Limited Submission Opportunities

Research Development

About Submission Information

Some extramural funding programs and solicitations limit the number of proposals an institution may submit. In these cases, Mines must determine the best concept(s) to go forward. The Office of Research & Technology Transfer (RTT) facilitates the announcement of these limited submission opportunities and coordinates the internal review process to select the most competitive candidates.

We have designed a two-step process run on the online platform, InfoReady, to identify the level of interest in a particular funding opportunity, and to provide a fair and robust review process when a competition is needed. We strive to share limited submission opportunities at least 12 weeks in advance of the sponsor deadline, and to select teams at least four weeks ahead of the deadline. There are times when the sponsor’s timeline (e.g., one month or less from announcement to sponsor deadline) does not allow us to use our standard approach. In these cases, we will run a truncated competition if we anticipate substantial interest in the opportunity, or we may award spots on a first-come, first-served basis for opportunities unlikely to generate much interest.

If you see an opportunity that has a limitation, please email limitedsubs@mines.edu.

Step 1: Interest Period
  • Because Mines is a smaller institution, we recognize that many limited submission opportunities will not require a competition. The Interest Period allows us to reduce burden on faculty by gauging interest in an opportunity before requiring an internal proposal.
  • Expressions of Interest should be submitted in InfoReady by 5pm on the posted internal deadline. The only information required for an Expression of Interest is a working title and team member names and departments.
  • If interest exceeds the number of submissions allowed, RTT will convert the opportunity to an internal competition and request more information from all applicants (See Step 2).
  • If interest does not exceed the number of submissions allowed, the team that submitted an Expression of Interest is assigned a proposal slot.
  • If no one expresses interest within the Interest Period, or a slot remains available after the Interest Period closes, spots will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Step 2: Internal Competition

An internal competition is required if more people are interested in applying than the sponsor allows or if the submission is institutionally coordinated. If an internal competition is warranted, applicants will submit the following in InfoReady:

  • Project Summary
  • Budget Summary
  • Biosketches for key team members.
  • Summary of Reviewer Comments and how you intend to address feedback

**If you submitted a full proposal to this opportunity in a previous year**

 

Review Process

RTT will convene a panel of faculty members who have prior experience with the opportunity and/or relevant expertise. Reviewers will evaluate each proposal against the review criteria stated in the solicitation, and may also consider the relevance of the proposed research to the university’s goals.

Fine Print

The Fine Print If you are awarded a limited submission spot through a competition and choose not to submit, you must notify RTT of your decision at least 4 weeks prior to the sponsor deadline so that we can allocate the spot to another faculty member. Failure to notify RTT may result in your ineligibility to reapply for future limited submissions opportunities for up to 2 years (although of course we will make exceptions for unplanned circumstances such as illness or family emergencies).

Expectations to Regular Process

Every effort is made to identify limited submission funding opportunities and to coordinate an internal review process well in advance of the funder’s deadline. However, in situations where a researcher seeks to apply to a limited submission opportunity 1) after a posted internal deadline has passed with no Expression of Interest submissions, or 2) the opportunity was not originally posted on InfoReady, the following process applies:

  • More than 6 weeks before the funder deadline: RTT will run an expedited announcement and review process, (re)announcing the opportunity in the next Research Development Newsletter and updating InfoReady with an accelerated deadline. In these instances where a competition is required, the final institutional nominee selection will be determined by the VPRTT.
  • 6 weeks or less to funder deadline:
    • If the opportunity was posted on InfoReady and no Expressions of Interest or Applications were received by the posted deadline: Interested applicants will be allowed to apply on a first-come, first-served basis.
    • If the opportunity was not posted on InfoReady: Based on the time remaining to the funder deadline, RTT will make best efforts at outreach to portfolio and department leadership to determine if there are any other interested parties. If there are competing interested parties, institutional nominee selection will be determined by the VPRTT.

When possible, the below timeline will be used for limited submission competitions. If a sponsor posts a limited submission less than 12 weeks before the external deadline, the RTT Office will shorten the timeline as needed. When there are less than six weeks to the external deadline, opportunities may be posted as first come, first served.