Lesson 11 Overview
After you have completed this lesson, you’ll be able to:
  • Identify the purpose of and the process to create applications
  • Identify the information collected in the sections of an application
  • Identify the reasons and the process to review subapplications
  • Identify the possible outcomes of the subapplication review process
  • Identify the steps to add subapplications to an application
  • Identify the reasons for and the methods used to rank Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) and Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) subapplications
  • Identify the Applicant's responsibilities in managing a submitted application
eGrants Scenario
Businesswoman
Listen to Sally

Audio transcript

Your Role: A new Mitigation Grants Coordinator

Supervisor's Name: Sally Watkins, Hazard Mitigation Grants Supervisor

Agency: Columbia Emergency Management Agency

Problem: You have been given the task been to create an application that will be submitted to FEMA.

To Date: You have entered a paper subapplication into eGrants and completed an Applicant acting as Subapplicant management costs subapplication.

The Next Step: Sally will show you how to create the application and complete the sections so that she can sign and submit it.

Hi. It’s Sally. I am pleased with how you completed the Application Intake process for a paper subapplication, reviewed and approved subapplications, and created an Applicant acting as Subapplicant subapplication. Now I need you to create a Flood Mitigation Assistance application for the State of Columbia to include the approved subapplications. We will submit the application to FEMA.
Mitigation Applications
Flow of Subapplications: electronic or paper copies (through Application Intake) go through Applicant Review and Approval, to be included in Applications. Subapplications created by Applicants do not. See Appendix for alt text description.
Select this link for the full text of the image.
FEMA’s mitigation grant programs provide funding for eligible mitigation activities that reduce disaster losses and protect life and property from future disaster damages. FEMA provides these mitigation federal awards to eligible Applicant organizations that, in turn, provide subawards to Subapplicants.

Applicants create applications for federal awards and include one or more subapplications for subawards. Subapplications submitted electronically or on paper by Subapplicants must be reviewed before being added to an application. Subapplications created by Applicants (Applicants acting as Subapplicant subapplications) do not need to be reviewed before being added to an application.

Beginning an Application
The process to start an application is very similar to that for starting a paper subapplication or an Applicant acting as Subapplicant subapplication. Applicants can begin an application by either creating a new application or copying information from an existing application. The application sections are the same for each type of application. Several sections of an application are similar to the corresponding sections of a subapplication. Once an application has been started, you can select the "Incomplete" link for each section to complete that section.
As with subgrant applications, the Status column of the Grant Application Status screen shows the status of a section as “complete” or “incomplete” (column circled). See Appendix for alt text description.
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Updating Un-Submitted Applications
Just as with paper subapplications or Applicant acting as Subapplicant subapplications, eGrants allows users to create applications and then return at different times to work on them.

Sally will show you how to update an un-submitted application.

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Grant Applications Task Menu. All options are hyperlinked: Create New Grant Application, Enter New Paper Grant Application (Application Intake), Work on Un-submitted Grant Application(s) (emphasized), Work on Submitted Grant Application(s).
To update an application, select the Work on Un-submitted Grant Application(s) link from the Grant Applicant Homepage.
On the Grant Status: In-submitted Grant Applications screen, select the Update Application link for the grant application you wish to update. See Appendix for alt text description.
The Grant Status: Un-submitted Grant Applications screen appears. From the list of un-submitted applications, select the Update Application link in the Action column which corresponds to the application you wish to update.
Applicant Information
The Applicant Information section collects information on the name of the Applicant, the type of Applicant, and other identifying information just like in a Subapplicant's subapplication and Applicant acting as Subapplicant subapplication. Remember to use the Find Organization button to search for existing information in eGrants to help prevent the creation of different versions of the name of the organization.

Screenshot of Applicant section. This section collects information to identify the Grant Applicant. Us the Organization Search button to autopopulate many fields in this section. See Appendix for alt text description.
Select this link for the full text of the image.
Contact Information
The Contact Information section in an application, as in Subapplicant's subapplications and in Applicant acting as Subapplicant subapplications, collects information on whom to contact if there are questions about the application. This section requires at least one Point of Contact (POC). An Alternate POC is not required, but is suggested. The POCs will receive e-mail messages from FEMA regarding the status of the application.
Screenshot of Contact section. This section collects information to identify the Point of Contact for the grant application. See Appendix for alt text description.
Select this link for the full text of the image.
Reviewing Subapplications
Applicants must review and approve submitted subapplications before they can be added to an application.

You can also review an un-submitted subapplication and assist in its development if the Subapplicant has authorized your access to it. To access un-submitted subapplications to which you have access, select the Review Un-submitted Subgrant Application(s) link in the Subgrant Applications section of the Grant Application Homepage.

Flowchart shows path of Applicant acting as Subapplication subapplications: Applicant create subapplications acting as a Subapplicant, to be included in applications. See Appendix for alt text description.

Select this link for the full text of the image.

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Note
Applicants do not review and approve their own Applicant acting as Subapplicant subapplications.
Subapplication Review Status

Once subapplications have been submitted into eGrants, they will display one of the following review status levels:

  • Submitted to Stockpile: The subapplication has been submitted but has not yet been reviewed by the Applicant

  • Pending at Grantee: The subapplication is currently being reviewed by the Applicant

  • Revision Requested by Grantee: The Applicant has requested that the Subapplicant provide additional information or correct errors before continuing to review the subapplication

  • Approved by Grantee: The subapplication has been approved by the Applicant and will be added to an application

  • Released to Stockpile: The subapplication was not selected to be included in the Applicant's application, but was retained by the Applicant for future consideration.

  • Disapproved by Grantee: The subapplication was not approved by the Applicant and will not be added to an application
Checking Out, Reviewing, and Checking In a Subapplication
In any Applicant agency or organization, there may be one or more Registered Users with review and/or approval rights for subapplications. To ensure that only one person is reviewing on a particular subapplication at any given time, you must first check out the subapplication.

Checking out a subapplication allows you to review the subapplication. During the review process, you may access the subapplication, add comments, request revisions, approve it, reject it, or release it to the stockpile. While a subapplication is checked out, no other users can review the subapplication. Users may view (Read Only) the subapplication, but they may not check out or review it.
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Note
In order to check out subapplications, you must have, at minimum, Create/Edit access for subapplications.
Checking Out Subapplications (continued)
Sally would like you to review the River City paper subapplication that you entered into eGrants. She will show you how to check out, review, and check in the subapplication.

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Select the Review Submitted Subgrant Application(s) link from the Subgrant Applications section of the Grant Applicant Homepage. See Appendix for alt text description.
To begin the subapplication review process, select the Review Submitted Subgrant Application(s) link from the Subgrant Applications section of the Grant Applicant Homepage.
Review Subgrant Application sidebar menu (hyperlinked) 1. Overview, 2. View Subgrant Applications, 3. Check out Subgrant Applications (emphasized), 4. Review Subgrant Applications, 5. Check In Subgrant Applications.
The Overview screen is displayed. Select the Check Out Subgrant Applications link from the Review Subgrant Applications sidebar menu.
Use the drop down menu on the Check Out Subgrant Applications screen to view all (selected), or subgrant applications grouped according to their review status. See Appendix for alt text description.
The Check Out Subgrant Applications screen is displayed. This screen defaults to show subapplications with Submitted to Stockpile status. To display other subapplications, you can select a status from the drop-down menu or click the Search button. Select the Status drop-down menu. This menu has seven options. Select the "All" option. Then, select the Go button.
A list of submitted subgrant applications appears. Check the box in the Select column to the left of an application number and select the Check Out Application button to review an application. See Appendix for all text description.
The list of all submitted subapplications is displayed. Select the Next button to locate the River City Floodplain Acquisition—Phase 1 subapplication title. Select the check box in the Select column to the left of the application title. Then, select the Check Out Applications button. Note: If you select more than one checkbox, you can check out multiple subapplications at the same time.
The Confirm Application Check Out screen prompt asks "Are you sure you want to check out the applications listed above?" Select the Yes (highlighted) or No button. See Appendix for alt text description.
The Confirm Application Check Out screen is displayed. A prompt asks you, "Are you sure you want to check out the applications listed above?" Select the Yes button.
To view all submitted subgrant applications you have checked out, select the All option from the Status drop-down menu on the Review Subgrant Applications screen. See Appendix for alt text description.
The Review Subgrant Applications screen is displayed. To view the subapplications you have checked out, select the "All" option from the Status drop-down menu. Then, select the Go button.
The Review Subgrant Application screen displays the Contact and federal share information for a subgrant application, application section titles, if they are required, and the completion status for each. See Appendix for alt text description.
The Subapplicant contact information and a list of the sections is displayed. Select the Complete link associated with the subapplication section you wish to review.
The Review Status section provides four options: Approve (selected), *Request Revision, Release to Stockpile, and Disapprove. *Set Revision deadline text field. Save and Continue (highlighted). See Appendix for alt text description.
When your review of the subapplication is complete, you can select from the four options in the Review Status section of the screen: Approve, Request Revision, Release to Stockpile, or Disapprove. This subapplication is complete, so select the Approve button. Then, select the Save and Continue button.
The Review Subgrant Application Results screen displays a sample email informing the Subgrant Applicant that the Grant Applicant has approved the subgrant application. See Appendix for alt text description.
The Review Subgrant Application Results screen appears. An example e-mail is displayed. You can send the approval notification e-mail to the Subapplicant as it is, or edit it before you send it. Select the Send Email button.
A confirmation message appears after the Grant Applicant sends an approval email to a Subgrant Applicant. It contains the contact name, email, review status, application number and title. See Appendix for alt text description.
An e-mail confirmation will appear. To complete the process, you must check the subapplication back into the system. If you do not check it back in, other users will not be able to make revisions to or submit the subapplication. Select the Return to Review Applications button to review other subapplications.
Review Subgrant Application sidebar menu (hyperlinked) 1. Overview, 2. View Subgrant Applications, 3. Check out Subgrant Applications, 4. Review Subgrant Applications, 5. Check In Subgrant Applications (emphasized).
Select the Check In Subgrant Applications link on the sidebar menu.
The list of checked out subgrant applications appears. Check to box in the Select column to the left of the application title you wish to check in. Select Check In Applications button. See Appendix for alt text description.
The Check In Subgrant Applications screen is displayed. In the Select column, check the checkbox to the left of the subapplication you wish to check back in. Then, select the Check In Applications button. Note: If you select more than one checkbox, you can check in multiple subapplications at the same time.
The Confirm Application Check In screen asks "Are you sure you want to check in the applications listed above?" The Yes button is highlighted. See Appendix for alt text description.
The Confirm Application Check In screen is displayed. A prompt asks you, "Are you sure you want to check in the applications listed above?" Select the Yes button.
Revision Requests
As you are reviewing subapplications, you may determine that additional information is needed or that a change or correction needs to be made by the Subapplicant. Also, a Subapplicant may request that a subapplication be released for updating after it has been submitted. In these cases, you can send a revision request to the Subapplicant. The subapplication will be returned to the Subapplicant for revision.

If you have enabled external e-mail as an Administrative Preference, you can then review and revise the e-mail that will be sent to the Subapplicant POC notifying him or her of the revision request.

Revision Requests (continued)
The River City subapplication that you are reviewing does not require any revisions, but Sally wants you to learn how to complete a revision request for another subapplication.

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Review Status section displays four options: Approve, Request Revision (selected, emphasized), Release to Stockpile, or Disapprove. Set Revision Deadline: 07-20-2017 (emphasized). See Appendix for alt text description.
From the Review Subgrant Application screen, scroll down to the bottom of the screen and select the Request Revision radio button. Set a revision deadline. For this scenario, enter "07-20-2017" into the Set Revision Deadline field.
In the Review Status section, select the *Request Revision radio button, set a Revision Deadline (07-20-2017 in the example), and select the Add Comments button (highlighted and emphasized). See Appendix for alt text description.
You need to enter comments explaining the revision that needs to be made to the subapplication. So, select the Add Comments button.
Enter comments regarding the requested revision to the Grantee or to the Subgrantee and select Save and Continue button (emphasized). The example shows "Please include a more detailed Scope of Work." See Appendix for alt text description.
Add/Modify Comments screen appears. For this subapplication, enter “Please include a more detailed Scope of Work,” in the Comments to Subgrantee text field. Then, select the Save and Continue button.
In the Comments History section, the date and comments to the Subgrant Applicant, "Please include a more detailed Scope of Work" appear. Select the Save and Continue button (emphasized). See Appendix for alt text description.
Next, select the Save and Continue button on the Review Subgrant Application screen.
An email advising the Subgrant Applicant of the request to revise a subgrant application is generated. See Appendix for alt text description.
If you have enabled external e-mail in the Administrative Preferences, you may verify the e-mail message and select the Send Email button to notify the Subapplicant Point of Contact that a revision has been requested on his or her subapplication.
A confirmation that the Revision Request email was sent to the Subgrant Applicant point of contact appears. Select the Return to Review Applications button (emphasized). See Appendix for alt text description.
After receiving the e-mail confirmation, or if external e-mail is not enabled, select the Return to Review Applications button to review other subapplications. Remember: You must check in the subapplication so that the Subapplicant can make the requested revision.
Adding Subapplications to an Application

You can select any of the eligible, approved subapplications to add to your application. After any requested revisions have been made for subapplications with errors, you may add them as well. In order to add subapplications to an application, select the Add Subgrant Application(s) button. All of the subapplications that have been approved and checked in are listed.

Sally will demonstrate how to add a subapplication to an application.

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Sidebar menu from Application Status screen. The Subgrant Applications link is emphasized. Select this link to attach subgrant applications to a grant application. See Appendix for alt text description.
To begin adding subapplications to your application, select the Subgrant Applications link on the Application Status screen.
Select the Add Subgrant Applications button on the Subgrant Applications screen to search for eligible subgrants to attach to a grant application. See Appendix for alt text description.
The Subgrant Applications screen is displayed. To add an approved subapplication to the application, select the Add Subgrant Application(s) button.
Approved subgrant applications shown on Select Subgrant Applications screen. River City Floodplain Acquisition Project -- Phase 1 selected. Add Subgrant Applications button (highlighted, emphasized). See Appendix for alt text description.
The list of approved subapplications appears. Subapplications created by the Applicant are marked with a red G. Subapplications that were submitted in paper form are marked with a red P. To add a subapplication to the application, select the checkbox in the Select column to the left of the subapplication number in the Application Number column. Then select the Add Subgrant Application(s) button. Note: Multiple subapplications can be added at the same time by selecting more than one checkbox.
Confirm Subgrant Applications screen. River City Floodplain Acquisition Project -- Phase 1 selected to be included in a grant application. Yes button (highlighted, emphasized). See Appendix for alt text description.
The Confirm Subgrant Applications screen appears. To continue to add the subapplication to the application, select the Yes button. Sometimes subapplications display error codes in the Select column and they cannot be added to an application. We will learn about error codes next.
Error Codes
When searching for subapplications to include in the Subgrant Applications section of your application, you may find that some subapplications have error code(s) displayed instead of checkboxes in the Select column. If these cases, the subapplications cannot be selected to be added to the application. Depending on the error code, a subapplication may be eligible to be added after it has been released for revision and then resubmitted.

If an error can be corrected to make a subapplication eligible to be added to your application, return to the Grant Applicant Homepage and select the Review Submitted Subgrant Application(s) link.

The error code definitions appear at the bottom of the Select Subgrant Applications screen.
Error Code Definitions
A partial list of error codes is displayed including: a1 - Some of the mitigation activities selected are not eligible for this grant program. See Appendix for alt text description.
Ranking Subapplications

Once you have confirmed which subapplications to add to your application, you will also need to rank each subapplication to establish a priority for funding that will be considered by FEMA during its review process. The ranking of the subapplications differs, depending on the grant program to which you are applying.

Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) grant program: Because PDM is a competitive program, each subapplication is assigned a unique rank from 1 (highest priority) to x, where x is the total number of subapplications added to the application.

Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant program: Subapplications are assigned a priority rank of 1 (high), 2 (medium), or 3 (low).

You will be submitting your application to the FMA grant program. In our case, when considering the subapplications that our agency has approved, the Riverbend project subapplication should rank as a high priority and receive a rank of "1." The River City Floodplain Acquisition—Phase 1 subapplication receives a rank of "2," and the management costs subapplication for Columbia Emergency Management Agency receives a rank of "3."
Flood Mitigation Assistance grants are ranked according to priority. Enter either 1, 2, or 3 in the Rank column to indicate if the subgrant is a high, medium, or low priority. See Appendix for alt text description.
Updating Added Subapplications
You may find that you need to update subapplications that you have added to your application. To update a subapplication, select the Update link in the Action column to the right of the subapplication title. When the sections of the subapplication are displayed, select the Complete link in the Status column to the right of the subapplication section that you wish to update. When you have finished updating the subapplication, select the Save and Continue button on the Update Subgrant Application screen to return to the Subgrant Applications section of the application.
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Note
You will only be able to update the information in the fields populated by the Applicant. If information provided by the Subapplicant requires updating, you will have to delete the subapplication from the application and request a revision from the Subapplicant.
Select the Update link in the Action column of the Subgrant Applications screen to update a subgrant application attached to an un-submitted grant application. See Appendix for alt text description.
Removing Added Subapplications
To remove a subapplication that you have added to your application, select the Delete link in the Action column to the right of the subapplication title you wish to remove. When prompted, confirm the deletion.

This will remove the subapplication from your application but will not delete the subapplication altogether. The subapplication will be retained in the stockpile.

Select the Delete link in the Action column of the Subgrant Applications screen to delete a subgrant application attached to an un-submitted grant application. See Appendix for alt text description.
Schedule Section
The Schedule section lists the schedule durations for each subapplication included in the application. To view the details of a subapplication's schedule, select the Subapplicant’s name in the Subgrant Applicant column.

Applicants are required to enter the overall duration for the proposed period of performance that encompasses all subapplications.

From this section, you may edit the title of the application in the Title of your proposed activity text field. Then, select Save or Save and Continue to preserve your updates.

Enter the overall duration (text field emphasized) and unit of time (text field emphasized) of the grant’s Proposed Period of Performance on the Schedule screen. Save and continue button (emphasized). See Appendix for alt text description.
Budget Section

The Budget section provides a synopsis of the budgets for all of the subapplications included in the application. To view budget details, select the Subapplicant’s name. You may also sort the budgets in this section by:

  • Cost Classification
  • Subgrant Budget Class
  • Grant Budget Class
  • Project Type
  • Subgrant Applicant

Applicants can attach budget narratives and indirect cost rate agreements by clicking on the Attach File button. As an Applicant, you will find that most of your costs should be in the "Contractual" and "Other" categories, unless your agency is performing direct construction.

On the Budget screen, select the Add File button to attach a budget narrative and indirect cost rate agreement. Sort subgrant budgets using the dropdown menu options. See Appendix for alt text description.
Properties Section
The Properties section provides a synopsis of all of the properties listed in all of the subapplications included in the application. To view the details of a particular property, select the hyperlinked address of the property.

You may sort the list of properties by:
  • Activity Type
  • Subgrant Applicant

If none of the subapplications propose activities with associated properties, then this will be indicated in this section, and no properties will be displayed.

The Properties page lists all properties affected in the grant application. The Sort By drop-down menu allows you to sort by Activity Type or Subgrant Applicant. See Appendix for alt text description.
Comments and Attachments Section
The Comments and Attachments section provides a synopsis of all of the comments and attachments in the application. You can also add, update and/or delete comments or attachments from this screen.

To add a new comment, select the Add button. A new screen appears and you can use the drop-down menu to select the application section where you wish to insert your comment.

To edit or delete an existing comment or attachment, select the Update or Delete link in the Action column for the application section that contains the comment or attachment you wish to modify.

Comments entered in the top section are included in the application when it is submitted to FEMA. Comments entered in the lower Grant Applicant Review Comments section are not included with the application when it is submitted to FEMA.

View all comments and attachments to subgrant applications added to a grant application. Grant Applicants may add review comments (section emphasized) which are not forwarded onto FEMA. See Appendix for alt text description.
Assurances and Certifications Section
The Assurances and Certifications section provides hyperlinks to documents that contain the federal requirements for all FEMA federal awards, including the right of the federal government to review the subaward activities. FEMA requires Applicants to complete this section, regardless of whether the Applicant enables it for subapplications.

Each of the documents must be read carefully, signed, and electronically submitted. If the document is not applicable, Applicants can select the Not Applicable checkbox.

When all of the forms have a "Complete" status, click on the Save and Continue button.
The Assurances and Certification section shows the Part I, Part II, and Part III forms are complete for this application. See Appendix for alt text description.
Deleting Applications
Similar to deleting subapplications, eGrants allows Applicant users to delete applications. However, it is first necessary to remove all the subapplications from an application before the application can be deleted.

To delete an application, select the Work on Un-submitted Grant Application(s) link from the Grant Applicant Homepage. From the list of un-submitted applications, select the checkbox in the Select column that corresponds to the application you wish to delete, then select the Delete Application button.
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Note
Once an application is deleted, you will not be able to recover the data in that application.
To delete an in-submitted grant application, check the box (selected, emphasized) in the Select column to the left of the application title, then select the Delete Application button (emphasized). See Appendix for alt text description.
Providing Access
Remember, since you do not have Sign/Submit access, you will need to provide your supervisor, Sally Watkins, access to the application so she can submit it. When access to an application is provided, it also allows access to the associated award package and Quarterly Performance Reports, if the federal award is approved by FEMA.

Sally has asked that you provide her with access to the application for five years to ensure that she will be able to resubmit any federal award revisions, view and print the award package, and submit Quarterly Performance Reports, if the federal award is obligated by FEMA.

To allow a user with Sign/Submit privileges to accept a grant award and submit quarterly financial and performance reports, it is advisable to allow them access to the grant application for five years. See Appendix for alt text description.
Submitting an Application
Once all of the required fields in each section are completed, the status for that section changes from “Incomplete” to “Complete.” Once all of the sections have a "Complete" status, then the application can be signed and submitted to FEMA.

Since you do not have Sign/Submit access, you will need Sally to sign the application and submit it to FEMA.

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Note
Although it is not required that you access and review the contents of any section that is marked as “Complete,” it is a good idea to take the time to access these sections and review the information before submitting the application.
Sally will show you how she submits an application.

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Grant Applications Task Menu. All options are hyperlinked: Create New Grant Application, Enter New Paper Grant Application (Application Intake), Work on Un-submitted Grant Application(s) (emphasized), Work on Submitted Grant Application(s).
To begin the Sign/Submit process, from the Grant Applicant Homepage, I will select the Work on Un-submitted Grant Application(s) link.
To submit a grant, select the Update Application link (emphasized) in the Action column on the Grant Status: Un-submitted Grant Applications screen for the grant application you wish to submit. See Appendix for alt text description.
On the Grant Status: Un-Submitted Grant Applications screen, I select the Update Application link for the application that we are ready to submit. I want to submit the “2017 Columbia FMA Grant Application.”
Application Status screen. When all sections of the grant application have the Complete status shown, you may select the Review and Submit Application link from the Sidebar Menu. See Appendix for alt text description.
I see that all the sections have a “Complete” status. So, I will select the Review and Submit Application link on the Sidebar menu.
Update the fiscal year of submission using the drop down menu (emphasized) 2017 selected, and select the Change Year button (emphasized). See Appendix for alt text description.
The Review and Submit Application screen includes a drop-down menu for the Federal Fiscal Year. I know that the fiscal year shown is the year in which the application was created (that is, 2016). To change it to reflect the current fiscal year, I need to select the "2017" option and then select the Change Year button.
To submit your application, check the box below, then click the Submit Application button to submit it to FEMA. * (checked) I, Sally Watkins, acknowledge the submission of grant application. Go Back, Submit Application button (emphasized).
Then, I need to select the electronic signature checkbox to certify I am submitting the application. Finally, I select the Submit Application button.
Submit Application Results screen displays a congratulations message with a document control number, FEMA contact information, and the signature name and date. Print Application button (emphasized). See Appendix for alt text description.
I immediately receive confirmation that the application has been submitted to FEMA. I want to keep a paper copy of the application on file, so I will select the Print Application button.
Submitted Applications
Once you have submitted an application to FEMA, you may monitor its status in eGrants as it is being reviewed and either approved or disapproved. To view the status of a submitted application, select the Work on Submitted Grant Application(s) link on the Grant Applicant Homepage.

Grant Applications Task Menu. All options are hyperlinked: Create New Grant Application, Enter New Paper Grant Application (Application Intake), Work on Un-submitted Grant Application(s), Work on Submitted Grant Application(s) (emphasized).
Application Review Status

The top portion of the Grant Status: Submitted Grant Applications page shows review status of submitted applications.

The application review status can be:

  • In Progress
  • Revision Requested

Applications which have been awarded will show the status of:
  • Obligated
Review status of pending applications are shown the Grant Status: Submitted Grant Applications screen. Revision Requested, In Progress, Approved, Awarded, Obligated, Accepted/Not Accepted. See Appendix for alt text description.
Subapplication Review Status
For submitted applications that have a status of “In Progress,” you can also review the status of each subapplication that was included in the application. Sally will explain the differences you will encounter when viewing the status of subapplications.

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The list of submitted grant applications is listed. The Select Action drop-down menu allows you to Review Status (selected), Edit Contact Information, or Request Revision. See Appendix for alt text description.
Each subapplication goes through a number of reviews at FEMA. You can view the status of each subapplication that is included with the application, except for those submitted to the competitive PDM grant program. First, locate the row containing the application for which you want to review the status. In the Action column, select the Select Action drop-down menu and choose the "Review Status" option. Then select the Go button.
The View Status link on submitted Flood Mitigation Assistance subgrant applications can be selected to review FEMA revision requests. See Appendix for alt text description.
The list of subapplications included in the application along with their review statuses are displayed. For the non-competitive FMA subapplications, the View Status link in the Action column will be active. Select the View Status link for the subapplication you want to check on.
A subgrant application’s progress through the various stages of the FEMA Review Process is shown on the Subgrant Review Status screen. Completed, Not Reading, Pending, Rework Requested. See Appendix for alt text description.
Since the subapplication shown is for an FMA application, the review status for each step in the FEMA review process is indicated. A Review Status can be can be Pending, Completed, Not Ready, Revision Requested (that is, a revision to be made by the Applicant), or Rework Requested (that is, a rework of the review by the FEMA Reviewer).
Because of their competitive nature, the View Status link in the Action is not active for Pre-Disaster Mitigation subgrant applications on the Review Status screen. See Appendix for alt text description.
Since the PDM grant program is competitive, Applicants are not allowed to view the status of FEMA’s review of those subapplications. Therefore, the View Status link in the Action column is not active.
FEMA Revision Requests

Occasionally, FEMA will request that changes be made to an application or subapplication(s) attached to an application. eGrants allows the Applicant to:

  • Make FEMA-requested revisions to a submitted application
  • Make FEMA-requested revisions to a submitted subapplication
  • Release a subapplication section to the Subapplicant so that the Subapplicant can make the FEMA-requested revisions

Once all of the requested revisions have been made, the application must be resubmitted to FEMA for further consideration. Only an Applicant user with Sign/Submit access can resubmit the application.

If a revision is requested by FEMA, an e-mail notifying the Applicant of the request will be sent to the Authorized Agent and the POC provided in the Contact section of the application.
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Note
If you need to revise an application that has been submitted to FEMA, FEMA must release the application for revision. Contact your FEMA Regional Office to request a Revision Release.
Responding to a FEMA Revision Request
Sally has received an e-mail notifying her that FEMA has requested some revisions to the Columbia Emergency Management Agency application. Sally will show you how to review and respond to the FEMA revision request.

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Grant Applications Task Menu. All options are hyperlinked: Create New Grant Application, Enter New Paper Grant Application (Application Intake), Work on Un-submitted Grant Application(s), Work on Submitted Grant Application(s) (emphasized).
From the Grant Applicant Homepage, select the Work on Submitted Grant Application(s) link.
Review status of pending applications are shown the Grant Status: Submitted Grant Applications screen. Revision Requested, In Progress, Approved, Awarded, Obligated, Accepted/Not Accepted. See Appendix for alt text description.
The Grant Status: Submitted Grant Applications screen is displayed. Here you will be able to view the Review Status of any application you have submitted.
The top of Grant Status: Submitted Grant Applications screen displays the Review and Awards totals and status of submitted grants. The bottom displays individual submitted grants. See Appendix for alt text description.
Pending tasks for applications and federal awards are shown in the upper portion of the screen and all applications you have submitted are listed below.
Select the Review Revision Requests link on the Grant Status: Submitted Grant Applications screen to display the list of grant applications for which FEMA has requested revisions. See Appendix for alt text description.
Select the Review Revision Requests link in the Action column.
Select the Review Revision Request drop-down option (selected) and the Go button (emphasized) to begin working on FEMA requested revisions on a grant application. See Appendix for alt text description.
The applications for which FEMA has requested revisions are listed. Locate the application you need to revise. Then, select the Select Action drop-down menu. The options in this menu will differ depending on the status of the application. For our Columbia FMA application, the drop-down menu has three options: Review Revision Requests, Edit Contact Information, and Request Revision. Select the "Review Revision Request" option. Then, select the Go button.
The Application Revision Overview screen displays the grant revisions requested on the top and the subgrant revisions requested on the bottom. Comments from FEMA explain the revisions requested. See Appendix for alt text description.
The Overview screen is displayed. All application revision requests are shown at the top of the screen. subapplication revision requests are shown at the bottom.
Applicant Revisions

The revision request that Sally has received is for the application, as well as for several sections of one of the subapplications attached to the application. You will be able to make the revisions to the application and one of the revisions to the subapplication, but you will have to ask the Subapplicant to make the remainder of the corrections to the subapplication.

Sally will show you how to update the Schedule section of the application in response to a FEMA revision request.

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Select the Update link (emphasized) on the Overview screen to begin the revision process for a submitted grant application. See Appendix for alt text description.
On the Overview screen, you can see that FEMA has requested a revision to the Schedule section. In the Action column, select the Update link to view the sections of the application.
Select the Update link in the Status column on the Overview screen, to update a Grant application section in response to a FEMA revision request. See Appendix for alt text description.
An Overview of the application is displayed. From here you can access the application section for which FEMA has requested revisions. In this case, FEMA has requested an update to the Schedule section. Select the Update link for the Schedule section.
Information on the duration of attached subgrant applications and the grant application are displayed on the Schedule screen. The duration of the grant can be updated. See Appendix for alt text description.
The Schedule section of the application is displayed. From here, you can make the revisions as requested and then select the Save and Continue button to make more revisions or resubmit the application to FEMA for further review.
Applicant Revisions of Subapplications

Sally just showed you how to make the requested revisions by updating the application. Now, she will show you how to make a revision to one of the subapplications.

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To start the subgrant revision process, select the Review Revision Requests link (emphasized) from the Grant Status: Submitted Grant Applications screen. See Appendix for alt text description.
From the Grant Status: Submitted Grant Applications screen, you can begin the revision process for a subapplication by selecting the Review Revision Requests link in the Action column at the top of the page.
Select the Review Revision Request drop-down option (selected) and the Go button (emphasized) to begin working on FEMA requested revisions on a grant application. See Appendix for alt text description.
From the list of applications, locate the application—in this case, the Columbia FMA application—that contains the subapplication needing to be revised. In the Select Action drop-down menu, select the option to "Review Revision Requests."
The top of the Review and Resubmit Application screen includes information on the subgrant application which requires revisions and Comments from FEMA. See Appendix for alt text description.
The Review and Resubmit Application screen is displayed. At the top of the screen you can review the Comments from FEMA: “Please provide a current email address for POC. Please select correct FIPS Place Code. Please provide a CID number for community. Multi-hazard mitigation plan listed has expired, please attach a current plan."
Select the Review Section link (circled) for the Mitigation Plan section to make FEMA requested revisions to a subgrant on behalf of the Subgrant Applicant. See Appendix for alt text description.
Since we got an e-mail from River City regarding its new mitigation plan last week, you can make the necessary revisions to the Mitigation Plan section of the subapplication. On the bottom of the Review and Resubmit Application screen, select the Review Section link in the Action column in the Mitigation Plan row.
The Mitigation Plan screen displays comments from Grantee/FEMA: "Multi-hazard mitigation plan listed has expired, please attach a current plan" and the revision deadline: 12-12-2017. See Appendix for alt text description.
The Mitigation Plan section is displayed. From here you can make the requested revisions to the subapplication and select the Save and Continue button to save your revisions. When all of the revision requests have been completed, we can resubmit the subapplication to FEMA for further review.
Releasing a Subapplication Section for Revision
Earlier in this lesson, Sally showed you how to make requested revisions by updating the application and one section of a subapplication. Now, she will demonstrate how to release a section of a subapplication to the Subapplicant for revision.

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Select the Review link (emphasized) in the Action column on the revision Overview screen to respond to a FEMA revision request for a subgrant application. See Appendix for alt text description.
From the Overview screen, locate the subapplication that needs to be revised. Review the requested subapplication revisions and comments provided by FEMA. In this case, the Comments from FEMA read: “Please revise the Cost Estimate and Update Cost Share to reflect Federal/Non-Federal Cost Share.” Select the Review link in the Action column.
The list of subgrant application sections that must be revised are displayed. The Review Section link in the Action column of the Cost Estimate section is circled. See Appendix for alt text details.
The Review and Submit Application screen appears. We need to release the Cost Estimate section of the subapplication to the Subapplicant to revise. Select the Review Section link for the Cost Estimate section.
The Release Cost Estimate Section (Request Change) radio button (selected, emphasized), Revision deadline 04-30-2017 (emphasized), comments (text field emphasized), and Save and Continue (emphasized). See Appendix for alt text description.
The Review Cost Estimate screen is displayed. In the Action section, select the radio button to Release the Cost Estimate Section. You need to set a Revision Deadline. Make sure to set it in advance of the FEMA revision deadline. So, type "04-30-2017." Now you can enter comments for the Subapplicant, if appropriate. In this case, in the Comments to Subgrantee text field, enter “Please revise Cost Estimate section per FEMA request.” Then select the Save and Continue button.
A sample notification email to the Subgrant Applicant asks for revisions to the released subgrant application section. The Release Application Section button is emphasized. See Appendix for alt text description.
An e-mail is displayed with information that, if you have enabled the e-mail Administrative option, will be sent to the Authorized Agent and the Point of Contact identified in the Contact section of the subapplication. Select the Release Application Section button.
A confirmation notice appears after the email is sent and the subgrant section is released to Subgrant Applicant for revision. The Return to Review and Resubmit button is emphasized. See Appendix for alt text description.
You will get a confirmation that the subapplication section was released to the Subapplicant. Select the Return to Review and Resubmit button to return to the list of subapplication Revision Requests.
On the Review and Resubmit Application screen the released Cost Estimate section appears with a "Revision Released to Subgrantee" Revision Status and View Section link. See Appendix for alt text description.
The status of the Cost Estimate section is now “Revision Released to Subgrantee.”
Resubmitting Revised Applications
Once all of the revisions requested by FEMA have been made, the application will need to be resubmitted to FEMA. The process to resubmit an application is the same Sign/Submit process used for the original submittal. Once all of the sections have a status of “Complete,” Applicants with Sign/Submit access can select the checkbox for the electronic signature/acknowledgement and then select the Resubmit Application button.
To submit your application to FEMA, check the box below, then click the Resubmit Application button. * box(checked) I, Sally Watkins, acknowledge the submission of grant application. Go Back, Resubmit Application (emphasized)
Changing the POC
The POC is the person who will be contacted by FEMA concerning the application. The POC receives the e-mail messages if the external e-mail preference has been enabled.

If necessary, the POC (and the Alternative POC) information can be changed, even after the application has been submitted. From the Grant Status: Submitted Grant Applications screen, locate the application, and then select the "Edit Contact Information" option in the Select Action drop-down menu in the Action column.
Select the Edit Contact Information drop-down option (selected) then click the Go button (emphasized) to update the Point of Contact information for a submitted grant application. See Appendix for alt text description.
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Lesson 11 Summary

In this lesson, you learned how to create a new application by copying an existing application and how to complete the sections of the application.

You also learned how to:

  • Check out, review, and check in subapplications
  • Request revisions to subapplications
  • Approve, disapprove, or release subapplications to the stockpile
  • Add subapplications to the application
  • Update, delete, and submit an application
  • View a submitted application
  • Revise a submitted application and subapplication
  • Release a subapplication section for revision by the Subapplicant
  • Change a POC in a submitted application

Some key points from this lesson are:

  • Applications can be created and worked on at different times.
  • Applicants can search for eligible, approved subapplications to add to their application.
  • Subapplications can be approved, returned for revision, disapproved, or retained in the stockpile for later consideration.
  • After checking out and reviewing a subapplication, it is essential to check it back into the eGrants system.
  • To increase the likelihood of approval, you can ask Subapplicants to provide more information or correct errors in a subapplication.
  • Subapplications cannot be added until they are approved and checked in.
  • Applicant acting as Subapplicant subapplications are automatically considered to be approved.
  • Each subapplication must be ranked:
    • For PDM applications, each attached subapplication needs to be assigned a unique rank from 1 (highest) to x, where x is the total number of subapplications attached to the application.
    • For FMA applications, each attached subapplication needs to be assigned a rank of 1 (high priority), 2 (medium priority), or 3 (low priority).
Lesson 11 Summary (continued)

Additional points to remember from this lesson are:

  • The Applicant Information, Contact Information, Comments and Attachments, and Assurances and Certifications sections are all similar to the corresponding sections of the Applicant acting as Subapplicant subapplication.
  • The Schedule section is a synopsis of all of the schedules of the subapplications included in the application. Applicants are required to enter the total duration for the proposed period of performance.
  • The Budget and Properties sections both provide a synopsis of corresponding sections in the subapplications attached to the application.
  • Applications can be signed and submitted by an Applicant with Sign/Submit access for applications by selecting the Signature checkbox.
  • Applicants can check the status of submitted applications by selecting the Work on Submitted Grant Application(s) link.
  • FEMA may request a revision to an application or subapplication attached to the application. Applicants can make the revisions, or request the Subapplicant to make the revision for subapplications, and then resubmit the application or subapplication to FEMA.
  • Applicants can change the POC and Alternate POC in a submitted application.