Support Links
Recent FAQs
- Why do Greek characters appear when I attempt to print my proposal in Cayuse 424?
- How do I view a PDF from Cayuse 424 on a Mac?
- How do I add additional NSF units of consideration on the NSF Coversheet?
- How many subawards can I have in a proposal?
- Does CFDA, Competition ID, or Title matter for the NSF?
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are answers to many of our most frequently-asked support questions. To find a question, either search in the box on the left, or click below to expand the various categories and find the answers you seek.
When I try and watch the videos for support, I get an error telling me that I lack the proper codec.
In order to view the demo videos we host, you will need to first install the GoToMeeting Codec. This will allow Windows Media Player to interpret and play back the video files.
Cayuse424 (0)
Getting Started (3)
What version of Adobe do I need to have installed in order to use Cayuse 424? Which is the most compatible?
Any version should be fine, since Cayuse 424 interacts with your web browser and not the PDF reader software itself. Adobe recommends that you upgrade to the latest version, and they put out patches several times a year, but security issues should be minimal given the source of the PDFs you will deal with are from internal users. If you have a specific issue, please contact Technical Support with a description of what happened.
I need to use a Mac computer to access Cayuse 424. Do you support Macintosh computers or any of the Apple devices?
The Cayuse 424 application currently can only be accessed on Macintosh computers by using the Firefox browser. Safari is on our list of future intended updates, but at this point we currently have no ETA on when these devices will be compatible. Until then, you will have to use the Firefox browser.
I have forgotten my password or username! How do I recover or reset it?
To answer this, please read the section of the User Guide covering this question.
Agency: CDMRP (3)
I need to route an ONR resubmission to a particular Program Officer, what fields do I use for this?
SF424 field 4a (Federal Identifier)- copy the original Grant Tracking number from the Electronic Submission page, e.g. GRANT106012345
SF424 field 4b (Agency Routing Information) - Provide the Program Office Code followed by the Officer name in brackets, last name first, e.g: 322 [Einstein, A] Block 8 (Type of Application) - Ensure that the 'Resubmission' check box is checked.
I'm having difficulty attaching or figuring out how to attach subawards to my new CDMRP proposal. Which forms do I use, and where do I attach them?
According to the CDMRP General Application Instructions, applicants should use the standard detailed budget form for each subaward, and then attach them together as a single PDF entitled SubBudgets.PDF. This attachment should be placed in the "Other Attachments" form within the proposal. You can download the detailed budget form directly from this link.
The new DOD/CDMRP grants require a specific identifier - where do I enter this data in Cayuse 424??
According to the Fiscal Year 2011 application instructions, the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) is requesting that your CDMRP log number (e.g., PC11####, BC11####, OC11####, NF11####, etc.) be placed in the Submission Title field, AKA the Application Filing Name field. To ensure successful application review, the CDMRP log number should only appear in this field. Please do not include any "internal" proposal title in this field.
This field is located at the very top of any Cayuse 424 application, to the right of the icon shaped like two rings. Please see the screenshot below:
Agency: NSF (6)
The PI should contact NSF IT Help Central (ITHC) and/or the Program Officer if they wish to submit through Grants.gov and provide additional Units of Consideration. They should get direction from ITHC and/or the Program Officer on how to move forward based on that guidance before submitting the application. Any time there is a question, the PI should reach out to ITHC and/or the program office to ensure that they have the latest guidance.
There are many updates that can be made through proposal file update within Fastlane after a submisson but this is not one of them.
No. Routing for an NSF application is strictly done through the NSF Coversheet. It is on this form, which is required for every NSF proposal, that the Division Code and Program Code is listed.
Once you submit your proposal using Cayuse 424 it will appear in Fastlane. The Table of Contents is automatically created when the proposal arrives in Fastlane, post-submission. So there is no need to create or upload one manually by the submitter.
I’m looking for one of these NSF-only forms:
- Biological Sciences (BIO) Classification Form
- Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) Project Data Form
I've started work on a proposal in Cayuse, but that form isn’t there.
These forms can be added using the file update module once your proposal is loaded into FastLane. For more info see the NSF guide: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/manuals/grantsgovguide606.pdf
I'm only seeing one CFDA for my NSF opportunity, but I believe there should be more. Why is this?
NSF does not use CFDA numbers to identify what division will receive your application. So, opportunities which list multiple CFDA#’s are properly distributed within NSF using the NSF Cover Page Block #2 – Division Code & Program Code. Ensuring these match your field of research when submitting will then deliver the proposal to the proper group. For an example see: Opportunity #09-598. Only one CDFA out of the 10 available can be retrieved since NSF strictly uses the Cover Page form as the true identifier.
When I submitted my proposal to the NSF, I received the following email in return: "The cumulative totals for all budget periods: $(x) does not equal the cumulative totals: $(y) Submitted for field: Section F, Other Direct Costs"
This email is sent to you due to a validation error in Fastlane. In Fastlane, if a proposal is submitted with any "skipped" user-defined Costs in Section F (specifically, field 8 or 9), then the agency system does not properly validate the cost data in the adjacent fields. We have learned a work-around within Cayuse 424 which will allow you to properly resubmit.
If you return to the proposal in question within Cayuse 424, and refer to page 3 of the RR Budget, you will need to look at the data in Section F for each budget period. If you see any instances in which rows 8 or 9 of that section were skipped in order to fill data in the following row, then you will need to move the data in the following rows up one row. So if you have data in rows 9 and 10 but none in row 8, you will need to move the data from row 9 into row 8, and then from row 10 into row 9.
This will still calculate correctly in Cayuse 424, and will allow the NSF systems to properly validate the budget.
Attachments (5)
The instructions for my opportunity state that I should attach a XLS, DOC, or other file format that is not a PDF. However, the Cayuse 424 application only allows PDFs as actual attachments on the proposal. How do I attach non-PDF documents?
While the validity of this method should be verified with the technical contact for your specific opportunity, we have seen the following method work in multiple cases. To attach a non-PDF file to your proposal, such as Excel or Word documents, you can either print that document to a PDF from its native application, or instead create a new blank PDF and attach the necessary file directly to the PDF from within the Adobe application. In either case, the resulting PDF can then be successfully attached and submitted through Cayuse 424.
Again, we strongly recommend contacting the program specialist for your opportunity before using the above procedures.
When I run the validations on my proposal, I get an error that says "The Attachment [filename] does not exist on the disk at the expected location [location]"
This is caused by a source file located in an attachment point where the document is expecting an actual PDF to be. To fix this error, remove the source files from the locations given in the error, and then upload PDFs in their places.
If this does not resolve your error, or you are unable to perform this, please contact support.
When I try to upload my PDF attachment in Firefox, I get the following error: "An error prevented the successful upload of the attachment: Uploaded attachment must be in PDF format. MIME type of binary is not allowed.”
This error occurs when Firefox is unsure about the type of files being uploaded. To fix this problem:
- At the top of the Firefox window, click on the Firefox button, go over to the Help menu and select Troubleshooting Information. The Troubleshooting Information tab will open.
- Under the Application Basics section, click on Show Folder. A window with your profile files will open.
- Note: If you are unable to open or use Firefox, follow the instructions in Finding your profile without opening Firefox.
- At the top of the Firefox window, click on the Firefox button and then select Exit.
- In the Profile window, rename the mimeTypes.rdf file to mimeTypes.rdf.old.
- Restart Firefox.
Files should now be able to upload from Firefox without any issue.
In Attachments forms which require certain attachments to be at pre-specified points, how do I skip lower points so I can add my required attachments?
When you need to add an attachment to a point lower on the specific "Attachments" or "Other Attachments" forms, while leaving one or more prior points empty, you will need to add "blank" source attachments to those prior fields. To do this, you will need to make a new Word document with no data in it. Then, click on the "Add" link to see the Upload Attachment form. On that form, select "Source of PDF" and then browse to your local copy of the blank Word document.
Once the source file is uploaded, it will then open up the next attachment point. Repeat this process for each "blank" point on the list that you need until you open up the required point for your actual attachment.
When I attempt to view an attached PDF on Mac, I get a blank screen with the words viewAttachment.do at the top. How can I view the PDF?
There are two configuration items that can result in not seeing a correctly-rendered PDF when using Firefox for Mac: Adobe's Firefox plugin for Mac and Firefox's built-in PDF reader.
To change from Adobe's Firefox plugin to Adobe Reader:
- If you have not already installed Adobe Reader on your Mac, you will need to download and install it. To download it, visit the Adobe Reader site. After downloading and installing Adobe Reader, be sure to run the application (by going to the Applications folder on your Mac, and double-clicking Adobe Reader) before continuing.
- In Firefox, click on the word Firefox at the top left of the screen, and navigate down to the Preferences button. A window should pop up with a list of subheadings.
- Click on Applications.
- In the search bar that appears, type in pdf. You should see the following item in the window:
- In the drop down, select Use Adobe Reader.
- Close the Preferences window.
To disable Firefox's built-in PDF reader:
- While in Firefox, go to the Tools menu. Scroll down to Add-ons.
- On the left side, select the Extensions button.
- On the right side, one of the listed items should be PDF Viewer. Click the Disable button.
After closing the Add-ons window, and opening the desired PDF again, it should open properly. You should be able to view, save, and print the PDF.
Budget (3)
I am getting errors about the Detailed Budget, but am only submitting a Modular Budget. Why is this happening? Can I still submit my proposals with these errors?
An optional feature for institutional administrators is to display Detailed Budget errors, even if only a Modular Budget is to be submitted. This feature is meant to encourage users to correctly fill out the detailed budget, as this strategy helps minimize errors and allows Cayuse to help check the work submitted.
It is possible to submit with Detailed Budget errors in this situation, as the data will not be presented to Grants.gov.
How do I set the salary cap for future budget periods on my proposal? I know that it increases every year by an unspecified amount, but when I factor that in I get Info messages in Cayuse 424.
The NIH does indeed increase the salary cap every year, usually by a more or less 3% increase to the previous year's cap. In Cayuse 424, you can set higher salary caps for your Key Persons on subsequent budget periods within the proposal. We encourage you to increase each future year by 3%, to account for expected annual cap increases.
Cayuse 424 provides the Info messages as a simple reminder that if you request more than the cap, it might not be fully rewarded in the amount that you request. Requesting over the cap will not affect submission, however, as the agency will automatically adjust the potential reward based on the actual cap they have set.
For more information on NIH salary caps, please check out their website on the topic.
I see little red stars next to various fields on the budget. What do these mean?
A red star next to a field tells you that that particular field has auto-calculated data that is currently being overwritten by manually-entered data. To revert the field to its default auto-calculation, clear out the current data and then click on another field.
Key Persons (1)
I need to add a Key Person, but I don't want them to appear on the Budget. However, Cayuse gives me an error stating that they must have effort. The instructions from the NIH Adobe Forms B guide have been pasted below for reference:
In order to prevent a listed key person from appearing on the budget and requiring budget effort, that Key Person's role must be set to "Other (Specify)" and then specified as "Other Significant Contributor". The spelling, spacing, and capitalization of Other Significant Contributor is very important.
The remaining Senior/Key Person Profiles should be listed in alphabetical order. While alphabetical order is preferred, it is not required. However, be aware that these profiles will appear in the application in the order provided by the applicant. Therefore, peer reviewers will see them in the order presented. Those with a postdoctoral role should be included if they meet the definition of Senior/Key Personnel. Also use this section to list any Other SignificantContributors (OSCs). OSCs should be listed after all Senior/Key Persons. OSCs are individuals who have committed to contribute to the scientific development or execution of the project, but are not committing any specified measurable effort (in person months) to the project. These individuals are typically presented at “effort of zero person months” or “as needed” (individuals with measurable effort cannot be listed as Other Significant Contributors). Consultants should be included if they meet this definition.
A biosketch, including Research Support information, will be required for these individuals as this highlights their accomplishments as scientists. Reviewers use these pages to address the “investigator” review criterion. However, if an award is to be made, Other Support information will not be required or accepted since considerations of overlap do not apply to these individuals.
Should the level of involvement change for an individual listed as an OSC, the individual should be redesignated as “Senior/Key Personnel.” This change should be made before any compensation is charged to the project.
We need to get opportunities into our test environment, but none of the normal numbers are available. How do I download opportunities into the test environment?
In Cayuse 424 test/training environments, all available opportunities can be downloaded by using the CFDA# 93.838. This will acquire all available test opportunities from Grants.gov.
My opportunity is telling me to fill out forms that are not available within Cayuse 424. However, Cayuse 424 was able to download the opportunity package and tells me that the opportunity is fully supported. How do I fill out and submit these forms?
Some NSF opportunities require the inclusion of forms that are not available for submission through Grants.gov, and therefore you will not see these forms in the Cayuse 424 package. However, after submission through Cayuse, the PI can log into Fastlane and download the supplemental form, and then edit the proposal to add the required form. The applicant will not be able to check the status of an application until this information is provided.
For example, for applications submitted to the Directorate for Biological Sciences or Division of Undergraduate Education, a Classification form or Project Data Form is required to be submitted. PIs can access the Proposal File Update Module via the "Proposal Functions" section of FastLane. Authorized individuals in the organization’s Sponsored Projects Office (or equivalent) can initiate or review requests for proposal file updates using the "Submit Proposals/Supplements/File Updates/Withdrawals" Module via the FastLane "Research Administration Functions.
For more information, please read this guide at the NSF website.
Does Cayuse 424 support NSF collaborative proposals?
Because the opportunities for collaborative proposals are not available on Grants.gov, they are not supported in Cayuse 424. Currently these opportunities are only available for submission via Fastlane, so the application does not support direct submission for them.
When I look at my proposal in the list, it shows the 
icon (expired/unavailable opportunity). But this doesn't make any sense to me, as I was just working on it.
There are two "common" possibilities for this:
1. This opportunity has been removed from grants.gov, and any submission under this FOA will not be successful. See here for instructions in our users manual how to search for your opportunity under the opportunity tab of Cayuse 424.
2. This opportunity may have been recently updated by the funding agency, and changes made to the opportunity mean that it cannot be submitted in its current form. Fortunately, Cayuse 424 has a convenient feature called "transformation" allowing your data already entered to be reloaded under the most recent version of the opportunity forms for that opportunity number. Note that in some cases, the opportunity number will be different. Click here for instructions on how to transform a proposal.
My Cayuse 424 proposal shows errors that contradict specific instructions (such as Research Plan page lengths). What do I do?
The most common cause of this contradiction is that the proposal in question requires the NIH Opt-out validations rather than the standard NIH validations. While Cayuse 424 usually applies the appropriate validations automatically, there are sometimes late changes in opportunity rules that require a manual change in the proposal's validation setting.
Visit the NIH Opt-Out page and search for your FOA. If it is on the Opt-Out list, manually change the validation. At the bottom of the proposal, select "NIH Opt-Out" from the pull-down list of validations.
If this is not the case, then you should contact our support department for more assistance.
I have an opportunity I want to submit a proposal for. Is it supported by Cayuse 424?
If you are unsure if your opportunity is fully supported by Cayuse, there are a few things you can do to find out. First off, try to download it into Cayuse using the FOA or CFDA numbers. That link will show you how to download them, as well as what the icons next to them in the list mean.
If it does not download into Cayuse, check Grants.gov and see if you can find an actual Adobe Forms application package for it. Chances are, if Cayuse can't download it, then the application package isn't yet hosted online, or might have been pulled from Grants.gov.
Proposals (3)
When attempting to print a proposal in Cayuse 424, my radio button selections (
and 
) become Greek characters (
and 
). How do I make the symbols appear normally?
This is due to an incompatibility between Cayuse 424 and Firefox 19's Internal PDF Viewer. To solve this problem, follow these steps:
- Press Alt to display the Firefox Menu Bar, select Tools and scroll down to Options.
- Navigate to the Applications subheading. Type pdf into the search bar. The only result should be Portable Document Format (PDF).
- Change the setting from Preview in Firefox to Use Adobe Acrobat (in Firefox).
After closing the Options window, and prompting Cayuse 424 to print again, radio button selections should appear properly on the PDF.
What information do I enter for the DUNS of a foreign institution?
The following information is taken directly from the eRA website:
“Is a DUNS number required for every subaward/consortium organization?"
Ideally yes. The 'Organization DUNS' is a required field on the 'Research & Related Budget' form, regardless of the budget "type"-project or subaward/consortium. However, at the subaward level, neither Grants.gov nor NIH currently validates on the accuracy of that field. For subaward organizations, eRA Commons only validates that the DUNS field contains a value and that the value is not the same DUNS number provided by the prime applicant. At this time the eRA Commons does not do any further validations on the accuracy of the number. So for now, if a subaward/consortium organization is unable to secure a DUNS number in time, then a value of nine zeros can be entered in the DUNS field on the subaward/consortium budget component. This requirement may change over time.”
When I open my proposal from the list, it says I am in read-only mode and cannot make any changes! How can I fix this?
A number of things tend to cause this, including opening the same proposal in multiple windows, unexpected logoffs from the system, or other users taking control of the proposal while you are working within it.
If you look at the top of the proposal window, you should see the words "Locked by" followed by a username. If that username is your own username, then you can simply click the Lock icon 
next to it, and take the lock back from yourself. If that username belongs to another user of the system, you should contact them before taking the lock back.
Routing (1)
I'm next on the routing chain for a proposal, but I can't check the box next to my name.
This is because your user account is not currently linked to a Professional Profile in the Cayuse 424 system. The linking between profiles and users can only be activated by a system administrator, so you will need to contact your admins to have this enabled for you.
Subawards (1)
The maximum number of subawards that can be submitted with a "prime" proposal is determined by the version of the subaward attachment form included with the opportunity. If the RR_SubawardBudget30 form is included, you can submit up to 30 subawards, while other versions allow you to submit up to 10.
To see which forms are included in your opportunity, click the Opportunities tab and find your opportunity in the list. Click the blue info icon 
for more information, including a list of forms that are included with the opportunity.
If you need to include data from additional subawards into the budget calculations, you can use worksheet rows, which are not submitted.