About Workspace
Beginning 1/1/2018, Workspace will be the standard way to apply for grants in Grants.gov for both organizations and individuals (legacy PDF application packages in Grants.gov will no longer be available). Via the online platform, Workspace will allow a grant team to simultaneously access and edit different forms within an application.
- The following agencies and grant proposal application platforms will still be available and are preferred:
- NASA proposal through NSPIRES
- NIH proposals through ASSIST
- NSF proposals through FastLane
Workspace Benefits to Applicants
- Workspace streamlines collaboration – multiple forms can be completed at once by a team of applicants.
- Workspace saves time – forms from old workspaces can be reused, reducing data-entry and saving time.
- Workspace helps detect errors earlier – improved error-checking allows applicants to catch and correct errors earlier resulting in fewer rejected submissions.
- Workspace simplifies applying – in a Grants.gov Workspace there are context-specific help articles that explain every link and button as well as many video tutorials that walk applicants through the Workspace submission process.
About Grants.gov Accounts and Profiles
You do NOT need to register for Grants.gov Workspace in order to be a University of Akron PI, Co-I, Senior Personnel, etc. However, Grants.gov Workspace registration IS required in order to start workspaces (i.e. proposals), to complete or upload documents, to view in-progress proposals yourself, and to track submitted proposals. In other words, Workspace has similar accessibility and functionality to NSF’s FastLane.
If you wish to receive Grants.gov email subscriptions, such as news subscriptions or saved searches, you will need to be registered with Grants.gov. If you wish to access, manage, and track Workspaces (i.e. proposals) you will need to be registered with Grants.gov AND have a profile that corresponds to the applicant organization (e.g. The University of Akron).
- An account in Grants.gov is defined by your unique email address, username and password. Within your single account, you may have multiple profiles.
- A profile corresponds to a single applicant organization the user represents (e.g. The University of Akron).
- Grants.gov registration directions can be found in the “Grants.gov Registration and Workspace Access” document.
Additional Information and Resources
Grants.gov Workspace Overview – https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html
Grants.gov Workspace User Guide – https://grants.gov/help/html/help/GetStarted/Get_Started.htm
Grants.gov YouTube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/user/GrantsGovUS
- Getting Started with Workspace: Become a Workspace Wizard – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXvoloYNkNQ
- Learning Workspace Video Series for Organizational Applicants – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNSNGxQE7NWlibdjPYGOsZaG-ol0pBsx3
FDP Grants.gov Workspace Overview: Becoming a Workspace Wizard (9/7/17) – http://sites.nationalacademies.org/cs/groups/pgasite/documents/webpage/pga_181375.pdf
For questions or additional information, please contact The University of Akron Office of Research Administration or the Sr. Grant Coordinator assigned to your college or department (look up ORA Staff assignments).