Limited Submission Opportunities

Limited submission opportunities are defined as those requiring an institutional nomination due to sponsor restrictions regarding the number of proposals a university may submit or based on a strategic decision to internally coordinate submissions to avoid competing with ourselves. These guidelines describe the identification, review and institutional nomination procedures for limited submission opportunities.

There are four primary types of limited submission opportunities:

1. Opportunities identified for active management by the Research Development Office due to their strategic significance (e.g. infrastructure or center proposals);
2. Opportunities identified for active management by the Foundation Relations Office as part of the university’s philanthropic strategy;
3. Opportunities identified for active management by an academic unit, such as NEH Fellowships or other discipline-specific sponsored programs with limited eligibility; and
4. Opportunities identified by faculty or staff as part of a routine search for funding.

Faculty and staff who identify a limited competition of interest should access the Limited Submission Funding Opportunities Portal. This portal lists competitions being actively managed by Research Development, Foundation Relations, or an administrative or academic unit. It provides researchers with information on required pre-proposal materials and internal review and selection deadlines, in addition to links to applicable sponsor guidelines.

If the opportunity of interest is already listed in the portal, it is important to pay close attention to internal deadlines which are often several months to at least six weeks before any sponsor-related deadlines. Timelines are set to provide for internal review/nomination and proposal planning well in advance of the sponsor deadlines.

Limited submission opportunities not listed on the portal also require an institutional nomination. If you identify an opportunity not already listed in the portal, contact your sponsored programs officer for assistance with the appropriate internal review procedures.

Review and nomination procedures vary, based on the time available prior to sponsor deadline.

Actively managed opportunities in the portal:

• The competition manager in the Research Development Office, Foundation Relations Office, Administrative or Academic Unit sets an internal intent deadline up to several months or at least six weeks before the sponsor's deadline. The Limited Submission Opportunity listing contains details on materials and information to be submitted for consideration.
• A review committee is formed whenever more than the allowable number of applications are received by the internal intent deadline. The composition of the review committee is determined by the office actively managing the proposal. Selection of the most competitive application(s) includes consideration of the strength of the preproposal, alignment to the program solicitation criteria, and institutional priority to determine the most competitive Ohio State nominee(s) are put forward.
• For cases where only one applicant submits the required intent and materials prior to the established internal deadline, that applicant will be designated as the Ohio State nominee subject to review to ensure the PI meets eligibility criteria and that the proposed concept is appropriate for stated sponsor program goals.
• Individuals may apply for an open program after the internal deadline has passed. In these instances, the nominee is selected on a first-come, first-served basis subject to review to ensure the PI meets eligibility criteria and that the proposed concept is appropriate for stated sponsor program goals.

Opportunities not on the list identified by applicants 6 weeks or less before sponsor deadline:

• Interested faculty or staff must e-mail their sponsored programs officer with the following information:
  • intent to apply for the program,
  • statement verifying eligibility to serve as a PI,
  • the sponsor and name of the opportunity,
  • brief description of the project,
  • URL for the program announcement/solicitation.
• The Office of Sponsored Programs will review the request and respond to the applicant within 1-2 working days. Subject to review to ensure the PI meets eligibility criteria and will be designated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Opportunities not on the list identified by applicants with more than 6 weeks until deadline:

• Interested faculty or staff must e-mail their sponsored programs officer with the following information:
  • intent to apply for the program,
  • statement verifying eligibility to serve as a PI,
  • the sponsor and name of the opportunity,
  • brief description of the project,
  • URL for the program announcement/solicitation.
• The Office of Sponsored Programs will review the request and contact the Research Development Office to establish an internal deadline and post the opportunity. If no other intents are received, the single intent will be designated the nominee. If multiple intents are received, the Research Development Office will organize an internal review.