Limited Submission Opportunities

The Office of Research Support and Development (ORSD) administers Limited Submission Opportunities (LSOs) to ensure institutional compliance with sponsor submission limits and to promote a fair, transparent, and competitive internal selection process. This oversight is critical, as sponsors may reject all proposals from USM if the university exceeds the allowable number of submissions. As part of a new approach, ORSD now releases LSO opportunities in advance when possible and coordinates the launch of Notices of Intent and internal competitions based on timing, faculty interest, and sponsor requirements to identify proposals with the strongest likelihood of success.

Limited submission opportunities will be identified and released by ORSD on a semester-by-semester basis. When an internal competition is required, opportunities will be identified and released by ORSD on a semester basis. Principal Investigators (PI) who are interested in applying must access the specific LSO listing through the provided link.

Each LSO listing will include:

• A brief description of the funding opportunity
• Annotated notes from ORSD, including institutional context or considerations
• A direct link to complete the Notice of Intent (NOI) / Intent to Apply form
• A clearly stated internal deadline by 11:59 AM (CST)

Submission of an Intent to Apply indicates that the PI intends to move forward with the application and has obtained appropriate supervisory approval to do so. LSO Intent to Apply opportunities are announced via scheduled USM mailouts, and it is the responsibility of PI to review these communications or subscribe to ORSD notifications to stay informed when competitions are launched.

When interest in an LSO exceeds the maximum number of applications permitted by the sponsor, ORSD will initiate an Internal Competition, which will include submission of a two‑page concept paper. Please refer to the FAQs on this landing page for additional guidance.

Review and Selection Process
When interest in an LSO exceeds the sponsor's permitted number of applications, ORSD will initiate an Internal Competition (IC).

Notice of Intent Review
As an initial step, PIs must submit a NOI through the link provided in the LSO listing by the stated internal deadline. Submission of an NOI indicates the PI’s intent to apply for the opportunity.

Internal Competition (When Required)
If the number of eligible NOIs exceeds the number of submissions allowed by the sponsor, ORSD will launch an Internal Competition. PIs who completed the NOI by the listed deadline will be invited to submit a two‑page concept paper using the designated submission link.

Review Committee and Evaluation
ORSD will convene an ad hoc internal review committee composed of faculty and administrators with experience in research funding, sponsor policies, grantsmanship, and relevant disciplinary areas. Committee members remain anonymous throughout the review process.

Concept papers are reviewed and scored based on sponsor‑specific criteria and institutional considerations, including:

• Responsiveness to the funding opportunity guidelines
• Likelihood of success in securing external funding
• Intellectual merit and overall quality of the proposed work
• Competitiveness of the PI or project team, including relevant expertise and funding track record
• Evidence that prior reviewer feedback has been addressed, if applicable

Following review, scores are compiled, and PIs are notified whether they are selected to move forward with submitting a full proposal to the sponsor.

Conflict of Interest
In cases where ORSD has a real or perceived conflict of interest in administering or reviewing an LSO, decision‑making authority will be referred to the Vice President for Research, Dr. Kelly Lucas, to ensure fairness and transparency.

ORSD conducts internal reviews as efficiently as possible to allow selected PIs sufficient time to prepare a competitive proposal prior to the sponsor’s deadline. Timelines may vary depending on the sponsor and the proximity of the external submission date. In addition to completing all standard internal approval requirements, selected PIs are responsible for complying with any additional sponsor‑specific requirements.

Notification and Next Steps
Following completion of the internal review process:

• ORSD notifies all applicants by email of the outcome of the internal competition.
• Approved nominees are communicated to the Proposal and Award Management (Pre‑Award) team to support proposal development and submission.
• PIs who were not selected may request general feedback regarding their submission to inform future applications, when feasible.

PI Responsibilities After Selection
PIs selected to move forward are expected to proceed with proposal development and submission in coordination with ORSD.

Selected PIs will:

• Receive priority access to institutional resources, including consultation with ORSD staff, proposal development guidance, and administrative support to strengthen the application.
• Complete all required internal routing and approvals in accordance with university and sponsor policies.
• Notify ORSD within five (5) business days of formal LSO selection notification if they are no longer able to submit a proposal, allowing ORSD to offer the opportunity to another eligible applicant, when applicable.
• Submit the full proposal by the sponsor’s deadline.

Failure to notify ORSD of a decision not to apply, or failure to submit a proposal after selection without prior communication, may result in disqualification from future LSO competitions.

If a selected proposal is submitted but not funded, the PI may be asked to share sponsor or peer review feedback, including summary statements, when available. This information supports continuous improvement of future internal selection processes.

Limited Submission: Funding opportunities in which a sponsor restricts the number of applications an institution may submit.

Limited Submission Opportunity (LSO): A specific funding opportunity with a sponsor‑imposed submission limit that requires institutional coordination.

Intent to Apply (Notice of Intent): A short internal submission indicating a faculty member’s intent and commitment to apply for an LSO.

Internal Competition: An internal selection process conducted when interest exceeds the sponsor‑permitted number of submissions.

Institutional Submission Limit: The maximum number of proposals USM may submit to a sponsor for a given opportunity.

Unannounced Limited Submission Opportunity: An LSO identified by a faculty member that has not yet been announced by ORSD and must be reported before submission.

Internal Deadline: A university‑set deadline that occurs before the sponsor’s deadline to allow for review and coordination.