e-Grants: 1. From the Grant Applicant Home Page or many other screens in e- Grants, click on the Logout button located at the bottom of the screen, click on Logout on the sidebar menu, or click on the Logout menu option in the upper right corner of the e-Grants window. 2. Your session in terminated and you are logged out of e-Grants. Remember: You must click on the Save or Save and Continue button before logging out of e-Grants to ensure that the data you have entered is saved and not lost. e-Grants System Administration System Administration A grantee is an individual from a State, Federally-recognized Indian Tribal Government, or Territory authorized to receive financial assistance under one of FEMA’s mitigation Grant programs. Grantees: 1. Manage user registration for their Subgrantees; 2. Review Subgrant applications; and 3. Create and submit Subgrant and Grant applications. As a Grantee, you may be assigned a user role that requires you to manage the user registrations requests of your Subgrant applicants and set certain preferences within e-Grants that control what your Subgrant applicant users can see and do. You must set these options before you or your Subgrant applicants can submit applications. Accessing the e-Grants Administration Function User registration and access preferences are managed through the e-Grants Administration activity. To access the e-Grants Administration activity: 1. Login to e-Grants. The Grant Applicant Home Page is displayed. 2. Click on Administration. The Preferences screen is displayed. Setting Preferences Preferences allow you to specify which additional features available in e- Grants will be available to your Grant and Subgrant applicant users. The preferences you select apply to all of your Subgrant users; preferences may not be set for individual users. The preferences you will set are: ? Enable Subgrant Pre-Application—allows you to activate the Subgrant pre-application module, which requires Subgrant applicants to complete a pre-application for projects. ? Enable Subgrant View of SF 424—allows a Subgrant applicant to view the Subgrant application as an SF 424, Application for Federal Assistance. ? Enable Subgrant Assurances and Certification—allows you to activate the Assurances and Certification forms for Subgrant applicants to complete. ? Enable External Email—allows email notifications to be sent to the Subgrant applicants from e-Grants. If this preference is not set first, no registration emails will be sent to registrants. If external email is not enabled, no registration emails will be sent to Subgrant applicant registrants. To set preferences: 1. From the Grant Applicant Home Page, click on Administration. The Preferences screen is displayed. 2. Click on the Set Preferences button. The Set Preferences screen is displayed. 3. Set each preference to “Yes” or “No” by clicking on the applicable radio button. 4. Click on the Help link to receive an explanation of the preference. 5. When you are finished, click on the Save and Continue button. The Preferences screen is displayed, showing the preference settings you have selected. Managing User Registrations User registration is the process by which information is collected from each user about his or her identity, the organization with which he or she is associated, and how he or she can be contacted. The actions that the user can perform are also set. All users who want access to e-Grants must register and be approved by an approving organization: ? Grantees approve or deny registration requests from Subgrantees. ? The Regional FEMA Office approves or denies registration requests from Grant applicants. Access request forms that are completed (online) and submitted by a new user but have not yet been reviewed and approved or denied are called “Pending Registrations.” If you have been assigned the user role to review and approve user registration requests from your Subgrant applicants, you must review pending registrations and either approve or deny the registration request. The requesting user cannot access e-Grants until his or her registration request has been approved. Registration requests from your Subgrant applicants are automatically routed to you as they come in to e-Grants. e-Grants does not notify you of new requests that come in, so you need to check for registration requests on a regular basis. Access the Administration activity on a regular basis to check for registration requests. Reviewing User Registration Requests For each registration request, you may perform the following actions: ? View—allows you to read the user registration information but not set user roles or approve, deny, or revoke access to e-Grants. ? Review—allows you to read the user registration information and set user roles or approve, deny, or revoke access to e-Grants. ? Deny/Revoke—allows you to deny the user registration request or revoke access to a user who has already been granted access without reviewing the user registration information. To process registration requests: 1. From the Grant Applicant Home Page, click on Administration. The Preferences screen is displayed. 2. Click on Pending User Registrations on the sidebar menu. The Pending User Registration screen is displayed, showing a list of the Subgrant registrations you need to manage. ? Click on the Continue button to view more pending registrations. ? Click on the Search button and enter search criteria to locate a specific user registration request. 3. Click on View in the Action column to view a registration request without approving or disapproving it. The registration request is displayed in read-only format. 4. Click on Review in the Action column to review and approve or disapprove a registration request. The Review Registration screen is displayed. 5. Review the registration request information. 6. To Approve a registration request, select the roles to be assigned to the user. Click on the Action checkboxes to be applied to this user. The user roles may be set to: ? View/Print only ? View/Print and Create/Edit ? View/Print, Create/Edit, and Sign/Submit ? View/Print and Sign/Submit Enter comments in the Comments field. Click on Save and Continue. A standard email message advising the user of the acceptance of his or her registration is displayed. 7. To Deny a user registration request, click on the Deny/Revoke Action checkbox. Click on the Comments text box and enter text explaining the reason for the denial. Click on Save and Continue. A standard email message advising the user of the denial of his or her registration is displayed. 8. Click on the Send Email button to send the email message to the user. The Pending Registrations screen is displayed. 9. Select another pending registration to review or click on Return to Home on the sidebar menu. The Grant Application Home Page is displayed. Changing User Roles Sometimes it is necessary to change the roles (actions) a user is allowed to perform within e-Grants – for example, a user may request to be given permission in the system to sign and submit Subgrant applications in addition to being able to view/print and create/edit. Roles are changed through the user registrations. To change a user’s roles: 1. From the Grant Applicant Home Page, click on Administration. The Preferences screen is displayed. 2. Click on Approved Registrations on the sidebar menu. The Approved User Registrations screen is displayed. 3. Locate the user registration you need to change. 4. For that user, click on Review in the Action column. The Review Registration screen is displayed. 5. Click on the Action checkbox(es) you want to select or deselect for this user. 6. Click on the Comments field and enter comments explaining the reason for this change in user roles. 7. Click on the Save and Continue button. A standard email message is displayed. 8. Click on the Send Email button to send the email message to the user. The Approved User Registrations screen is displayed. 9. Click on Review for another user to change that user’s roles or click on Return to Home Page on the sidebar menu to return to the Grant Applicant Home Page. Revoking a User ID Sometimes it is necessary to revoke a user’s registration and, therefore, the user’s access to e-Grants – for example, if a user no longer works with the local government represented in the registration. To revoke a user’s registration: 1. From the Grant Applicant Home Page, click on Administration. The Preferences screen is displayed. 2. Click on Approved Registrations on the sidebar menu. The Approved User Registrations screen is displayed. 3. Locate the user registration you need to change. 4. For that user, click on Review in the Action column. The Review Registration screen is displayed. 5. Click on the Deny/Revoke checkbox in the Action column. 6. Click on the Comments field and enter comments explaining the reason for denying this user’s access to e-Grants. 7. Click on the Save and Continue button. A standard email message is displayed. 8. Click on the Send Email button to send the email message to the user. The Approved User Registrations screen is displayed. 9. Click on Review for another user to change that user’s roles or click on Return to Home Page on the sidebar menu to return to the Grant Applicant Home Page Reviewing Subgrant Applications What is a “Review”? As a Grant applicant, you must review and approve (or not approve) Subgrant applications that have been submitted to you. This review is the same review you’ve been conducting on paper, only now it’s done electronically. After you have reviewed a Subgrant application, you will either approve or disapprove it. You may also request revisions to be made to a Subgrant applicant application to increase its chances of approval and inclusion in a Grant application. Grantees do not need to review their own Grant as Subgrant applications. Note: Subgrant applications can be viewed only by the Subgrant applicant’s State, Indian Tribe, or Territory. Grantees from other States, Indian Tribes, or Territories may not view a Subgrantee’s application. Once a Subgrant application is attached to a Grant application and submitted to FEMA, FEMA can also view it. Checking Out and Checking In Subgrant Applications In any given State or Tribal Government acting as a Grant applicant, there may be more than one registered user with review and/or approval rights for applications. To ensure that only one person is working on a Subgrant application at a time, you must first Check Out the Subgrant applications, much like checking out a book from a library. While a Subgrant application is checked out to you no other users can work on the application. Other users may view (read only) the application, but may not review or check out the application. When you are finished working with a Subgrant application, you must Check In the Subgrant application so that it is available to other users. You must Check In a Subgrant application before a Subgrantee can access it to make revisions and before you can attach it to a Grant application. The check-out/check-in feature ensures that another user does not duplicate your review. It also allows you to reserve applications that you would like to include in a Grant application for your agency. Reviewing a Subgrant Application Reviewing Subgrant applications is one of the core functions of e-Grants. When you review a Subgrant application, you review the content of each section and determine if the application submitted is: ? Sufficiently complete to approve ? Incomplete and in need of revision ? To be released to the stockpile ? To be disapproved When you review a Subgrant application, you locate the Subgrant application, check it out, review each of the sections, request revisions as needed, and then check it back in. To review a Subgrant application: 1. From the Grant Applicant Home Page, click on Review Submitted Subgrant Application. The Overview screen is displayed, showing your pending tasks in the upper part of the screen and the Subgrant applications checked out to you in the lower part of the screen. 2. Click on View Subgrant Applications in the sidebar menu. The View Subgrant Applications screen is displayed, listing the submitted Subgrant application to which you have you have access to review. The Review Status column shows the current status of the Subgrant application. 3. Click on the Continue button or click on Check Out a Subgrant Application on the sidebar menu. The Check Out Subgrant Applications screen is displayed. Users may view applications without checking them out by simply clicking View in the Action column next to the appropriate application. However, for an application to be reviewed and approved, it must be checked out first. You must check in Subgrant applications that you approve before you can include them in a Grant application. 4. Click on the checkbox next to the Subgrant application(s) you want to check out. 5. Click on the Check Out Applications button. The Confirm Application Check Out screen is displayed, showing the Subgrant application(s) you selected for check-out. 6. Click on the Yes button to check out the selected Subgrant application(s). The Review Subgrant Applications screen is displayed, showing all of the Subgrant applications checked out to you. 7. Click on Review in the Action column for the Subgrant application you want to review. The Review Subgrant Application screen is displayed, showing the status of each section of the Subgrant application. 8. Click on Complete or Incomplete in the Status column for each section to review the contents of the section. 9. Enter comments and data as needed, and click on the Save and Continue button. To enter a comment: a. Click on the Add Comments button at the bottom of the page. The Add/Modify Comments screen is displayed. b. Click on the appropriate text box and enter your comment. c. Click on the Save or Save and Continue button It is always best, if you change or add any data to the Subgrant application, to document what you did in the Comments field for the section in which you made the change or addition. This documents the change or addition and allows you to explain why it was needed. 10. Click on View Details to select the specific sections you want to review. Sections that must be completed by the Grantee are noted in the Sections to be Completed column. 11. Approve, Request Revisions, Release to Stockpile, or Disapprove the Subgrant application. To Approve a Subgrant application: 1. Click on the Approve radio button. Note: All of the sections in the Application Status table must be complete before an application can be approved. 2. Enter any additional comments in the Comments text box. 3. Click on the Save and Continue button. To Request Revision of a Subgrant application: 1. Click on the Request Revision radio button. 2. Enter the date by which the revisions must be submitted by the Subgrant applicant in the Set Revision Deadline field. 3. Enter Comments explaining the revisions you would like made to the Subgrant application in the Comments text box. 4. Click on the Save and Continue button. The Subgrant application is returned to the Subgrant applicant for amendment or revision. Remember: You must Check In the Subgrant application before the Subgrant applicant can access the Subgrant application to make requested revisions. To Release the Subgrant application to Stockpile: 1. Click on the Release to Stockpile radio button. 2. Click on the Save and Continue button. The “Stockpile” is simply a collection of the applications that have neither been approved nor disapproved – like putting the Subgrant applications in a file drawer. To Disapprove a Subgrant application: 1. Click on the Disapprove radio button. Note: Applications that are disapproved are moved to the stockpile. 2. Enter your reason(s) for disapproving the application in the Comments text box. 3. Click on the Save and Continue button. When you click on the Save and Continue button after approving, requesting revisions, releasing to stockpile, or disapproving the Subgrant application, the Review Subgrant Application Results screen is displayed. The Review Subgrant Application Results screen shows the current status of the application and generates an email message that is sent by the system to the Subgrant applicant, advising him or her of the status of the application. To send the email message: 1. Enter in the CCs field the email addresses of anyone in addition to the Subgrant applicant Point of Contact that you want to receive notification of the review status. 2. Enter in the Body field any additional text you want to send with this message. 3. Click on the Send Email button to send the email message. The Review Subgrant Application Results screen is displayed, showing the email message that was sent. 4. Click on the Return to Review Applications button to return to the Review Subgrants Applications screen. 5. Check In the Subgrant application. (See the To Check in one or more Subgrant applications process.) To Check In one or more Subgrant applications: 1. From the Grant Applicant Home Page, click on Review Submitted Subgrant Application. The Overview screen is displayed, showing your pending tasks in the upper part of the screen and the Subgrant applications checked out to you in the lower part of the screen. 2. Click on Check In Subgrant Applications on the sidebar menu. The Check In Subgrant Applications screen is displayed, showing a listing of the Subgrant applications currently checked out to you. 3. Click on the checkbox next to the application(s) you want to check in. 4. Click on the Check In Applications button. The Confirm Application Check In screen is displayed, showing the Subgrant application(s) you selected for check in. 5. Click on the Yes button to check in the selected Subgrant applications. The Overview screen is displayed, showing your pending tasks and the Subgrant applications still checked out to you. Creating Applications in e-Grants Grant Applications in e-Grants In addition to facilitating your review of submitted Subgrant applications, another of the primary purposes of e-Grants is to assist you in preparing Grant applications. Through e-Grants, you can electronically prepare and submit: ? Grant applications, depending on your roles, including: – Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) Project, Planning, and Technical Assistance Grant applications – Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) Grant applications – Pre-Disaster Mitigation – Competitive (PDM-C) Grant applications ? Subgrant applications, when you are: – Acting as a Subgrant applicant to submit an activity on behalf of the Grant applicant – Entering a paper Subgrant application that was submitted to you on behalf of a Subgrant applicant You can find instructions for preparing Subgrant applications in the Mitigation e- Grants Subgrant Applicant Quick Reference Guide. Sections of the Application As with the paper application, you must complete different forms (sections) depending on the type of Grant application you are creating. e-Grants automatically presents you with the sections you must complete, according to the type of application you specify at the beginning of the process. In addition, e-Grants ensures that you have provided all of the data elements required to process the application and, where it can, validates the format of the data. Table 1: Applicable Sections of the Grant Application shows the sections that are required for each type of Grant application. Table 1: Applicable Sections of the Grant Application SECTION FMA PDM PDM-C PROJECT PLANNING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Applicant Information ? ? ? ? ? Contact Information ? ? ? ? ? Subgrant Applications ? ? ? ? ? Project Schedule ? Plan Schedule ? Activity Schedule ? Schedule ? ? Budget ? ? ? ? ? Properties ? ? ? Comments and Attachments ? ? ? ? ? Assurances and Certifications ? ? ? ? ? How to Create a New Grant Application Creating your Grant application is easy because e-Grants steps you through the process. Although e-Grants steps you through creating a Grant application, you may find it helpful, for reference, to look at a copy of a paper Grant application that was successful the first few times you create a new Grant application. This is not necessary, but some users find it helpful. To create a new Grant application: 1. From the Grant Applicant Home Page, click on Create New Grant Application. The Create New Grant Application screen is displayed. 2. Enter an application title and select the application type from the drop down menus. Click on the Save and Continue button. The Start New Grant Application screen is displayed. 3. Click on the Start New Application button. The Application Status screen is displayed, showing the sections to be completed for this type of Grant application. You may also select a Grant application to copy sections from and then click on the Copy Existing Application button. See the Copying an Existing Grant Application procedure for information. 4. Click on Applicant Information on the sidebar menu. The Applicant Information screen is displayed. You can access each section of the Grant application by: ? Clicking on the section’s Incomplete link in the Application Status window; ? Clicking on the specific section on the sidebar menu; or ? Clicking the Save and Continue button. 5. Enter the data elements requested. If you have any questions about the data you are entering or if you need help finding information, please contact your FMA or PDM coordinator. Remember: Required fields are designated with an asterisk (*). Information must be entered into all of the required fields before the application can be submitted, but if you do not have all of the required information at this point, you may enter what you have, save the application, and return later to complete the remaining fields. 6. When you have finished entering the data in this section, click on the Save and Continue button. The next section required for the Grant application is displayed. Be sure to click on either Save or Save and Continue before you move from one section to another to ensure that the data you entered are saved in e- Grants. 7. Continue entering information into the different sections of the application until you have completed each section. When you have entered all of the information, your application is ready to be reviewed and submitted. How to Use a Search Function You will find search buttons associated with various field on a variety of screens. These search functions allow you to search for and information, such as an organization name or a contact name, that already resides in e- Grants. This feature helps to standardize wording and capitalization that is used across applications. To use a search function: 1. Click on the search button that is located next to the field. The Search screen is displayed. 2. Enter the search criteria. 3. Click on the Search button. The Search Results screen is displayed, showing the information stored in e-Grants that meets the criteria you entered. 4. Click on the appropriate entry and then click on the Select button. The e-Grants section screen is displayed with the information you selected populated in the appropriate field. 5. If the search results did not show the information you were searching for, click on the Go Back button to return to the e-Grants screen and key in the information. Attaching Subgrant Applications to Your Grant Application The Subgrant Application screen is the screen through which you electronically attach Subgrant applications to your Grant application. A Subgrant application must have been submitted and approved before you can attach it to a Grant application. The Subgrant Application screen lists the Subgrant applications that are currently attached to your Grant application, allows you to search for Subgrant applications to attach to your Grant application, and allows you to attach additional Subgrant applications to your Grant application. To attach Subgrant applications to your Grant application: 1. On the Subgrant Applications screen, click on the Add Subgrant Applications button. The Select Subgrant Applications screen is displayed, listing all of the Subgrant applications you have reviewed and approved. A Subgrant application must have been Checked In to be listed for adding to Grant applications. 2. Click on the checkbox next to the Subgrant application(s) you want to attach to your Grant application. Click on the Add Subgrant Applications button. A confirmation screen is displayed. 3. Click on the Yes button. The Edit Subgrant Ranks screen is displayed. 4. Enter a rank for each Subgrant in the Rank column. Subgrant applications are ranked differently, depending on the type of Grant application you are creating. ? For a PDM-C Grant application, you assign a unique rank of 1 to X to each Subgrant application, where X represents the total number of Subgrant applications you’ve attached to your Grant application. ? For an FMA Grant application, you assign a rank to of 1, 2, or 3, representing high, medium, and low priority, to each Subgrant application. 5. Click on the Save and Continue button. The Subgrant Applications screen is displayed, showing the Subgrant application you’ve attached to your Grant application and the rank you assigned to each. ? Click on the Edit Rank button to change the any of the ranks you have assigned. ? Click on the Add Subgrant Applications button to add more Subgrant applications to your Grant application. If you need to detach a Subgrant application from a Grant application: 1. From the Subgrant Applications screen, click on Delete in the Action column for the Subgrant application you want to detach. The Delete Attached Subgrant Application screen is displayed. 2. Click on the Yes button to confirm the deletion from this Grant application. Note: Clicking on the Yes button does not delete the Subgrant application from e-Grants; it simply detaches the Subgrant application from this Grant application. The Subgrant Applications screen is displayed and the Subgrant application is no longer listed. 6. When you have finished attaching Subgrant applications to your Grant application, click on the Save and Continue button. The Schedule screen is displayed. 7. Continue completing each section of the Grant application until all sections have been completed. Attaching Documents, Maps, and Studies to Your Application Many times, additional documents, maps, and studies are necessary or helpful in the processing of your application. These items can be electronically attached to your Grant application, or you can indicate that you are sending hard copies of these documents by regular mail. You can attach a document to a Grant application while you are completing a particular section or by using Comments and Attachments on the sidebar menu. To attach documents, maps, and studies to your application: 8. Click on the Attachments button. The Attach Document screen is displayed. 9. Click on the appropriate attachment option – Regular mail or electronic file. 10. If you selected regular mail, enter the date on which the document was mailed and a brief description of the document. 11. If you selected electronic file, complete the fields describing the file format. Browse for or enter the name of the file to be attached (uploaded) to the application. 12. Click on the Save and Continue button. Updating/Completing an Un-submitted Application Many times you will not have all of the information necessary to complete an application when you first begin creating the application. e-Grants allows you to create the application, enter the information you have, save the application, and then return at a later time to update and complete the application. It is important to remember that even though you have created and saved a Grant application, it is not submitted for processing until you click on the Submit Application button. To update or complete an un-submitted application: 1. Access the Grant Applicant Home Page. 2. Click on Work on Un-submitted Grant Applications. The Grant Status: Un-submitted Grant Applications screen is displayed, showing a list of your un-submitted applications. 3. Click on Update Application in the Action column for the Grant application you want to update or complete. The Application Status screen is displayed, showing the sections that are required for this type of application. The status of each section is shown as Complete or Incomplete. 4. Click on Complete or Incomplete for the section of the application you want to update or complete. That section of the application is displayed. If the section you want to update has already been marked as completed, you may still make changes, if needed. Click on Complete in the Status column for the section you want to change. The section is displayed, allowing you to revise the information you previously entered. 5. Click on the field(s) into which you want to enter data and enter the data. When you have finished entering data for this section, click on the Save and Continue button to save your new data. The next section required for the Grant application is displayed. Be sure to either Save or Save and Continue before you move from one section to another to ensure that the data you entered are saved in e-Grants. At any point, you may click on Application Status at the top of the sidebar menu to display the current status of each section of the Grant application. This updated status will tell you which sections are currently Complete and which are Incomplete. 6. Continue accessing the sections you need to complete until you have accessed and entered data for each section you wanted to update or complete. 7. When you have finished, click on Return to Home Page at the bottom of the sidebar menu. The Grant Applicant Home Page is displayed. If you have completed all of the sections of the application, your application is ready to be reviewed and submitted. Copying an Existing Grant Application Many times you will find that the information you provide on a Grant application is the same across applications – particularly information about your organization and your contact information, although other information may also be the same. e-Grants’ copy feature helps to reduce the need to re- key information when you create similar applications. The copy feature allows you to copy all or specific sections of an existing application into a new application when you start the new application. You then access the sections and fields that are different in the new application, change their values, and save the new Grant application. This feature is helpful for copying “standard” organizational information into applications or for creating Grant applications that are virtually identical to each other, for example, when you are applying for funds to complete a similar project in more than one location. Consider creating a “template” of your standard organizational information and then using the Copy feature in e-Grants to “copy” that information into each Grant application as you start it. ? Start a new application. Title the application Application Type Template – for example, Project Template. ? Enter the organizational information that does not change within each Subgrant application, such as your organization name and address and contact information. ? Save the “template” application. ? Then, when you start a new application, select the appropriate template application and click on the Copy Existing Application button. ? Access each section to verify that the information you copied from the template applies to this application and change any copied information that needs to be changed. ? Enter the remaining information needed for the application. ? Submit the newly created application. To create a new Grant application from an existing Grant application: 1. From the Grant Applicant Home Page, click on Create New Grant Application. The Create New Grant Application screen is displayed. 2. Enter an application title and select the application type. Click on the Save and Continue button. The Start New Grant Application screen is displayed, showing the list of Grant applications you have already created. – To view an application before selecting it to copy from, click on View Application in the View column. The View Grant Application Sections window is displayed. Click on View associated with a specific section of the Grant application to view it. – Click on the checkbox associated with one or more sections and click on the Print button to print specific sections of the Grant application. – Click on the Close Window button to close the View Grant Application Sections window. 3. Click on the radio button next to the name of the Grant application you want to copy to select it. 4. Click on the Copy Existing Application button. The Copy Application Sections screen is displayed. 5. Click on the checkboxes for the each individual section you want to copy. Click on the Save and Continue button. The Application Status screen is displayed. 6. Using the sidebar menu, click on each section of the application to review its contents and change the data as needed. As you finish each section, click on the Save and Continue button to save your new data. The next section required for the Grant application is displayed. Remember: If the sections in the Grant application you copied from were complete, those sections will be shown as complete in your new Grant application. When you copy sections from an existing application, always be sure to access each section of the new application and review the data elements to ensure that the copied data are applicable to the new application you are creating. 7. When you have reviewed each section and changed all of the data that needs to be changed, enter your data for the new application into the remaining sections of your Grant application. 8. When you have entered all of the data into the remaining sections, the new Grant application is ready to be reviewed and submitted. Deleting an Un-submitted Grant Application You may delete a Grant application that you have started, but not submitted. To delete an un-submitted Grant application: 1. From the Grant Applicant Home Page, click on Work on Un- submitted Grant Application. The Grant Status: Un-submitted Grant Applications screen is displayed. 2. Click on the checkbox next to the Grant application you want to delete. 3. Click on the Delete Application button. A confirmation screen is displayed. 4. Click on the Yes button. The selected Grant application is deleted and the Grant Status: Un-submitted Grant Applications screen is displayed. Entering Assurances and Certifications for a Grant Application Before you submit a Grant application, you must certify the application. This is done in the Assurances and Certifications section of the Grant Application. To complete the Assurances and Certifications for a Grant application: 1. From the Application Status screen, select Assurances and Certifications on the sidebar menu. The Assurances and Certifications screen is displayed. 2. For each form, click on the Incomplete link. 3. Read the document and enter any required information. 4. When you have read each document, enter your password and click on the checkbox to sign the certification. Reviewing and Submitting Your Grant Application When you have completed all of the sections of the Grant application and are ready to submit the application, review the application for completeness, and then submit the application for processing. To review and submit your application: 1. Access the Grant Applicant Home Page. 2. Click on Work on Un-submitted Applications. The Grant Status: Un-submitted Applications screen is displayed, showing a list of your un-submitted applications. 3. Click on Update Application in the Action column for the Grant application you want to update or complete. The Application Status screen is displayed, showing the sections that are required for this type of application. The status of each section is shown as Complete or Incomplete. 4. Click on Review and Submit Application on the sidebar menu. The Review and Submit Application screen is displayed. The status of sections that are missing information and need to be completed before submission is shown as Incomplete. If all of the sections are Complete, the Submit Application button is active; if any of the sections are Incomplete, the Submit Application button is inactive (grayed out). If all of the sections are Complete and the Submit Application button is not active, you may not have been assigned the Sign/Submit user role. Authorize access to the application to the appropriate user with Sign/Submit permissions. See the Authorizing Access to a Grant Application section. 5. Click on the Incomplete link associated with a section of the Grant application to access that section. Click on the designated field(s) and enter the missing information. Click on the Save button. Be sure to either Save or Save and Continue before you move from one section to another to ensure that the data you entered are saved in e-Grants. 6. When all of the sections have been completed, click on Review and Submit Application on the sidebar menu. The Review and Submit Application screen is displayed, showing the status of each section. If the status of all of the sections is Complete, the application “signature box” is displayed and the Submit Application button is active. Even though it is not required that you access and review the contents of any section that is Complete, it is a good idea to take the time to access the Complete sections as well to review the information before submitting the Subgrant application. 7. If needed, change the Federal Fiscal Year by clicking on the Change Year button and selecting a different fiscal year. 8. Enter your password in the Password field, and click on the checkbox to sign the application. Your password is the same as the password you use to login to e-Grants. 9. Click on the Submit Application button. The Submit Application Results screen is displayed, confirming that your Grant application has been submitted. 10. Click on the Print Application button to print a hardcopy of your application. Even though it’s not required, it’s a good idea to print a hardcopy of your application for your records. 11. Click on the Return to Homepage button. The Grant Applicant Home Page is displayed. Authorizing Access to Grant Applications e-Grants allows you to authorize other e-Grants users to access – view/print, create/edit, and/or sign/submit – your Grant application. You may want to Grant access to other users to allow another user in your office to complete or review and edit portions of the Grant application, to permit someone in your office other than yourself to sign and submit your Grant application, or to allow a user in your FEMA regional office to look at your Grant application before you formally submit it. You authorize access to your Grant application through the authorize/revoke access function. Note: The user must have been granted permission by the State/Tribe to perform the roles you select. If the user has not been granted a role by his or her State/Tribe, you cannot assign that role to the user. To authorize access to a Grant application: 1. Access the Grant Applicant Home Page. 2. Click on Work on Un-submitted Applications if the Grant application has not yet been submitted or Work on Submitted Applications if the Grant application has been submitted. The Grant Status: Un-submitted Applications or the Grant Status: Submitted Applications screen is displayed, showing a list of your Grant applications. 3. Click on View Details in the Authorize/Revoke Access column for the Grant application. The Authorize/Revoke Access screen is displayed, showing the list of users who currently have access to this Grant application. 4. Click on the Authorize Access button. The Find Registered Users screen is displayed. Enter search criteria to locate the user for whom you want to authorize access. Click on the Search button. The Search Results screen is displayed, showing all of the users who meet the criteria you specified. 5. Click on the radio button next to the user for whom you want to authorize access. Click on the Authorize Access button. The Update Access screen is displayed. 6. Click on the appropriate checkboxes to specify the access permissions you want to authorize: View/Print, Create/Edit, and/or Sign/Submit. Permissions can be View/Print only, View/Print and Create/Edit, View/Print and Sign/Submit, or all three (View/Print, Create/Edit, and Sign/Submit). 7. Enter a period of time for which you want this authorization to last. 8. Select the appropriate unit of time from the drop-down menu. 9. In the Justifications text box, enter any information you want to retain concerning your justification for this authorization. 10. When you have finished, click on the Save and Continue button. The Authorize/Revoke Access screen is displayed, showing the user added to the list of users who have access to this selected Grant application. 11. Click on the Authorize Access button to authorize access for other users, or click on the Return to Homepage button to return to the Grant Applicant Home Page. To change or update a user’s access permissions: 1. Access the Grant Applicant Home Page. 2. Click on Work on Un-submitted Applications if the Grant application has not yet been submitted or Work on Submitted Applications if the Grant application has been submitted. The Grant Status: Un-submitted Applications or the Grant Status: Submitted Applications screen is displayed, showing a list of your Grant applications. 3. Click on View Details in the Authorize/Revoke Access column for the Grant application. The Authorize/Revoke Access screen is displayed, showing the list of users who currently have access to this Grant application. 4. Click on Update in the Action column for the user whose permissions you want to change. The Update Access screen is displayed, showing the current setting of the access permissions. 5. Click on the appropriate checkboxes to change the user’s access permissions for this Grant application. 6. Enter a period of time for which you want this authorization to last. 7. Select the appropriate unit of time from the drop-down menu. 8. In the Justifications text box, enter any information you want to retain concerning your justification for this authorization. 9. When you have finished, click on the Save and Continue button. The Authorize/Revoke Access screen is displayed. 10. Click on the Return to Homepage button to return to the Grant Applicant Home Page. To revoke a user’s access permissions: 1. Access the Grant Applicant Home Page. 2. Click on the Work on Un-submitted Applications if the Grant application has not yet been submitted or Work on Submitted Applications if the Grant application has been submitted. The Grant Status: Un-submitted Applications or the Grant Status: Submitted Applications screen is displayed, showing a list of your Grant applications. 3. Click on View Details in the Authorize/Revoke Access column for the Grant application. The Authorize/Revoke Access screen is displayed, showing the list of users who currently have access to this Grant application. 4. Click on Deny/Revoke in the Action column for the user whose permissions you want to change. The Deny/Revoke Access screen is displayed, showing the current setting of this user’s access permissions. 5. Click on the Yes button to confirm that you want to revoke this user’s access to this Grant application. The Authorize/Revoke Access screen is displayed. The user has been removed from the list of users who have access to this Grant application. 6. Click on the Return to Homepage button to return to the Grant Applicant Home Page. Working with Submitted Grant Applications Viewing the Status of a Submitted Application Once you have submitted a Grant application to FEMA, you may monitor its status in e-Grants as it is reviewed and either approved or disapproved. To view the status of a submitted Grant application: 1. Access the Grant Applicant Home Page. 2. Click on Work on Submitted Grant Applications. The Grant Status: Submitted Applications screen is displayed, showing a list of your submitted applications. The current status of each Grant application is shown in the Review Status column. Revising/Amending a Submitted Application Occasionally, FEMA will request that changes be made to a Grant application. e-Grants allows you to easily make revisions to a submitted Grant application or request a Subgrant applicant to make the revision and re-submit the application to FEMA for reconsideration. You will be notified of a request for revisions through an email message from the FEMA reviewer. Before you can revise an application that has been submitted to FEMA, FEMA must “release” the application for revision in e-Grants. Contact your FEMA regional office before attempting to revise the application to verify that the application has been released for revisions by FEMA. To revise a submitted Grant application: 1. Access the Grant Applicant Home Page. 2. Click on Work on Submitted Grant Applications. The Grant Status: Submitted Grant Applications screen is displayed. 3. In the pending tasks at the top of the page, click on Review Revision Requests. The Grant applications for which revisions have been requested are listed. 4. Select Review Revision Requests in the drop down list in the Action column for the Grant application you want to revise and click on the Go button. The Overview screen is displayed. 5. Click on Update in the Action column to access revisions requested for this Grant application. The Overview screen is displayed, showing the sections of the application that need to be revised/updated. 6. Review the revision requested in the Comments from FEMA field. 7. Click on Update next to a section to revise it. The section is displayed. 8. Click on the field(s) to be revised and enter or select the revised information. To add new Subgrant applications to a submitted Grant application or an awarded Grant application, select the Subgrant Applications section and click on the Add Subgrant Application(s) button. 9. Click on the Save and Continue button. The Review and Re-Submit Application screen is displayed. 10. If the Subgrant applicant needs to revise a section, click on the Release Section radio button near the bottom of the screen and then click on the Save and Continue button. The Subgrant application is sent back to the Subgrant applicant for revision and resubmission to you. Note: The process for revising the Subgrant application is the same as it is when you initially reviewed the Subgrant application. See the Reviewing a Subgrant Application process. 11. Continue accessing and revising sections as requested. 12. When you have revised all of the sections as requested, resubmit the application by entering your password in the Password field and clicking on the checkbox to sign the application. Your password is the same as the password you use to login to e-Grants. 13. Click on the Submit Application button. The Submit Application Results screen is displayed, confirming that your Grant application has been submitted. 14. Click on the Print Application button to print a hardcopy of your application. Even though it’s not required, it’s a good idea to print a hardcopy of your application for your records. 15. Click on the Return to Homepage button. The Grant Applicant Home Page is displayed. Changing the Point of Contact for a Submitted Application The Point of Contact – the person and information listed on the Contact Information screen – is the person who will receive email messages about the application and the person who will be contacted by FEMA concerning the application, if necessary. The Point of Contact may or may not be the user who created or submitted the application. The Point of Contact information may be changed, if needed, after the application has been submitted. Note: To change the Point of Contact information before an application is submitted, access the Contact Information screen, and edit and save the revised information. To change the Point of Contact for a submitted Grant application: 1. Access the Grant Applicant Home Page. 2. Click on Work on Submitted Grant Applications. The Grant Status: Submitted Applications screen is displayed. 3. Select Edit Contact Information from the drop down list in the Action column for the appropriate Grant application. The Edit Contact Information screen is displayed. 4. Click on a field to be revised and enter the new information. 5. Enter your password in the Password field and click on the checkbox to sign the application. 6. Click on the Submit Contact Information button. The Submission Confirmation screen is displayed. 7. Click on the Return to Homepage button. The Grant Applicant Home Page is displayed. Award Packages The Award Packages in e-Grants e-Grants allows you to electronically: ? Review an award package; ? Accept or not accept and award package; and ? View an award package after acceptance How It Works When FEMA approves your Grant application for award, an email message is sent to the primary and back-up Point of Contact (POC), which you provided in the Contact section of the Grant application, notifying the POCs that there is an award package in e-Grants. This is the same type of package FEMA formerly mailed to you using paper forms, now in electronic form. The award package has three parts: ? The Award Letter ? The Agreement Articles ? The Obligating Document for Award/Amendment (FEMA Form 76- 10a) You must review and accept the award package with a password and an electronic signature before FEMA will finalize and award the grant. Reviewing an Award Package The award package is listed as a pending task in e-Grants with an Approved status. Remember, pending tasks, including the awards packages that are ready for your review, are shown in the upper part of the screen. e-Grants allows you to review the award package from FEMA electronically. You may also print a copy of the award package. To review an award package: 1. From the Grant Applicant Home Page, click on Work on Submitted Grant Applications. The Grant Status: Submitted Grant Applications screen is displayed. 2. Select Review Award from the drop down list in the Action column and then click on the Go button. The Grant Status: Submitted Grant Applications screen is displayed, showing the Grant applications that have been approved by FEMA. 3. Click on Review Award Package in the Action column for the Grant application award package you want to review. The Overview screen of the Awards section of e-Grants is displayed. 4. Click on the Grant Application Number to view the Grant application. 5. Click on the Continue button or click on Review Award Packages on the sidebar menu. The Review Award Packages screen is displayed, showing the award packages that are ready for your review. 6. Click on Review Package to access the specific award package you want to review. The Review Award Package screen is displayed, which allows you to view the Award Letter, the Agreement Articles, and FEMA Form 76-10a, the Obligating Document for Award/Amendment. 7. Click on each Review Award Package link to view each part of the Award Package. While viewing a section of the award package, you may click on the Continue to Next Award Package Section button to view the next section of the award package. When you are finished, click on the Go Back button to return to the Review Award Package screen. 8. Click on the Print Award Package button to print the entire award package. 9. Click on an Application Number to view any of the Subgrant applications that were included in the Grant application. 10. Click on View Details to display the View Cost Estimate screen. The View Cost Estimate screen shows the Cost Estimate section for the selected Subgrant application. Accepting an Award Package Once you have reviewed the Award package, you must either accept or not accept the award. You may accept the award as you reviewing the Award Package or come back at a later point and accept the award. Once accepted, the award package is then automatically sent back to FEMA, where the Grant is finalized and awarded. When the award package has been “signed” by FEMA, its status is changed to “Awarded by FEMA.” Remember, the grant is not awarded and the funds from FEMA are not available to you until you accept the award and FEMA has finalized the award package. To accept an award in e-Grants, you must have Sign/Submit selected in your user permissions. If you do not have this permission, authorize access to the application to the appropriate user with Sign/Submit permissions. See the Authorizing Access to a Grant Application section. To accept an award package: 1. Display the Review Award Package screen (see Steps 1 through 5 in the Reviewing an Award Package process). 2. Click on the Accepted radio button. 3. Enter your comments in the Comments field. 4. Enter your password in the Password field. 5. Click on the checkbox next to your name to sign the award package. 6. Click on the Save and Continue button. The Review Award Package(s) screen is displayed. The award package is automatically sent back to FEMA for final signature. 7. Click on another link on the sidebar menu or click on Return to Home Page to return to the Grant Applicant Home Page. Not Accepting an Award Package You may choose not to accept an award for a variety of reasons, including the following: the project is no longer appropriate, the matching funds are not available, funding was secured through other means, etc. Since funds are awarded for specific purposes, if you are not going to use the funds granted to you for that purpose, you must not accept the award package. To not accept an award in e-Grants, you must have Sign/Submit selected in your user permissions. If you do not have this permission, authorize access to the application to the appropriate user with Sign/Submit permissions. See the Authorizing Access to a Grant Application section. To not accept an award package: 1. Display the Review Award Package screen (see Steps 1 through 5 in the Reviewing an Award Package process). 2. Click on the Not Accepted radio button. 3. Enter your comments in the Comments field. 4. Enter your password in the Password field. 5. Click on the checkbox next to your name to sign the award package. 6. Click on the Save and Continue button. The Review Award Package(s) screen is displayed. 7. Click on another link on the sidebar menu or click on Return to Home Page to return to the Grant Applicant Home Page. Viewing a Submitted Award Package Once you have accepted an award package, the status of the Award Package will be either: ? Accepted/Not Accepted, which means that the Award Package has been sent back to FEMA for finalization; or ? Awarded by FEMA, which means that the award has been finalized by FEMA. You may view the award package in either status in e-Grants. The award package is “read only” and cannot be modified in any way. To view a submitted Award Package: 1. From the Grant Applicant Home Page, click on Work on Submitted Grant Applications. The Grant Status: Submitted Grant Applications screen is displayed. Pending tasks are listed in the top portion of the screen. 2. In the Awards section of the pending tasks, click on View Award Package(s) in the Action column. The Grant Status: Submitted Grant Applications screen is displayed, showing the Grant award packages that have been accepted/not accepted and submitted to FEMA. You may also locate the award package you want to view in the submitted Grant applications matrix in the lower part of the screen. Click on View FEMA Award Package in the Action column to access the Overview screen. 3. Select Review Award from the drop down list in the Action column for the Grant application award package you want to view and then click on the Go button. The Overview screen is displayed. 4. Click on View Award Package(s) on the sidebar menu to review the award package. The View Award Packages screen is displayed. 5. Click on View Package in the Action column for the award package you want to review. The View Award Package screen is displayed. Links to the different parts of the award package and to the Subgrant applications included in the award are displayed, as well as the comments, the name of the person who submitted the award package, and the date signed. 6. Click on each Award Package link to view each part of the entire award package. While viewing a section of the award package, you may click on the Continue to Next Award Package Section button to view the next section of the award package. 7. Click on the Print Award button to print the entire award package. 8. Click on an Application Number to view the sections of a specific Subgrant application that has been included in the award package. 9. Click on another link on the sidebar menu or click on Return to Home Page to return to the Grant Applicant Home Page. To view a finalized Award Package: 1. From the Grant Applicant Home Page, click on Work on Submitted Grant Applications. The Grant Status: Submitted Grant Applications screen is displayed. 2. In the Awards section of the pending tasks, click on View FEMA Signed Award Package(s) in the Action column. The Grant Status: Submitted Grant Applications screen is displayed, showing the Grant award packages that have been signed by FEMA. 3. Select Review Award from the drop down list in the Action column and then click on the Go button. The Overview screen is displayed. 4. Click on View FEMA Signed Award Package(s) in the sidebar menu to review the award package. The View FEMA Signed Award Packages screen is displayed. 5. Click on View Package in the Action column for the award package you want to review. The FEMA Signed Award Package screen is displayed. Links to the different parts of the Award Package and to the Subgrant applications included in the award are shown. 6. Click on each View Award Package link to view each part of the award package. While viewing a section of the award package, you may click on the Continue to Next Award Package Section button to view the next section of the award package. 7. Click on the Print Award button to print the entire award package. 8. Click on an Application Number to view the sections of a specific Subgrant application that has been included in the award package. 9. Click on another link on the sidebar menu or click on Return to Home Page to return to the Grant Applicant Home Page. Quarterly Reports Quarterly Reports in e-Grants FEMA requires that you report, quarterly, on the performance and financial status of the Grants you have been awarded. The reports are due to FEMA no later than 30 days after the end of each Federal fiscal quarter following the award date. e-Grants allows you to prepare and submit these reports through the Quarterly Reports function. Creating a Quarterly Report The Quarterly Reports function is activated for a Grant when FEMA finalizes the Grant. Once awarded by FEMA, you can access the first quarterly report to complete and submit to FEMA. On the first day of each quarter, the next quarterly report that is due is activated in your quarterly reports matrix. To create a quarterly report: 1. Access the Grant Applicant Home Page. 2. Click on Work on Submitted Grant Applications. The Grant Status: Submitted Grant Applications screen is displayed. 3. In the Submitted Grant Applications matrix, select Manage Grants from the drop down list in the Action column for the appropriate Grant application and then click on the Go button. The Quarterly Reports screen is displayed, showing a list of Quarterly Reports required for the Grants, the deadline for each report, and the actions you can perform. 4. Click on Update in the Action column for the report you would like to prepare. The Update Quarterly Report screen is displayed. To submit a quarterly report in e-Grants, you must have Sign/Submit selected in your user permissions. If you do not have this permission, authorize access to the application to the appropriate user with Sign/Submit permission. See Authorizing Access to a Grants Application section. 5. If you will not be submitting a Quarterly Report form in e-Grants, click on the Not Electronically Submitted checkbox next to the form and then click on the Save button. The Action for that report is changed to NES (Not Electronically Submitted). 6. To prepare a Quarterly Report form in e-Grants, click on Incomplete in the Action column for the report you want to work on. The report screen for the report you selected is displayed. 7. Enter the requested information, using the radio buttons or by clicking on a field and entering text. 8. Click on the Save or Save and Continue button. 9. Click on the Attachments button to attach a document to your report. The Attachments screen is displayed. Complete the appropriate fields on the screen. Click on the Save and Continue button to attach the document to your document. The Document(s) Attached screen is displayed. Until you have entered data into all of the required fields, the status of the report is “Incomplete.” When data has been entered into all of the required fields, the status of the reports is changed to “Complete.” 10. When you have completed the fields, click on the Save and Continue button. The Update Quarterly Report screen is displayed. 11. Click on another report in the Action column to complete another report. 12. When you have finished entering data for each part of the report and you have clicked on the Save and Continue button, the Submit Report button is activated. Updating a Quarterly Report You may update any section of a quarterly report that you have not submitted to FEMA, even if the current status of the report is Complete. To update a quarterly report: 1. Access the Grant Applicant Home Page. 2. Click on Work on Submitted Grant Applications. The Grant Status: Submitted Grant Applications screen is displayed, showing a list of your pending tasks. 3. In the Submitted Grant Applications matrix, select Manage Grants from the drop down list in the Action column for the appropriate Grant application award package and then click on the Go button. The Quarterly Reports screen is displayed, listing the quarterly reports for that Grant application. 4. Click on Update in the Action column for the report you would like to update. The Update Quarterly Report screen is displayed, showing the status of each report you must submit. 5. Click on the status link (Incomplete or Complete) for the report you want to update. The report screen for the report you selected is displayed. 6. Click on the field you want to update and enter the new data. 7. Click on the Save or Save and Continue button. If you clicked on the Save and Continue button, the Update Quarterly Report screen is displayed. 8. If you completed all of the required fields, the Submit Report button is activated. 9. Click on the Save or Save and Continue button if you are not ready to submit the report. Submitting a Quarterly Report Once you have completed each part of all of the sections of the quarterly report, the Submit Report button at the bottom of the screen is activated. You must click on the Submit Report button to submit the report to FEMA. The report is not automatically submitted to FEMA even if all of the sections have been completed. To submit a Quarterly Report: 1. From the Update Quarterly Report screen for the report you want to submit, verify that each section of the report has been completed correctly by accessing each section and reviewing the information entered. Click on the Save button if you change the data in any field. 2. Click on the Save and Continue button. The Update Quarterly Report screen is displayed with the Submit Report button activated. 3. To submit the report, enter your password in the Password field. Click on the checkbox next to your name to sign the report. 4. Click on the Submit Report button. Your Quarterly Report is submitted to FEMA. The Quarterly Report Results screen is displayed, showing the Status of the Quarterly Report as Submitted to FEMA and the date on which it was submitted. Revising a Submitted a Quarterly Report You may revise a Quarterly Report that you have submitted. You may want to revise a submitted Quarterly Report because you need to change the information provided in the report or because FEMA has requested that you revise the report. If you discover that you need to revise a Quarterly Report you have submitted, you need to request that the report be sent back to you by FEMA. To revise a submitted quarterly report: 1. Access the Grant Applicant Home Page. 2. Click on Work on Submitted Grant Applications. The Grant Status: Submitted Grant Applications screen is displayed. 3. In the submitted Grant application matrix, select Manage Grants from the drop down list in the Action column for the appropriate Grant application and then click on the Go button. The Quarterly Reports screen is displayed, listing your quarterly reports. 4. Locate the Quarterly Report you have submitted and click on Request Revision in the Action column. The Request Revision for Quarterly Report screen is displayed. Follow the instructions on the screen to have the report returned to you to be revised. If FEMA requests that you revise a Quarterly Report, you will be notified by email of the request and the report will be listed on your Quarterly Reports screen. To revise a submitted quarterly report: 1. Access the Grant Applicant Home Page. 2. Click on Work on Submitted Grant Applications. The Grant Status: Submitted Grant Applications screen is displayed. 3. In the submitted Grant application matrix, select Manage Grants from the drop down list in the Action column for the appropriate Grant application and then click on the Go button. The Quarterly Reports screen is displayed, listing your quarterly reports. 4. Locate the report that has been released by FEMA for revisions within the quarterly reports matrix. The status of the field will be “Revision Requested by FEMA” and the Update link is activated. 5. Click on Update in the Action column for the report you would like to revise. The Update Quarterly Report screen is displayed. The revisions requested and deadline for the revisions are shown at the top of the screen. 6. Click on Complete in the Action column for the report you need to revise. The report screen is displayed. 7. Revise the information as requested by clicking on the appropriate field and entering the revised information or selecting a radio button. 8. When you have made all of the requested revisions to the report as requested by FEMA, click on the Save and Continue button. The Update Quarterly Report screen is displayed. The Resubmit Report button is activated. Remember. If you change any information you must click on the Save or the Save and Continue button to save your new data before leaving the screen or your new data will be lost. 9. To resubmit the report, enter your password in the Password field. Click on the checkbox next to your name to sign the report. Click on the Resubmit Report button. Your report is resubmitted to FEMA. FEMA Mitigation e-Grants System i Version 2.07.03 Grant Applicant Quick Reference Guide October 5, 2006