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.
The University of Utah uses InfoReady Review software to host and manage all internal competitions for LSOs. U Research makes best effort to identify any available and relevant limited submission opportunities, and provides internal competitions for institutional selection, in a timely manner. Investigators should apply for opportunities via the U of U LSO Portal.
If investigators wish to apply to an LSO that is NOT published in the U of U LSO Portal, then they 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:
- Name of the sponsor
- Program title
- First available deadline (LOI and/or application deadline)
- 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.)
Active internal competitions for LSOs are listed in the opportunity grid of the U of U LSO Portal. The opportunities have one of three statuses:
- OPEN: The internal competition is open and accepting applications. All interested applicants should click on the opportunity title for more details about the internal competition or required application materials.
- EXTENDED: The internal deadline has passed for an opportunity BUT one or more application slots remains open. These opportunities remain open until filled or until the opportunity's external deadline passes. Interested applicants should email vprgrants@utah.edu for instructions to compete for the remaining allowable submission slot(s).
- CLOSED: The internal deadline has passed for an opportunity, and all allowable submission slots have been filled.
You can click on the "Category" header on the grid to the left to filter these opportunities by status.
Review and Selection Information - Faculty Advisory Selection Team (FAST)
Internal LSO applications are reviewed by the Faculty Advisory Selection Team (FAST), supplemented by ad hoc reviewers. FAST is a standing, faculty-led committee that provides rapid peer review for institutionally coordinated limited submission opportunities when the university must make timely funding decisions. While the committee's primary responsibility is reviewing Limited Submission Opportunities (LSOs), FAST is occasionally called upon to review other internal down-selection competitions that require expedited, faculty-informed evaluation.
FAST committee members are nominated by their college’s associate dean for research (ADR) or equivalent and serve a three-year term. If you would like to serve on FAST, then please contact your ADR.
FAST represents an important investment in the university's research infrastructure. By maintaining a standing committee of experienced faculty reviewers, the institution is able to respond more quickly to sponsor deadlines while ensuring a transparent, consistent, and faculty-driven review process.
LSO Best Practices
Preferred Timeline for Internal Competitions
- U Research strives to provide authorized applicants 9 weeks to successfully prepare their full proposal to the sponsor. To provide ample time for proposal preparation, Investigators, Grants Managers, and other Extramural Funding coordinators should plan to notify U Research 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 for an internal competition to be built.
- U Research will try to keep an internal competition live and accepting applications for a minimum of 2 weeks, whenever possible.
- If U Research is notified of an opportunity with less than 14 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 14 days before the sponsor’s deadline may become ineligible for U Research authorization for future LSO competitions. Requests submitted with less than 14 days until the sponsor deadline are approved on a first come, first serve basis.
Standard Application Materials
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)
Internal Competition Compliance Information
- An internal selection process (and written approval from the U Research) is required for all LSOs. This is often (almost always) a requirement of the sponsor limiting the number of applications that can come from a single institution. Whenever possible, the U Research will elect to conduct an internal competition for all LSOs. This practice allows the UofU to maintain a sustainable and fair system for proposal selection.
- Applications approved by the U Research must result in timely proposal submission to the sponsor. If an authorized investigator no longer intends to submit a proposal to an LSO, they should notify the U Research at vprgrants@utah.edu 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 U Research 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.