Getting Familiar to the PAMS User Interface
Logging in
Follow the steps below to log in to PAMS:
- Open your internet browser.
- Enter the website address (URL) for DOE PAMS and click Enter.
- Enter your User Name and Password.
- Click Log In.
System Navigation
As with many other web-based systems, your primary input tools are your keyboard and mouse. Additionally, most PAMS pages support keyboard navigation. You can use a combination of the Tab key to transfer focus (or the cursor) to the next data entry field or link, and Enter to invoke a link. Shift + Tab moves through fields and links in reverse order.
Ref. # | Element | Description |
1 | Logout | Use Logout to exit PAMS. You will have to provide your credentials again to login to PAMS the next time. |
2 | Home | Home takes you to a dashboard page where you can see how many tasks you have and statistics on your recently accessed files. |
3 | Tabs | There are tabs at the top of most PAMS pages to help you navigate through different modules in the system. The tabs shown here are — Home, Tasks, Proposals, Awards and Institution. The blue tab bar, DOE PAMS banner above it, and green menu bar at the very top right of the screen can be hidden temporarily by clicking on the double-arrows button at the far right end of the blue tab bar. To make the blue tab bar, DOE PAMS banner, and green menu bar appear once again, click on the double-arrows button at the top right of the screen. |
4 | Left Menu | Within each module, the main menu is often found at the left-hand side of the screen. The main menu can be hidden by clicking on the double arrow at the top left corner of the menu. To make the left menu appear once again, click the double-arrows button at the top left of the screen. |
5 | Grid | A table, or grid, is employed when multiple records must be displayed. The left-most column may have arrows to indicate the rows are expandable. Click an arrow to expand a row and view detailed information about the record. You can also click the Detailed View link above the grid to expand all rows. The rows may be filtered by entering data in any one of the textbox fields immediately below the grid’s column headings, and clicking the filter icon next to it. Most grids also have a Search feature. The search pane is accessed by clicking the Search link above the grid. The Page Size fields allow you to adjust the height of the grid by indicating the greatest number of [collapsed] rows that may appear on a page. Arrow buttons next to the page number allow you to page through when there are multiple pages. |
6 | Context Menu | The right-most column in a grid is the Options column. Available options may vary from record to record. An arrow in the Options column indicates there are more options to select from. This list of options is often referred to as the context menu. |
7 | Breadcrumb Navigation | Each page in PAMS shall display the navigation path you followed to reach the current screen. If the navigation path is too long, it is summarized by the application. Hover over the icon to view the summarized path details. |
8 | Floating Toolbar | PAMS has a floating toolbar at the bottom of the screen that allows for easy access of key functions. Options in the floating toolbar often include [View] Messages, [View] Favorites, [View] Recently Accessed, Print, and Create a Shortcut. Important page buttons may appear in the floating toolbar as well. |
System Conventions
Table 1 lists the conventions for messages generated by PAMS. Symbols used as part of these conventions are designed to convey system messages consistently and to provide you with a richer user experience.
Table 1: Types of Messages Generated by the System
Symbol | Denotes |
 | Critical Error. This kind of error must be corrected in order for the system to save your data. If one or more errors of this kind appear on the page and are not corrected, the system will not save the data entered after the last successful save. Example: Entering “two” in a field where “2” is called for produces a Critical Error. |
 | Regular Error. This kind of error will let you save the data entered until then, but if one or more errors of this kind appear on a page and are not corrected, the system will not change the status of the page to “Completed.” If these errors occur while updating the budget sheet on a proposal, for instance, the budget sheet will not be marked as complete and you will not be able to submit the proposal. Example: Entering no data in a field where data entry is required may produce a Regular Error. |
 | Exception. These denote either discrepancy or inconsistency in the data entered. These need to be either corrected or justified. |
 | Information. These appear as notes to keep you informed of any important information regarding your document or report. |
 | Success Message. These denote that a particular process has been executed successfully. This can appear anytime data is successfully saved or submitted. |
