Limited Submission Opportunities (LSO) are extramural funding opportunities that limit the number applications submitted per institution. Researchers interested in submitting to a specific LSO must apply to an internal competition and be selected for full proposal submission to the opportunity's sponsor. Internal competitions help verify the eligibility of an applicant and ensure that another application has not already been selected to submit to a specific limited submission opportunity.
How to Apply
The University of Utah uses InfoReady Review software to host and manage all internal competitions for LSOs. A list of available LSOs that the VPR Office has created internal competitions for can be found on the UofU LSO Portal.
The VPR Office attempts to identify available limited submission opportunities, and provide internal competitions for institutional selection, in a timely manner. However, identifying every possible opportunity in advance is unfeasible, and requires collaboration with the UofU Research Community. Investigators who wish to apply to a LSO that is NOT published in the UofU LSO Portal should contact vprgrants@utah.edu as soon as they become aware of the opportunity, and prior to submitting any pre-application or LOI information to the program's sponsor. This email notification should include the sponsor, program title, first available deadline (LOI and/or application deadline) and a link to the solicitation. Failure to comply with this internal submission process may lead to the automatic rejection of a proposal selected by the University of Utah (see University Best Practices for LSO Internal Competitions for more details.)
- The VPR Office strives to provide authorized applicants 8-9 weeks to successfully prepare their full proposal to the sponsor, whenever possible. In order to provide ample time for proposal preparation, Investigators, Grants Managers, and other Extramural Funding coordinators should plan to notify the VPR Office of the LSO 12 weeks prior to the first available sponsor deadline, whenever possible. The investigator does not have to have confirmed their commitment-to-apply in order for an internal competition to be built.
- If the VPR Office is notified of an opportunity with less than 15 working days until the sponsor deadline, an investigator may request an emergency authorization to submit to a LSO. This practice should only be utilized for emergency programs and solicitations. Investigators requesting emergency authorization to submit to a LSO should be prepared to identify a well-justified reason for a last minute authorization request. Investigators that receive emergency authorization are still required to submit all requested application materials in a timely manner. Investigators that repeatedly request full proposal submission approval with less than 15 working days to the sponsor’s deadline may become ineligible for VPR authorization for future LSO competitions. Requests submitted with less than 15 working days until the sponsor deadline are approved on a first come, first serve basis.
Specific application materials will vary based on the requirements of the program. Full details on all application materials for a specific competition will be available on the internal competition page (in InfoReady)
Generally, all LSO internal competitions will require;
- Applicant Contact Information (to be collected by InfoReady)
- Research Narrative that addresses the goals of the sponsor/program, and how the proposal will meet those goals
- Abbreviated CVs or Biosketches of senior personnel
- Anticipated Budget Outline (when applicable)
- An internal competition is required for all LSOs, regardless of the competition’s deadline. This practice allows the UofU to maintain a sustainable, fair, and equitable system for proposal selection. Delay in notifying the VPR Office of an LSO may delay/disqualify the applicant’s efforts to submit an application to the sponsor
- Applications approved by the VPR Office must result in timely proposal submission to the sponsor. If an authorized investigator no longer intends to submit a proposal to a LSO, they should notify the VPR Office as soon as possible so another application may be selected to proceed. Investigators that repeatedly choose to withdraw their applications may not be eligible for consideration in future internal competitions
- If the VPR Office receives internal applications for a LSO after the internal deadline has passed, they will be rejected unless:
- The internal competition did not receive any applications by the original specified deadline
- The internal competition received fewer applications than is allowed by the sponsor or program.
- If a sponsor contacts the UofU to report that a program’s application limit has been exceeded, all unauthorized proposals will be automatically withdrawn.
Foundation-Sponsored Limited Submission Opportunities
The University of Utah Foundation Relations team manages a number limited submission opportunities sponsored by various Foundations each year. Foundations Limited Submissions are reviewed by a Foundations LSO Committee that selects applications most likely to:
- Perpetuate success for the University;
- Assist the selected faculty member in advancing their research; and
- Meet the goals and expectations of the sponsor
All upcoming Foundations Limited Submissions are listed below, with links to the InfoReady internal competition for each program. Interested faculty members must apply to the internal competition and be selected by the LSO Committee for each program. Please contact Daniel Hadley if you have questions about applying for an opportunity listed below. Additional foundations funding opportunities can be found on the foundation relations website.