Before You Apply, Register Your Organization
SAMHSA recommends that you begin the following registration processes as soon as you know you want to apply for a grant. These registrations can take up to six weeks.
System for Award Management (SAM)
SAM is the official U.S. Government system that aids in managing the federal awards process. As part of the registration process, you will be assigned a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). After you register with SAM, you must update the information there every 12 months for your account to remain active. When you update your SAM record, it takes two to three days to complete the validation process. It may take an additional one to two days for Grants.gov to validate your SAM registration. Grants.gov will reject electronic submissions from applicants with expired SAM registrations.
Grants.gov
To apply for a federal grant, complete the Grants.gov registration process.
Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) Status and E-Business Point of Contact
Make sure the person submitting your application is properly registered with Grants.gov as the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) for the specific UEI cited in your application.
If your organization is registered at Grants.gov, check your AOR status before you apply for a grant. Make sure that the AOR registered with Grants.gov is still with your organization. If you need to assign a new AOR, do so promptly. Not having an active AOR may prevent your application from being accepted by Grants.gov. You may need to contact your organization’s E-Business Point of Contact, the person who can assign AOR roles.
eRA Commons
eRA Commons requires a one-time registration, separate from the Grants.gov registration. You must register in eRA Commons and receive a Commons ID in order to get access to electronic submission, receive notifications on the status of your application, and retrieve grant information.
If this is your first time registering with eRA Commons, the AOR from the SF-424 must complete the online Institution Registration Form. Instructions on how to complete the online Institution Registration Form will be provided on the eRA Commons Online Registration Page.
After you complete the online Institution Registration Form and click Submit, the eRA Commons will send you an e-mail notification from era-notify@mail.nih.gov with the link to confirm your email address. Once your e-mail address is verified, your request will be reviewed and you will be informed of the result via email.
For more information on eRA Commons Registration:
- See Section 1.3 in Appendix A of the Notice of Funding Opportunity
- Register in eRA Commons