Grants Review and Tracking System

Compatible Browsers

1. GRanTS runs best on Edge or Google Chrome. GRanTS is not supported by other internet browsers, such as Safari or Mozilla Firefox.

 

User Registration

To register for a user account, select the Registration hyperlink on the login page.

1. Contact Tab: First Name, Last Name, and Office Phone Number are required fields.

2. Organization Tab: Select an Organization from the drop-down or create a new organization by selecting Add New. 
Note: Your organization may already be in GRanTS. Start by using the search function.

3. Account Tab: Set your Username (email address), password, and security questions.
Note: Password must be at least seven characters and contain at least three of the four groups listed below. 

[Lowercase] [Uppercase] [Numerical Number] [Special Character]               

Navigation in GRanTS

1. GRanTS does not always respond to the browser back/forward arrows.

2. Navigate GRanTS by using the “Save,” “Back,” or “Submit” keys within the GRanTS application.

3. Search for in progress PSPs: Select PSPs and My Proposals or the numeric hyperlink under My Applications.
Note: GRanTS does not automatically save data you enter. Remember to press the “Save” button at the bottom of the page before moving to another page.

GRanTS Main Dashboard

1. Module Tabs — View your applications, projects, and contracts. Organization Administrator will also have an Organization Admin tab.

2. Current Open Solicitations — Solicitations currently accepting applications.

3. My Applications — Display of your application in progress, submitted applications, and awarded applications.

4. You Are The Organization Administrator For — If you are an Organization Administrator for an organization, the organization name will be listed here.

5. Your Organization’s Administrator Is — This is the list of your Organization Administrators.

Copy and Paste Text into GRanTS

1. Most users prefer to create their proposals by using a word processing program outside of GRanTS. When you are finished and ready to cut and paste text into GRanTS, check the GRanTS character limits for the cell into which you are entering information. Make sure your text doesn’t exceed the character limits. If you type your text in MS Word and want to check how many characters are in your text, go to Review, then click Word Count. This will give you a character count with spaces.

2. GRanTS is currently designed to recognize and save only plain-text inputs in Single/Multiline Text fields. While in most cases this proves not to be an issue when copying and pasting text from a Word document into GRanTS, certain special characters (e.g., quotation marks “”, apostrophes ‘, fractions, scientific symbols, special symbols) will not copy directly into GRanTS. Here are the steps to properly copy and paste correct information from a Word document into GRanTS.

Step 1. Use GRanTS to preview the Applicant Information, Project Information, and Questions tab. Prepare the inputs and answers for the application in a Word document.

Step 2. Using the “Save-As” or “Save a Copy” function in Word, choose to save the document in a Plain Text format (the filename extension will be .txt). Word will give you a warning and will highlight the text(s), in the color red, which won’t be saved correctly in the .txt format.

Step 3. Open the newly created .txt file of the document. 

Step 4. Proof-read the document. If there were special characters in the Word document, they might not have saved correctly in the .txt format. Edit the document where the characters have not saved correctly. Editing suggestions include:
a. If a fraction did not copy over, use the backslash key (e.g., write ½ as 1/2).
b. If a scientific symbol did not copy over, write out the text description of what the character is (e.g., write “°F” as “degrees F”, or “p” as “pi”).
c. If a special symbol featured on the keyboard did not copy over, manually type the symbol (e.g., quotation marks “”, apostrophes ‘).

Step 5. Once any edits have been completed and the user is satisfied with the .txt document, select the text and copy the answers directly into the GRanTS Single/Multiline fields. Remember to save both the .txt document and the application in GRanTS before closing or navigating through pages.

Attachment File Size

2GB file-size limit for each attachment upload in GRanTS. Reducing image resolutions, zipping files, and saving files as certain file types can help you save space and get the most out of 2GB.

Uploading Contract Deliverables

1. Select Contracts tab
2. Select a Contract
3. Select Attachment tab
4. Select Add New
5. Select File
6. Select Save

Uploading Project Deliverables       

1. Select Projects tab
2. Select a Project
3. Select Attachment tab
4. Select Add New
5. Select File
6. Select Save    

A.  Purpose

The purpose of this section is to answer the most commonly asked questions about the Grants Review and Tracking System (GRanTS).

B.  Supported Web Browser

GRanTS runs best on Edge or Google Chrome. Currently, GRanTS is not supported by other internet browsers like Mozilla Firefox or Safari.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

1. How do I log in to GRanTS?

a. Navigate to http://www.water.ca.gov/grants/ and click on the GRanTS Log In button.

b. Log in with your username and password. 

 

2. How do I get an account on GRanTS?

a. Click on the Registration hyperlink on the GRanTS home page.

b. Enter the required information on the Contact tab and click on the Next button.

c. Select Organization Name and Division from dropdown lists then click on the Next button. If your organization is not in the dropdown field, then add your organization (see FAQ #5).

d. Enter the required information on the Account tab and click on the Save button.

e. You should get the message showing that you are successfully registered with GRanTS.

 

3. How do I add my organization on GRanTS?

Adding a new organization is mainly done during the registration. Every account must have an associated organization. When your organization is not in the Organizations dropdown menu, you must add your organization into the dropdown menu. By doing this, you become the organization administrator.

a. Click on the Registration hyperlink on the GRanTS home page if you have not registered yet.

b. Enter the required information on the Contact tab and then click on the Next button.

c. Click on the Add New hyperlink to the right of the Organization dropdown field.

d. Enter the required information and then click on the Save button.

e. Select the Organization and Division you just added in the previous step from the dropdown menus then continue to the Account tab by pressing the Next button at the bottom.

 

4. How do I become an authorized user when I join an existing organization?

a. Navigate to the Home module and you will see the email address of your organization administrator.

b. Send an email to the organization administrator asking him/her to authorize your GRanTS account.

c. If you are unable to reach the organization administrator, please contact the GRanTS staff for assistance.

 

5. How do I authorize new users joining my organization?

a. Click on the Organization Admin module and click on User Mgmt.

b. Select your Organization from the dropdown field.

c. Click on the hyperlinked User ID if they are registered in the selected organization. If you do not see the user’s email, click on the Add New hyperlink to add them to this organization.

d. Check the Authorized User checkbox and then click on the Save button.

 

6. What do I do if I forget my password?

a. Click on the Forgot Password hyperlink on the GRanTS home page.

b. Enter your registered email ID and then click on the Next button.

c. Answer the security questions correctly and click on the Submit button.

d. An email will be sent to you with your temporary password.

 

If you answer your security questions incorrectly three times, your account will be locked, and you will need to contact the DWR GRanTS Administrator by emailing grantsadmin@water.ca.gov or calling 1-888-907-4267 to get your account unlocked.

 

7. How do I become the organization administrator for my organization?

a. If you added a new organization when you registered as a new user, you automatically become the organization administrator.

b. If your organization is already in GRanTS, then it already has an administrator. Contact your organization administrator to add your name to the organization administrator list. You can also contact a GRanTS administrator to get added to the list.

 

8. How do I add another user as an administrator for my organization?

a. Log in to GRanTS with your organization administrator username and password.

b. Click on the Organization Admin module and click on User Mgmt.

c. Select the Organization from the dropdown field.

d. If the user is registered to the organization that you selected, their hyperlinked email will appear in the Users section of this page. Click on the user’s hyperlinked email to open the Add/Modify User page.

If you don’t see the user’s email in the Users section, skip to Step (f).

e. Check the Organization Admin and Authorized User check-boxes then click on the Save button.

f. If you do not see the user’s hyperlinked email that means they are not registered to the organization you chose. Click on the Add New hyperlink to add them to the organization. To be added, the user must have a GRanTS account. You cannot add a new account by clicking on Add New hyperlink in this step.

g. Enter the user’s email, check the Organization Admin and Authorized User check-boxes, and then click on the Save button.

 

9. How do I allow other users to see my organization’s proposals?

a. Log in to GRanTS with your organization administrator username and password.

b. Click on the Organization Admin module and click on User Mgmt.

c. Select the Organization from the dropdown field.

d. Click on the hyperlinked User ID or click on the Add New hyperlink and then enter the email of the user you wish to share your proposals with.

e. Check the Authorized checkbox, but DO NOT check the Organization Admin checkbox, and then click on the Save button.

 

10. What do I do if I get locked out of GRanTS and cannot log in?

a. If you are an organization administrator, contact GRanTS Admin at grantsadmin@water.ca.gov or 1-888-907-4267.

b. Other users can call or contact their organization administrator as well.

 

11. How do I unlock accounts of the locked users of my Organization?

a. Log in to GRanTS with your organization administrator username and password.

b. Click on the Organization Admin module and then click on User Mgmt.

c. Select the Organization from the dropdown field.

d. Click on the locked user’s email ID from the displayed list of User IDs.

e. Uncheck the Lock/Unlock checkbox and then click on the Save button.

 

12. How do I start a proposal for a proposal solicitation package (PSP)?

a. Log in to GRanTS with your username and password.

b. Click on the hyperlinked number of new solicitations on your home page, OR navigate to the All PSPs sub-module under the PSPs module.

c. Choose the PSP you are interested in from the available list and then click on the Start Proposal hyperlink in the Action column.

d. Fill out the required information on the first tab and then click the Save button.

e. Once the proposal is saved for the first time, it is added to your My Proposals page.

f. The next time you log in you can continue preparing your proposal by navigating to the My Proposals sub-module under the PSPs tab and clicking on the hyperlinked Proposal Title. Once a PSP’s due date has passed it will be moved to the Archived PSPs section and you cannot start a new proposal for that PSP.

g. Save work before navigating to other tabs in the proposal.

 

13. How do I submit a proposal?

a. Follow the steps in FAQ 14 to complete a proposal.

b. Make sure you have filled out all the tabs and required questions marked with a red asterisk (*) before submitting. The system will not allow you to submit it unless all required fields are filled in.

c. Once your proposal is complete, click on the Submit button on the bottom of any of the tabs in the PSP or click on the Submit button in the My Proposals sub-module under the PSPs module.

 

14. How can I access all the attachments associated with a PSP?

a. Log in to GRanTS with your organization administrator username and password.

b. Click on the All PSPs sub-module under the PSPs module.

c. On the list of all Active PSPs you can select the PSP of your choice and then click on the Attachments hyperlink in the Attachments column to go to the attached files.

 

15. How do I submit a document to DWR?

a. Log in to GRanTS with your username and password.

b. You can submit any of the following:

i. A project-related document.

ii. A contract-related document.

c. For a project-related document:

i. Click on the My Projects sub-module under the Projects module. Next, select the project you want to add the document to by selecting the program and the year and then click on the Filter button. Now find the project you want and click on the hyperlinked Project Name.
ii. Click on the Attachment tab and then click on the Add New hyperlink.
iii. Another small window will show up. Click on the Select button, attach your document, and then click on the Save button.

d. For a contract-related document:

i. Click on the My Contracts sub-module under the Contracts module.

ii. Select the Contract you want to add the document to by selecting the program, PSP, and the year. Click on the Filter button and then click on the hyperlinked Contract Number.
iii. Click on the Attachment tab and then click on the Add New hyperlink.
iv. Another small window will show up. Click on Select button, attach your document, and then click on the Save button.

16. I have been assigned as project manager for a project, how do I view my projects?

a. Log in to GRanTS with your username and password.

b. Navigate to the My Projects sub-module under the Projects module.

c. Select the program, year, and PSP from the dropdown fields and then click on the Filter button.

d. All the projects associated with that program and year will be displayed.

e. You can also view all projects by selecting All Programs and All Years from the dropdown fields and then clicking on the Filter button.

 

17. I have been assigned as contract manager, how do I view my contracts?

a. Log in to GRanTS with your username and password.

b. Navigate to the My Contracts sub-module under the Contracts module.

c. To narrow down the list, you can use the Filter.

d. Select the program, PSP, and year from the dropdown fields and then click on the Filter button.

e. All the Contracts associated with that program and year will be displayed.

f. You can also view all contracts by selecting All Programs, All PSP, and All Years from the dropdown fields, check View All Contracts, and then click on the Filter button.

 

18. What do I do if my attachment file exceeds the file size limit?

a. There are two options:

i. You can zip (compress) the file if the file is not far over the limit.

ii. If the file far exceeds the file size limit, you can split the file into multiple files and attach them separately.

b. If neither of these options will work for your files, please contact the appropriate program staff for further direction.

 

19. Will multiple personnel be able to access the proposal for a specific organization?

a. Yes, all the authorized registered members of an organization have access to all proposals associated with that organization.

b. By going to the My Proposals sub-module under the PSPs module, any member of that organization will be able to edit, save, and submit the proposal on behalf of the organization.

c. It is important to ensure that two users do not access the same proposal at the same time. Should that occur, work may be overwritten in the event two versions are saved by two users.

 

20. How does the Admin function work for users outside of DWR?

a. Organization Admin is a module in GRanTS that allows an organization administrator to add and authorize users to fill out applications on behalf of their organization.

b. For users that are no longer associated with an organization, you can uncheck the Authorized User box in the Add/Modify User screen.

 

21. How does a consultant work on proposals for several clients?

a. The consultant will need to get each organization administrator to add their account to that organization’s authorized user list.

b. Consultants must be registered in GRanTS before an organization can add them as a user.

c. The consultant will need to be authorized by each organization they are assisting.

 

22. How does an organization administrator remove a user that is no longer a part of their organization?

a. The organization administrator can go to the Organization Admin module in GRanTS and select their organization in the dropdown field.

b. The administrator can then select an individual’s account and make appropriate changes by removing their authorization.

 

23. What is the character limit for the answer boxes?

a. A small indicator in the lower left-hand corner will indicate the number of characters allowed in the box.

i. Please remember characters include letters, numbers, spaces, and punctuation.

ii. If you are importing a file from MS Word or another word processor, hidden characters can be imported and cause you to exceed your expected count.

24. Sometimes my page won’t save when I try to save, what do I do?

a. Most often there is an answer that has exceeded the character limit, or there is a required field (noted by an *) hasn’t been completed.

b. Go back over the questions carefully and be sure they are complete and that the character limits have not been exceeded. If you think you are close to the limit, remove a few words to account for possible hidden characters caused by formatting.

 

25. Will I receive an automatic e-mail notification that my proposal has been submitted?

a. Yes. The system generates an e-mail notification when you submit your proposal.

b. The e-mail will be sent to the e-mail address that was used to log in to GRanTS at the time the proposal was submitted.

c. You will see a status change on your home page that the proposal has been submitted.