In Part 3 of our ongoing blog series, we will look at how a Big Team of Specialists can apply for a federal grant using Workspace. We assume you have read Part 1 and Part 2 because these go over the basics and allow us to get into more specifics here.
If you are beginning to see how Workspace might fit your grant process, but you are concerned that some of the more nuanced parts of your standard grant proposal development process will not fit, here are a few ideas.
The table below provides possible connections between jobs in your institute of higher learning (IHE) and “Grants.gov roles and access levels” in our system. The “How These Connect” column briefly explains the functional relationship; we define these roles and access levels in more detail over here for when you need clarifications.
Note: These are generalizations and suggestions, not rules for how you must use Workspace.
Grants.gov Roles & Access Levels for Workspace |
Institute of Higher Learning Staff |
How These Connect |
| E-Business Point of Contact (EBiz POC) | – Vice President for Finance and Administration
– Director of Finance – Director of the Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) *Designee of the above |
You delegate & assign the Grants.gov roles and access to staff in your IHE to lead teams through the grant proposal process.
Note: Whoever registered the IHE with the System for Award Management (SAM) is the EBiz POC. Varies by organization. More details here. |
| Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) with MPIN
AOR with Expanded Access |
– Associate Vice Chancellor for Research
– Vice President for Research – Director of the Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) – OSR Administrator *Designees of the above |
You are ultimately responsible for managing, delegating, or doing pretty much everything related to government grants.
You are able to: – Give and take away roles and access within Grants.gov – See any and all grant application info & budgets – Submit any application on behalf of your IHE |
| Workspace Owner | – Director, Proposal Development
– Grant Manager – Proposal Development Specialist – Research Administrator in a school, department, or center on campus |
You are the point person for leading a specific grant application.
Or, you are the “Grants.gov expert” in residence who is in charge of managing, adding, and removing participants to and from the workspace. Note: A user must have the Manage Workspace role to be the Workspace Owner of a specific workspace. |
| Workspace Participant with access to all forms in a workspace | All staff who complete or review any document or form that goes into the grant application, such as:
– Grant Managers – Grant Coordinators |
This is the default setting. Every person who is a workspace participant can view and edit every form, including budget forms. |
| Workspace Participant with access to only non-budget forms in a workspace | All staff who complete or review program narrative, design, or other non-budget forms, such as:
– Grant Coordinator – Grant Consultant |
You can work any of the forms, except those related to the budget.
Only the financial experts and those with the appropriate position in your IHE can see and edit the budget forms. |
| Workspace Participant with access to only specific sub-forms in a workspace | – Grant Consultant
– Partner IHE staff |
For teaming partners, sub-applicants, or certain grant consultant situations.
This allows the IHE to work with an outside organization without giving them access to everything in your grant application if you don’t want to. |
Next Steps
1) Try it today by creating a workspace for a funding opportunity announcement (FOA).
2) Review the Workspace Roles page for a more detailed breakdown of all the functionality given to each role and access level.
3) Let us know if you have questions or feedback: Contact Form, comment below, or on Twitter @grantsdotgov (Comment Policy and Privacy Notice).
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