January 2009 – Grants.gov Will No Longer Be Accepting Pure Edge Applications

In addition to other federal grant agencies, NIH has recently announced that after January 1, 2009, almost all NIH submissions (new, revisions, R01s, R21s, etc.) will require the use of the new Adobe application forms; Pure Edge applications will no longer be accepted.  Click here to see the NIH Adobe Transition Schedule. 

The new Adobe application forms are virtually identical to the current Pure Edge forms many of you are familiar with.  However, the Adobe applications forms are very highly customized and will only work with certain versions of the Adobe Reader software.  As of now, the only compatible versions of Adobe Reader (certified by Grants.gov) are Adobe Reader 8.1.2, Adobe Reader 8.1.3, and Adobe Reader 9.0.  To see if you have a compatible version of Adobe Reader, go here and click on the “Adobe Versioning Test Application Package” link.  A grant application package should open momentarily if your software is compatible.

If you would prefer to purchase a license of Adobe Acrobat Professional 8.0 or 9.0 you may, but you are not required to in order to download and complete grant application packages posted on Grants.gov.

These versions of Adobe Reader are free for download, however most of us do not have administrative rights to download and install software on our computers.  If you do not have a compatible version of Adobe Reader and are planning on submitting grants to federal grant agencies via Grants.gov in 2009, please contact fill out a help request ticket with either CMRC IT if you work at the CMRC building or at CHR (you can do this by going to CMRC Sharepoint), or with the IM Help Desk (you can do this by clicking on “My Help Desk” when logged-in to the CMH portal). 

When filling out your help ticket request, please remember to be specific!  Tell IT or IM that you need Adobe Reader versions 8.1.2, 8.1.3, or 9.0 in order to be able to submit grants through Grant.gov.  Also, be sure to tell IT or IM when you’re planning on submitting to ensure that you have the proper resources in time to complete your grant application package.

Finally, please note that the Adobe application packages will not be available for download on Grants.gov until mid-December 2008!

Remember, OSP is here to help!  Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns.