Receipt and Referral (RR)

What is the purpose?

The Receipt and Referral module serves as a central clearinghouse to log, route and assign competing grant applications received by the grantor agency. Authorized staffers assign each application for review and for funding consideration.

What are the features of Receipt and Referral?

The Receipt and Referral module handles both paper and electronic grant applications, although the workflow for each is different. For applications submitted electronically, the module can:

• Display Applications Received — The First Contact Functionality allows RR users to display a list of applications that have been received electronically
• Flag issues — The First Contact functionality allows RR users to query a hit list of grant applications based on selected criteria.  For each application, the system will flag certain data quality or policy adherence issues  
• Breakout Applications — The Breakout Functionality allows the applications to be electronically either:
  • Assigned for review, or
  • Referred to a referral officer, or
  • Put on hold for further work

Refer Applications — Through the Referral data screen, authorized staffers examine the applications and determine the most appropriate referral for review and assignment for funding consideration.

Additional features:

• Change of assignment requests prior to an application released to Peer Review (applications while in review must utilize ACR system for assignment changes)
• RR system links to Awaiting Receipt of Application data (pre-approved via the ARA module for accepting applications that exceed the policy threshold, e.g. budget exceeding limit of 500K and other topics)
• Disaggregations and Merit Extensions
• Reports
• Maintenance of Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) to provide an ability to set and maintain data that will help in assignments and referrals (e.g., grant mechanisms used by each Institute or Center (IC), information on NOFOs)
• Electronic correspondence with applicants and signing officials at grantee organizations.  The emails and letters, which are system generated via the RR module, are then stored in the official grant folder under the correspondences section.  Electronic notifications are sent to the applicants and signing officials, notifying them of correspondence in the grant folder.

In addition, the software will automatically assign applications that meet certain criteria to the previous review location.

What are the benefits? 

• Serves as a central clearinghouse for all competing applications received
• Enables data associated with grant applications to be entered into the IMPAC II database

Automates many steps for Receipt and Referral that have traditionally been time intensive manual processes

Who can use the Receipt and Referral module?

The module can be used by authorized Receipt and Referral users at federal agencies using the eRA system.