NHFP STGMS User Guide

The Space Telescope Grants Management System (STGMS) is a web-based software application designed to manage the grant award process for the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) Grants Administration. By following the instructions and tips provided in this guide, users will be able to navigate the system and perform the various functions necessary for managing NASA Hubble Fellowship Program (NHFP) grants in STGMS, such as view grant information, submit budgets, performance reports, faculty contact assessments, and requests for foreign travel, computing device, and equipment.

For detailed information on how to complete non-NHFP specific tasks, please see the STGMS User Guide webpage

• Accessing STGMS

  The administration of the fellowship grant is the responsibility of the Grant Admin PI (faculty contact). Fellows are the Grant Science PI and do not have access to the fellowship grant in STGMS.

  To access STGMS navigate to the Main Menu > Login. Enter your email address and password, then click ‘Login’. If you receive an error stating, “The user [                     ] does not exist”, it is likely that the account is not enabled. To resolve this issue, email STScI Grant Administration for a list of STGMS User Account Managers who can enable your account.

  First time logging in to STGMS or forgot your password? Select 'Forgot Password?' below the email address and password fields. Enter your email address and click 'Submit'. You should receive a link to reset your password. Follow the password guidelines and click ‘Update Password’.

  Need an STGMS account? Access to STGMS is maintained by the Host Institution. Contact the Sponsored Programs Office at your institution to request access. Fellows may have access to STGMS, with the necessary privileges, to manage a GO/AR grant.

  For detailed information on creating and managing user accounts, please see STGMS Accounts & Privileges.

• Navigating STGMS

  Use the STGMS Main Menu to navigate different menu options. The Main Menu is dynamic and you will only see options related to the privileges assigned to your account. Use the arrow icon to expand and collapse items, or to hide the Main Menu to provide more screen space. 

  Help is provided throughout STGMS by clicking the question mark icon. Additional information can be found by clicking on the 'Help’ link in the Main Menu.

• Finding Your Grants

  To use any of the STGMS functions, such as Grant Information, Report/Request List or Budget Search, you must first use the search filters to narrow down search results and find the applicable grant. 

  Search filters are auto-complete fields. For empty fields, users should input a few characters and the system will display matching entries. For filters with a drop-down menu, click the down arrow to choose an option. The radio button filters limit users to choose only one option at a time. 

  If you are not seeing expected results try using only one filter.

STGMS administrative user accounts are created and maintained by your institution. Generally, Investigator (faculty contact) accounts are associated with an approved program and created at the time of program approval, unless that investigator already has an STGMS account. First time faculty contacts who have never had an account, a user account will be set-up at the time the NHFP program is created.

Expand each accordion below to learn more about STGMS accounts and privileges, and managing STGMS notifications.

The first step is complete! Now that you have access to STGMS, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the grant resources that will aid you in preparing budgets, reports, and requests.

STScI funds each Fellowship through a grant issued to the Host Institution. Grants are awarded with a 3-year period of performance. Funding is provided in annual increments up to a maximum of 36 months.  An initial award is made to fund the first year of the fellowship.  The fellow’s performance is reviewed annually to determine if support for another year of research will be approved.  Upon approval, supplemental awards will be made to fund the second or third year of the fellowship. Funding is contingent on the availability of funds from NASA.

NHFP grant funds are provided solely for the support of the Fellow to conduct their research, with the exception of travel support costs for a graduate student or collaborator. Reference the NHFP Guidelines for more information.

Funding is automatically released and does not require action by the Host Institution.

Funding information can be found in the grant award document and subsequent amendments, as well as on the Grant Information screen. Documentation is only sent upon the initial awarding of new funding. Reach out to STScI Grants Administration at (410) 338-4200 or at gms_mail@stsci.edu if you have questions about your grant funding.

Prior to the award of funds for the program year, a budget and supporting narrative must be created in STGMS. The Fellow must work jointly with the Sponsored Research Office and/or Faculty Contact to prepare and submit a budget on their behalf.

The following checklist is provided as a guide.

• Checklist

  1. View the NHFP Guidelines to familiarize yourself with the policies and current academic year funding amounts.
  2. Complete the STGMS budget form for only one academic year.
  3. Upload the Current & Pending Support document for the current cycle.
  4. Upload the required budget narrative justifying all costs.
  5. Once you’re ready to Submit, double check if:
     1. All costs are allowable and allocable
     2. All costs fall within the current academic year approved amount

Creating Budgets

Budgets are created in STGMS. The functions available to you are privilege-based. Fellows do not have access to budgets in STGMS.

To create a new budget or find a saved budget:

• Navigate to Main Menu > Budget > Budget Search
• Enter the 5-digit program number (e.g. 51***)  in the search field and click 'Search' to see all budgets for the grant. Saved budgets will also appear.
• Click the applicable button to open the STGMS budget form.

Editing Budgets

Before you begin, there are a few features that may help you save time preparing the budget. See the STGMS User Guide for detailed information on using another budget as template, storing salary and fringe rates, and setting IDC/G&A/F&A and overheads rate by fiscal years.

Costs entered in the STGMS budget form are organized into accordion ribbons by cost-category.  Expand the sections below to learn more information about each cost-category. All costs must be listed in the correct cost category or the budget will be returned. Funds in a restricted cost-category are limited to the approved amount and cannot be rebudgeted to any other category.

Submitting Budgets

Ensure that all the components of the budget are complete and in compliance with the NHFP policies, STScI General Grant Provision, Host Institution’s policies, and federal regulations. Once the budget is ready for submission, select the privilege-based submission option available at the bottom of the screen.
 

If you have the privilege to submit, you will receive a pop-up dialog box to certify acceptance and compliance with certifications, assurances, and representations. The submitter must check all three boxes before the submit button is available to click, at which time a password is required. A notification is issued once the budget has been submitted.

When looking for comprehensive information on the Fellowship grant, visit the Grant Information screen. It displays grant-specific information including the program title, period of performance, due dates for performance and financial reports, funding and payment information, and grant documents. The only editable field on this screen is the Institution ID, which is assigned by some institutions to link the STGMS grant number to an internal tracking number. An entry is not required and can be left blank.

To find the Grant Information for your grant navigate to Main Menu > Grant > Grant Information and use the search filters described in Finding Your Grants above.

There are accordion style banners which may be expanded to provide additional detail. Only one section expands at a time. The performance report and faculty contact assessment can be created by clicking the applicable button in the designated section.

The reporting requirements can be found in the grant award document and the Grant Information screen in STGMS. For more specific information about reporting requirements reference the NHFP Guidelines.

Interim Reporting Requirements

The Interim Performance Report and Interim Faculty Contact Assessment are due annually on May 31^st, regardless of the start date, in years 1 & 2. Grants Administration must receive all required reports, assessments and approvals in order to award the next year.

Final Reporting Requirements

At the end of the Fellowship, the below final reporting requirements are due within 90 days of the end of the grant. 

The NHFP Guidelines detail specific requirements for prior approval. When prior approval is necessary, a requests can be submitted by navigating to Main Menu > Grant > Report/Request List. Access to the requests displayed below are based on the assigned privileges of the user. Fellows do not have access to submit requests under their Fellowship grant. The Faculty Contact or designated personnel at the Host Institution must submit the request on their behalf.

Foreign Travel

This form is used to request prior approval for foreign travel not specified in the approved budget; this includes TBD travel. A Foreign Travel Request must be submitted at least 30 days in advance via STGMS. Please allow 15 business days for review. For expedited requests, please send an email to gms_mail@stsci.edu stating the reason for the urgency.

Computing Device

This form is used to request prior approval for computing devices not specified in the approved budget. Computing devices are defined as machines with a per-unit acquisition cost of less than $5,000

Allow for 15 business days for review. For expedited requests, send an email to gms_mail@stsci.edu stating the reason for the urgency.

To submit a Computing Device Request, navigate to Main Menu > Grant > Report/Request List. Use the search parameters to find the grant. Select "Create new Computing Device Request" and complete the required fields. Once the request is ready, select either ‘Save and Notify’ or ‘Submit’, depending on your privileges. 

Equipment

This form is used to request prior approval for all equipment purchases including equipment included in an approved budget. Approval of the budget does not constitute prior approval for equipment purchases. Equipment is defined as a per-unit acquisition cost of $5,000 or more with a useful life of more than one year.

Allow for 15 business days for review. For expedited requests, send an email to gms_mail@stsci.edu stating the reason for the urgency.

To submit an Equipment Request, navigate to Main Menu > Grant > Report/Request List. Use the search parameters to find the grant. Select "Create new Equipment Request" and complete the required fields. Once the request is ready, select either ‘Save and Notify’ or ‘Submit’, depending on your privileges. 

Special Request

This is a universal form used to make requests not covered by another request type. Reference the NHFP Guidelines for detailed guidance on prior approval requirements.

To submit a Special Request, navigate to Main Menu > Grant > Report/Request List. Use the search parameters to find the grant. Select "Create new Special Request" and complete the required fields. Once the request is ready, select either ‘Save and Notify’ or ‘Submit’, depending on your privileges. 

Use the Special Request form in STGMS for the following actions:

No Cost Extension

This form is used to request a one-time-only extension to allow payment of page charges for papers that were submitted to a journal prior to the end of the Fellowship. An extension will not be considered for any other circumstances. The extension should be requested at least 30 days prior to the end of the award. 

The request must include the name(s) and author(s) of the paper and the date of submission for each publication.

To submit a no cost extension request, navigate to Main Menu > Grant > Report/Request List. Use the search parameters to find the grant. Select "Create new No Cost Extension Request" and complete the required fields. Once the request is ready, select either ‘Save and Notify’ or ‘Submit’, depending on your privileges. 

Transfer Request

This form is used to request a change to your Host Institution. Under special circumstances a Fellow may transfer. Before the submission of this request, approval from the designated NHFP Lead is required. See the NHFP Guidelines for the parameters for requesting a change to the Host Institution.

The transfer process is unique to each situation. You will receive specific transfer instructions from Grants Administration once your transfer request is submitted. However, the general process is:

1. Notify your NHFP Lead of your need to transfer via email.
2. Endorsement letter from new Host Institution identifying new faculty contact.
3. Notify STScI Grants Administration of your intent to transfer by submitting a transfer request in STGMS.
4. Update profile
5. Submit all required final reports
6. Submit a detailed expenditure report

To submit a transfer request, navigate to Main Menu > Grant > Report/Request List. Use the search parameters to find the grant. Select "Create new Transfer Request" and complete the required fields. Once the request is ready, select either ‘Save and Notify’ or ‘Submit’, depending on your privileges.  

Recipients must submit, within ninety (90) days of the end of the grant period, a final financial report, a final equipment report, a final new technology, a final performance report, and a final faculty contact assessment via STGMS.  Reports are required even if there is no equipment or new technology to report. Reference the Reporting Requirements section above for detailed instructions on submitting reports in STGMS.  

STScI will close the grant at the end of the Fellowship period and when all applicable administrative actions (including NHFP Lead approval) have been completed. However, STScI MUST complete all closeout actions no later than one year after the end date of the grant (2 CFR 200.344) even if the recipient has not submitted all of the required final reports.  The updated UG requirements (Nov. 2020) require GRA to close the grant without receipt of all required reports and to report the recipient's non-compliance to the HST-P Contracting Officer for entry into FAPIIS.