Sponsors use a variety of electronic systems for proposal submission and award management. Common UF sponsor systems are listed below. Active UF employment or courtesy appointment is required for your account to be affiliated with UF in sponsor systems. When registering in sponsor systems, ensure you use your ufl.edu email address for your profile.
Proposals submitted through sponsor systems must be reviewed and approved by DSP prior to submission to the sponsor. A proposal record must be routed through UFIRST and all proposal preparation and submission guidelines apply.
Grants.gov
Grants.gov is the federal-wide site listing all grant opportunities available from the U.S. federal government.
- At UF, UFIRST SF424 is used to create and submit most grant applications into Grants.gov.
- An exception is grant applications to the National Science Foundation, which are submitted through Research.gov.
- In the event that an opportunity is not supported by UFIRST SF424, Grants.gov Workspace must be used to submit the application.
Using Grants.gov Workspace
Grants.gov Workspace is a shared online environment where members of a proposal team may simultaneously access and edit forms within an application. Grants.gov Workspace allows:
- Multiple team members within an organization to access and edit forms at the same time.
- Applicants to upload completed forms to the Workspace.
- Applicants to choose and complete forms in a web browser, rather than downloading and filling out individual forms.
A Workspace can only be created if all of the funding opportunity’s forms are compatible with Workspace. If there are any incompatible forms, the “Create a Workspace” option will not be available.
Register with Grants.gov and Add an Organization Applicant Profile to your account.
After the registration form is completed and submitted in Grants.gov, DSP will receive an email for approval. The registered user will receive an email confirmation when DSP approves.
Once the Workspace is created, additional users can be added to the application to edit data by using the Add Participants function. Users not already registered in Grants.gov will need to register before they can be added.
If you have questions on Grants.gov submissions, contact DSP at ufproposals@ufl.edu.
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- eRA Commons is used by grant applicants, recipients, and federal staff at NIH and grantor agencies to access and share administrative information relating to research grants.
- UF Registration Form for eRA Commons
- Reference Letter Submission Process
- Verify Reference Letters for Fellowship Applications in eRA Commons
- The PI is responsible for tracking reference letters in eRA Commons and ensuring letters are submitted and linked to the application by the application due date. Ensure letters are linked to the application at the bottom of the detailed Status Information screen. If reference letters have been submitted but are not linked on the detailed Status Information screen, contact the eRA Help Desk at 1-866-504-9552.
- ASSIST is used to prepare and submit multi-component/multi-project applications electronically for NIH and other Public Health Service agencies.
- Loan Repayment Program (LRP)
- Applications for the NIH Loan Repayment Program are only submitted through ASSIST and certified by DSP. However, because the certifications in the LRP application require knowledge that is held by the applicant’s employing department, DSP will need the NIH Loan Repayment Programs Certification Form completed, which includes internal UF instructions, before DSP can submit. For questions, email ufproposals@ufl.edu.
- The xTrain module in eRA Commons is used to administer research training, career development, fellowships, and research education awards. It allows grantees, institution staff and agency staff, to create, manage, route, submit, and process appointments, reappointments, amendments, and termination notices electronically. It also tracks the status and timing of actions taken by xTrain users.
NIH Grants Resources
- Frequently Asked Questions About NIH Grants
- Schedule of Standard Due Dates and Review and Award Cycles
- Foreign Components on NIH Proposals
- Just-In-Time (JIT) Information
- NIH Data Management & Sharing
- NIH Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) Information
- Extramural Research Training Opportunities (NRSA Stipend levels, Guidelines, K Award Info)
National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Research.gov is used to submit proposals and manage awards. At UF, any NSF opportunities supported by Research.gov should be submitted through Research.gov.
- Register for a New NSF Account. If you already have an NSF account, go to the next step and submit an Organizational Role Request.
- Once you have an NSF account, you must submit an Organizational Role Request to become a UF-affiliated user. See page 23 of the NSF Account Management Guide for instructions. You will not be able to work within Research.gov until this second step has been completed.
- Research.gov Help
NSF Grants Resources
Other Federal Sponsors
Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Department of Defense (DOD)
- Electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal (EBRAP) is used to submit pre-applications to the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program(CDMRP). It is also used to track full applications after submission through Grants.gov.
- Users should affiliate with “Florida, University of” when completing registration.
- Stephanie Gray must be selected as the Business Official in pre-applications and full applications.
- CDMRP EBRAP User Guide
- Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) Online Proposal Submission System
Department of Energy (DOE)
- Portfolio Analysis and Management System (PAMS) is used for submission of pre-proposals, LOIs, and revised budgets, and for post-award management.
Department of Education
Department of Justice (DOJ)
Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA)
- HRSA Electronic Handbooks (EHBs) is used for post-award management.
National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
- NOAA has transitioned their grants management system from Grants Online to eRA Commons.
- Grant Application Process and Common Errors
- The PD/PI listed on the application must have an eRA Commons account affiliated with the applicant organization. Their eRA Commons Username must be entered on the SF-424. Failure to provide the exact eRA Commons Username on the SF-424 will result in an error and prevent the application from being received successfully.
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
Non-Federal Sponsors
ProposalCentral
- Proposal Central is a grantmaking website shared by over 50 government, nonprofit, and private grant-making organizations.
Breakthrough T1D (formerly Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation)
Florida Division of Arts & Culture
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)
Last updated 2/24/26