Please keep in mind the following information when using the Adobe Forms:

• You MUST use an approved version of Adobe Reader or Adobe Standard or Professional. Currently the approved versions are 8.1.1 or 8.1.2 and 9.0. These are the only versions that are compatible with the new Adobe forms.



• According to Grants.gov, the use of an unsupported PDF editing product with the Adobe Grants.gov application package, could corrupt the application, and result in an error upon submission and/or missing a deadline.



• Grants.gov has designed the forms so that if you try to open it in an unsupported version you should receive an error message. However, OSP recommends making sure you have an approved version before you start the process to avoid any possibility of corrupting the forms.



• If a file is corrupted there is no way for OSP to tell until the file has been submitted and failed validation. If the file is corrupted the only way to fix the issue to start the application over from scratch; there is no way to export the data from the corrupted file into a new file.



• Federal sponsors have begun to switch from PureEdge forms to Adobe forms for grant applications submitted via Grants.gov. Some funding opportunities will transition to Adobe forms sooner than others, and there may not be much advanced notice. OSP recommends downloading the application package as close to your deadline as possible. Once a funding opportunity has transitioned to the Adobe forms version, you may no longer submit the application as a PureEdge file. We recommend checking the funding opportunity close to your submission date to make sure that it has not been republished in Adobe format.



• The Adobe Forms transition timeline has recently been updated:
  
  
  
  • June 1st 2008 - No new PureEdge application forms will be posted to Grants.gov
  • September 30th 2008 - No PureEdge submissions will be accepted. Agencies unable to meet this deadline (such as the NIH) have been given extensions
  • December 31st 2008 - The exemption for granting agencies that need more time will end. No more PureEdge applications will be allowed.
  
  
  
• Each agency determines when to change to the new format - there is no specific schedule. Once an application package has been release in Adobe format you can no longer submit a PureEdge application package for that same funding opportunity.



• The NIH has posted the following schedule for the transition to Adove forms. A more detailed outline can be found on the NIH site
  
  
  • Late Summer 2008 - several small pilot programs will be transitioned
  • December 2008 - Most funding opportunies will be published in Adobe format
  • February 2009 - K awards (except for K12s)
  • April 2009 - F awards
  • September 2009 - T&D, D42, D71/U2R and K12



• Any non-compatible version of Acrobat should produce a warning message upon open, however grants.gov continues to strongly recommend taking steps to avoid touching an application package with an unsupported version.  If you have an unsupported version of Acrobat Standard or Professional on your machine, launch the supported Acrobat Reader client and choose "Open" or right mouse click on the grants.gov application file and use the "Open with" option and select Adobe Reader to ensure you open your grants.gov application package with the supported version.