How to Prepare and Submit an Application

CFDA No. 45.024
Funding Opportunity Number: 2008NEA03LFCW

These application guidelines provide all of the information that you need to submit an application.

Individuals should submit their applications electronically through Grants.gov, the federal government’s online application system. The Grants.gov system will accept applications through 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on March 3, 2008. Please be aware, however, that the Grants.Gov Customer Service hours are 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday to Friday. Should you encounter any difficulty submitting your application right before the deadline, the Arts Endowment will not accept your inability to contact Grants.gov after hours as a valid excuse for a late application.

We recommend strongly that you REGISTER WELL IN ADVANCE OF THE MARCH 3 DEADLINE (Step 1 below). We also encourage you to COMPLETE AND SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION EARLY (Steps 2 and 3 below); do not wait until the last minute. Grants.gov can slow down during periods of high usage, which most often occur between 12 noon and 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time. You will have a better experience if you submit your application outside of these hours and in advance of the deadline.

If you are unable to submit your application electronically, you may submit an application in paper format. To request instructions and material for a paper application, contact the Literature staff at 202/682-5034 and tell them why you are unable to apply electronically. Next year electronic application will be required of all applicants. We encourage you to register now and otherwise prepare for this eventuality.

APPLY THROUGH GRANTS.GOV

Step 1: Register with Grants.gov

All applicants who have not yet done so must register with Grants.gov prior to submitting their application. Registration is a multi-step, one-time process, which can take a day or more to complete. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE DAY OF THE APPLICATION DEADLINE TO REGISTER.

Step-by-step instructions for registering are available at Individual Registration. As part of the registration process, you will be asked to provide the Funding Opportunity Number of the grant that you intend to apply for on Grants.gov. Enter 2008NEA03LFCW.

If you have problems registering, call the Grants.gov help desk at 1-800-518-4726, e-mail support@grants.gov, or consult the information posted on the Grants.gov Web site at Applicant Help. The Grants.gov Customer Service hours are 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday to Friday.

You do not need to complete the registration process to download the application package and begin to prepare your material (see below). However, you will need your Grants.gov Username and Password that you obtain in the final step of the registration process to submit your application.

Step 2: Prepare your application material

To access the application package:

1. Access the application package on Grants.gov by clicking on the link below:

   

   [Funding Opportunity Number 2008NEA03LFCW]

2. This will bring you to the "Selected Grant Applications for Download" screen.

   Download the application package and follow the instructions below. It is not necessary to download the instructions from Grants.gov as you will merely be directed back to the instructions in this document. You may find it helpful to print out these instructions so that you will have them available for easy reference as you complete the forms. You also may want to keep these instructions open in a window in your computer as they contain helpful links to information that you will need as you complete your application.

   You must have Adobe Reader version 8.1.1, a small, free software program, installed on your computer in order to access, complete, and submit applications. Other versions of Adobe Reader will lead to errors and prevent you from submitting your application through Grants.gov.

   To determine which version of Adobe Reader you have, when in Reader, select
   Help > About Adobe Reader.

   If you do not already have Adobe Reader version 8.1.1 installed on your computer, please download and follow the installation instructions for Adobe Reader 8.1.1.

3. When you download the application package, the Grants.gov "Grant Application Package" screen will open. Click on the "Save" button at the top of the form and save the application package to a location on your computer or network where you can find it readily. Close the saved application package before you start to work on it for the first time. Always open and work on your application from this location. Save your changes each time you work on your application. You do not need to be connected to Grants.gov or the Internet until you are ready to submit your completed application.

To work on your application:

1. Open the application package that you have saved to your computer and the Grants.gov "Grant Application Package" screen will appear. In the "Application Filing Name" field, enter your legal name.

2. Move the two forms in the "Mandatory Documents" box to the “Mandatory Documents for Submission” box. You must move the forms before you can open them. Once moved, the two forms merge into a single document. You can access each form by clicking on it to highlight it and then clicking on the "Open Form" box OR you can scroll down your screen and you will come to each form in succession.

3. Within a given form, you can move around either by scrolling or by clicking on the "Next" or "Previous" button at the top of the form itself. You can move throughout the full multi-form document either by scrolling or by using the small arrows at the bottom of your screen. Do not use the Back Button arrow at the top of your screen as this will take you out of the Grant Application Package altogether.

4. Clicking on the "Close Form" button at the top of a screen will capture your information and return you to the "Grant Application Package" screen. Before closing the "Grant Application Package" screen, click on the "Save" button to make sure that your most recent information is saved.

5. When you click the “Save” button you will get the message "The File already exists. Replace existing file?" Click “Yes” to ensure that the most recent version of your application is saved to the same location on your computer.

There are two mandatory forms that you must fill out before you can submit your application:

1. Application for Federal Assistance SF 424 - Individual Form: This form asks for basic information. See instructions for completing this form below.

2. Attachments Form: This is not a form in the conventional sense, but rather a place to attach additional items as PDF (portable document format) files. These additional items (e.g., your Summary of Publications and the Literature Fellowships Application Supplemental Information form) must be included for your Grants.gov application package to be considered complete. See instructions for completing this form below.

Step 3. Submit your application

1. In the top left corner of the Grants.gov menu screen you will see buttons for Save & Submit, Save, Print, Cancel, and Check Package for Errors.

2. When you have completed your application (i.e., the two Mandatory Documents have been completed and saved), click the Check Package for Errors button to double check that you have provided all required information. This will alert you if you have left any required fields on the forms incomplete. This will not check the accuracy of your information or whether you have attached all required documents. Correct any errors and click Save to save your application package again. When your required fields are complete, you will receive the message, "Validation Passed."

3. If you want a hard copy of your completed application for your files, clicking the Print button will print out the two forms in the Mandatory Completed Documents for Submission box. For a hard copy of the items that you are attaching to the Attachments Form, you will have to print each of these out separately from your computer.

4. Click the Save & Submit button. [This button will not become active (and turn from dark to light gray) until you have saved your application with all required fields completed. Clicking this button will prompt you to save your application package one last time. When asked if you want to replace the existing file, click “Yes.” You will then be reconnected to Grants.gov and the Internet.] You will be prompted to provide your Grants.gov Username and Password that you obtained during registration. (REMINDER: You must have successfully completed the registration process in order to receive your Grants.gov Username and Password.)

5. Click the "Login" button. This will bring you to the "Application Submission Verification and Signature" screen, which provides a summary of the Funding Opportunity for which you are applying. If everything looks accurate, click the "Sign and Submit Application" button to complete the process. Be certain that you are satisfied with your application before you click this button. No revisions to your application are possible through Grants.gov once it is submitted.

   If you do not want to submit the application at this time, click the "Exit" button. You will be returned to the previous page where you can make changes in your material or exit the process.

   Grants.gov will put a date/time stamp on your application when you click the "Sign and Submit Application" button. Your application must be stamped no later than 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on March 3, 2008; the Arts Endowment will not accept late applications. Remember that Grants.gov’s Customer Service hours end for the day at 9 p.m., Eastern Time. Should you encounter any difficulty submitting your application right before the deadline, the Arts Endowment will not accept your inability to contact Grants.gov after hours as a valid excuse for a late application.

6. After you hit the "Sign and Submit Application" button, you will receive two notifications from Grants.gov:

   1. First, you will receive confirmation that your application was received by the Grants.gov system. This confirmation will include the Grants.gov Tracking Number assigned to your application. Print a copy of this notification to include with any material that you might mail to the Arts Endowment and keep a copy for your records. The Tracking Number also will be e-mailed to you.

   2. Soon thereafter (generally within 24-48 hours), you will receive notification as to whether your application was successfully validated by Grants.gov. If there are any errors in your application (e.g., you attach a file with a virus), it will be rejected by Grants.gov and not delivered to the NEA.

      If Grants.gov rejects your application and the deadline has not yet passed, you can correct the error(s) in your application and resubmit. If the deadline has passed, you will not have this opportunity.

7. You also can track the progress of your application by using your Username and Password to log in to the Grants.gov system and clicking on "Application Status."

8. After the deadline for this category, Grants.gov will notify you via e-mail when the Arts Endowment retrieves your application from Grants.gov, and again soon thereafter, when your application has been assigned an Agency Tracking Number (this will be the Arts Endowment-assigned application number). This process will serve to acknowledge the receipt of your application by the Arts Endowment.

Additional Help

For additional help on how to use Grants.gov, please see the help material on the Grants.gov website at Applicant Help. You also can send e-mail to the Grants.gov helpdesk at support@grants.gov or call them at 1-800-518-4726 from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday to Friday.

If you contact Grants.gov for assistance, your question will be assigned a case number. This number only documents your inquiry to the help desk. It is: 1) not, in itself, an indication of a Grants.gov system problem that would excuse a late application; and 2) not related to the tracking number that Grants.gov will assign your application once it has been successfully submitted.

For specific help on how to complete your application, please review the instructions in these guidelines or contact the Literature staff at 202/682-5034 or davisg@arts.gov.

Detailed Instructions for Each Form in Your Grants.gov Application

Do not type in all capital letters when completing the forms. You will find instructions by positioning the cursor over each item. More detailed instructions are provided below.

How to fill out the Application for Federal Assistance SF 424 - Individual

NOTE: All asterisked (*) items and yellow fields on this form are required and must be completed before you will be able to submit the form.

1. Name of Federal Agency: Pre-populated.

2. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: Pre-populated.

3. Date Received: This will be filled automatically with the date that you submit your application; leave blank.

4. Funding Opportunity Number: Pre-populated.

5. Applicant Information:

a. Name and Contact Information:
Applicants using pen names must list their legal name here. All transactions with the Arts Endowment must be made using the legal name. Contact information must be valid through January 2009. You must notify us of any changes.

b. Address:

Enter information for your permanent address. Information must be valid through January 2009.

Use Street 1 for your street address or post office box number, whichever is used for your U.S. Postal Service mailing address. Street 2 is not a required field and should be used only when a Suite or Room Number or other similar information is a necessary part of your address. Do not use Street 2 to give a second address for your organization.

In the Zip/Postal Code box, organizations in the United States should enter the full 9-digit zip code that was assigned by the U.S. Postal Service. If you do not know your full zip code, you may look it up at www.usps.com/zip4/.

c. Citizenship Status:

If you are a permanent resident of the United States, provide your Alien Registration Number.

d. Social Security Number (SSN): Leave blank.

e. Congressional District: Enter the number of the Congressional District where the applicant organization is located. Use the following format: 2 character State Abbreviation-3 character District Number. For example, if your organization is located in the 5th Congressional District of California, enter "CA-005." For the 12th district of North Carolina, enter "NC-012." If you do not have a Congressional District (e.g., you are located in a U.S. territory that doesn't have districts), enter 00-000. If you need help determining your district, please visit the House of Representatives Web site at www.house.gov and use the "Find Your Representative" tool.

6. Project Information:

a. Project Title: Leave blank.

b. Project Description: In two or three sentences, briefly describe how you see your work being advanced by this fellowship. This may include writing, research, travel, etc.

c. Proposed Project Start Date/End Date: Enter the beginning and ending dates for your requested period of support. The Arts Endowment’s support of a project must start between January 1, 2009, and January 1, 2010, and may extend up to two years.

7. Signature Block:

By clicking the "I Agree" box, you are certifying that your application is true and correct to the best of your knowledge and that you are in compliance with relevant federal requirements that can be found in the Assurance of Compliance section of these guidelines. The "Signature" and "Date Signed" boxes will be populated by Grants.gov upon submission of the application.

How to use the Attachments Form

This "form" is not a form in the conventional sense. Rather, it is a place to attach documents that you have completed, converted to PDF (portable document format) files, and saved elsewhere on your computer.

Several important points:

1. When submitting through Grants.gov, attach only one copy of each item.

2. Attach PDF (portable document format) files. Using PDFs allows you to preserve the formatting of your documents so they can be presented to panelists exactly as you intend.

   Attachment 1 (Literature Fellowships Application Supplemental Information) is a fillable form; you will find a link to it. This form can be filled in, saved to your computer, and attached without the need for special software or conversion to PDF.

   Attachments 2 - 4 are documents that you will develop in accordance with the instructions provided. These non-form documents can be created using any word processing software. When you have completed the document, save it to your computer and convert it to PDF before attaching. If you don't already have software to convert files to PDF, there are many low-cost and free software packages that can do this. To learn more, go to PDF Conversion Programs. NOTE: Next year, applications with attachments that are not in PDF format may not be accepted.

   Please make sure to convert your documents into PDF format in line with the guidance above. Do not create PDFs of your electronic documents by scanning. In the past, some applicants have printed their electronic documents and then scanned them, saving the scan in PDF format. PDFs created this way are much larger, and of lower quality, than PDFs created by the methods we recommend. Do not embed non-printable media files (video and/or sound) in your PDF documents. Static images (e.g., pictures) are acceptable. Please do not enable any document security settings or password protect any PDF file you submit to us.

3. For documents such as lists or narratives, label pages clearly with the name of the item (e.g., Summary of Publications) and your legal name. Leave a margin of at least one inch at the top, bottom, and sides of all pages. Do not reduce type below 12 point font size. Do not type in all capital letters. Number pages sequentially.

4. Name your files as indicated below and attach them in the proper order. Please note that you cannot change the name of a file on the Attachments Form. Therefore make certain that each file is named correctly before you attach it. See below for details.

When you open the Grants.gov Attachments Form, you will find 15 attachment buttons, labeled "Attachment 1" through "Attachment 15." By clicking on a button, you will be able to choose the file from your computer that you wish to attach. Please attach the proper file to the proper button as listed below.

ATTACHMENT 1: To this button, attach the Literature Fellowships Application Supplemental Information form [ Download Form ]. The file name should be your last name followed by "SuppInfo.pdf" (e.g., JonesSuppInfo.pdf).

Under Category Under Which Support is Requested, check "Fellowships for Creative Writers." Then choose "Poetry."

ATTACHMENT 2: To this button, attach a Summary of Publications to establish your eligibility (two-page maximum). The file name should be your last name followed by "SummaryPubs.pdf."

List the specific published works that establish your eligibility (see Eligibility for details). Use the bullets below as column headings for your list. For each publication note:

• Title.

• Publisher (including name of magazine or press with address and phone number).

• Publication date (month and year).

• ISBN number.

• Number of pages of your material.
  

Example:

Title	Publisher	Publication Date/ ISBN # / # of pages
A Walk in the City	University Press 1234 Main St. Springfield, IL 123-456-7891	12/2004, ISBN 0000000000, 200 pages

The Arts Endowment may contact you to verify the accuracy of the information that you provide. Therefore, you must maintain on file, and be able to provide to the Arts Endowment upon request, proof of your eligibility. For each publication listed, maintain on file one clearly reproduced copy of each of the following:

1. The title page or cover with your name and the title of the work.

2. The copyright page with the publisher's information, publication date, and ISBN number.

Where applicable, highlight your name as it appears on any of the above.

NOTE: When you sign the Certification box (Item 7) on the application form, you are certifying that all parts of your application, including your summary of the publications that establish your eligibility, are true and correct to the best of your knowledge.

ATTACHMENTS 3 and 4: Manuscript Material

Instructions for Your Manuscript:

ATTACHMENT 3: To this button, attach one copy of 10 typescript, single-column pages of:

• Poetry, with no more than one poem per page, or

• One long poem (or section of a long poem).

The file name should be your last name followed by "Manuscript.pdf."

Your manuscript sample must be:

1. From work that you have written between January 1, 2001, and March 3, 2008, and for which you have sole artistic responsibility. You may submit published work, unpublished work, or work in progress. Do not indicate whether or not the material has been published.

   Note whether the submission is complete in itself or an excerpt from a longer work (e.g., excerpt from a long poem). Titles of poems should appear at the top of every page.

2. In the literary form in which you establish your eligibility (i.e., poetry). Please indicate the literary form at the top of the first page of your manuscript.

3. Completely free of your name, initials, address, or any other marks that could identify you.

4. In typescript and clearly readable. Use a 12 point or larger font. Include the page number in the upper right corner of each page. Do not crowd pages. Do not submit more than the maximum number of pages that are allowed; excess pages will be removed.
   
   Remember to convert your manuscript into PDF in line with the guidance above (2. under "How to Use the Attachments Form"). Do not create PDFs of your electronic documents by scanning.

ATTACHMENT 4: To this button, attach one copy of an unnumbered cover page that lists your legal name and address and the title(s) of the work(s) you are submitting. The file name should be your last name followed by "CoverPg.pdf." Your name, initials, address, or other identifying marks must not appear on any other page of the manuscript material that is submitted.

You do not have to fill the remaining Attachment buttons.

If you try to view an attachment by clicking the "View Attachment" button on the Attachments Form but are unsuccessful, check the bottom of the screen for the message: "Pop-ups were blocked on this page." If you see this message, press "Ctrl" and "View Attachment" to see the attachment.

REMINDER: Be sure to submit all attachments as PDF files. If you work in Word initially, convert each item to PDF before submission.

Application Material To Be Submitted by Mail

If you are able to submit all items detailed in Attachments 1 - 4 above electronically, no additional submission of material to the Arts Endowment is required. However, if you choose to submit Attachments 3 (manuscript sample) and 4 (cover page) in hard copy, you must mail the following items to the Arts Endowment. Mailed material should not be sent before January 2, 2008; it must be postmarked (or show other proof of mailing) no later than March 4, 2008.

Mailed material:

1. A copy of the Submission Confirmation from Grants.gov that includes your Grants.gov Tracking Number. (Upon submission of your electronic application material to Grants.gov, this confirmation will display on your screen.) Be sure that this is the first item in your mailed material.

2. Nine sets of your manuscript sample. Follow the "Instructions for Your Manuscript" under Attachment 3 above.

   Each set must be legible, labeled, clearly reproduced, and properly collated. Make sure that there are no marks that could identify you on any of the copies.
   
   Your manuscript sample must be in typescript (i.e., produced by a typewriter or "letter quality" printer). Clear photocopies of typescript material are acceptable, but do not send onionskin copies. Photocopies from books or magazines (and handwritten material) will not be accepted. All paper should be 8 1/2" x 11"; do not use legal-sized paper. Use a 12 point or larger font. Write the page number in the upper right corner of each page; staple each set. Do not submit manuscripts in folders or binders. Do not crowd pages. Do not submit more than the maximum number of pages that are allowed; excess pages will be removed.

   Copies of manuscripts cannot be returned. Be sure to keep a copy of what you send.

3. One copy of a cover page. Follow the instructions for Attachment 4 above.

Label your package as noted below. All mailed material must be postmarked (or show other proof of mailing) no later than March 4, 2008. Send your package to:

Literature Fellowships: Creative Writing
Room 722
GRANTS.GOV TRACKING NUMBER: ____________________ (Enter number assigned upon submission of your application to Grants.gov)
National Endowment for the Arts
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20506-0001

Be sure to include a complete return address on your package. If the delivery service that you use requires a telephone number for the recipient on the label, use 202/682-5760.

The National Endowment for the Arts continues to experience lengthy delays in the delivery of First-Class mail. In addition, some or all of the First-Class and Priority mail we receive may be put through an irradiation process. Support material put through this process has been severely damaged. Until normal mail service resumes, please consider using a commercial delivery service, particularly if you are sending time-sensitive material.

National Endowment for the Arts · an independent federal agency
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20506