LS Process Overview

Identification & Dissemination Process

The Office of Strategic Research Initiatives (SRI) makes every effort to identify relevant limited submission opportunities and to disseminate these opportunities promptly through several mediums:

• Announcement Emails | Notifications are sent to all Faculty and on the limited submissions listserv. To be added to the Limited Submissions listserv, please contact us at LimitedSubmissions@utsa.edu.
• Limited Submissions Funding Opportunities | Funding opportunities are often updated weekly. Visit our Limited Submissions website regularly to stay apprised of all opportunities and submit your Declaration of Intent (DOI) through the UTSA InfoReady application portal.
• Forwarded/Targeted Emails | Discipline-specific opportunities are often forwarded through the Colleges’ Associate Deans for Research, Senior Grant Development Managers, and/or College Research Administrators.

Internal Competition Process

• Submit a Limited Submission Declaration of Intent (DOI) in the UTSA InfoReady application portal for the related Limited Submission Opportunity. The DOI includes:
  
  • Your Name and Title
  • Proposed project title
  • A brief 3-5 sentence abstract of the project
  • List of key personnel and associated organizations
• Researchers will receive an email confirmation of the DOI receipt as well as notifications for next steps.
• If more than one PI submits an DOI for the limited submission opportunity, the opportunity will go to competition. PI’s will then be asked to submit an internal Pre-Proposal. The Pre-Proposals are typically due 1-2 weeks after the DOI due date.

How to submit your Internal Pre-Proposal

Submit internal Pre-Proposals in the UTSA InfoReady application portal.

The Limited Submission Internal Pre-Proposal application requires the following:

• 4-page project overview, based on solicitation requirements, single-spaced, 1” margins, Arial 11pt or greater font
• 2–5-page biographical sketch for each key project personnel (this is up to 5 pages to accommodate the SciENcv format)
• References (no page limit)
• Only for opportunities that require cost-share/match or other resource commitments (i.e. renovation of space): A signed Limited
  Submissions Resources Commitment Form (see Cost-Share section below)

*Short Notice Opportunities, or when the opportunity is posted within 30-45 days of the full sponsor deadline, may follow a truncated application process to accommodate a short timeline. The application process will be provided to interested PIs.

Selection Process

Internal Pre-Proposals are collected, reviewed for compliance, and selected through one of the following processes:

• External Review is utilized for the majority of limited submission competitions. The Office of Strategic Research Initiatives (SRI) currently contracts with Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) to facilitate a scientific review process. Each Pre-Proposal application is scored by up to three external peer reviewers, and the top-ranked proposal is chosen to move forward. Reviewers use an evaluation matrix based on the evaluation criteria listed in the sponsor solicitation or used for all programs administered by that sponsor.
• Internal Review is typically implemented for short notice and private opportunities or when directed by the Sponsor Guidelines. A panel of internal reviewers is formed in collaboration with UTSA leadership. To ensure a robust review process, reviewers use an evaluation matrix to score Pre-Proposals based on the evaluation criteria listed in the sponsor solicitation or used for all programs administered by that sponsor. The top-ranked proposal is chosen to move forward.
• Review for Strategic Foundation and Private Opportunities, when managed by UTSA’s Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement, typically consists of an internal panel of reviewers or a donor-advised review and selection process coordinated by UTSA’s Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement.
• Short Notice Opportunities are cases when the opportunity is posted within 30-45 days of the full sponsor deadline, may follow a truncated application process to accommodate a short turnaround time. The application process will be provided to interested PIs. These opportunities will be identified as a short-notice opportunity in Limited Submissions communications and may include only 1 internal application deadline (compared to the standard 2 internal Limited Submissions deadlines). The application process will be provided to interested PIs, and applications will be internally reviewed and selected, as directed by UTSA Leadership.
• Automatic Selection is made when there is only one eligible Declaration of Intent (DOI) received by the DOI deadline date. Proposal review comments and scores are not provided.
• Institutional Priority Selection is made in cases where the Office of Research selects the PI based on a prioritized institutional need.

Important Note: For all selected Pre-Proposals, researchers are required to provide immediate notice of any incremental changes (i.e., Lead PI change, budgetary adjustments, no longer submitting, etc.).

Short Notice Opportunities

When a limited submission opportunity is identified within 30-45 days of the sponsor deadline, the limited submissions team will include the opportunity in the next Limited Submission’s regularly scheduled announcement, and it will undergo internal review and selection. Short Notice Opportunities may follow a truncated application process to accommodate a short timeline. The application process will be provided to interested PIs.

Cost-Share or Matching Funds

When the funding agency has implemented a cost-share or matching funds requirement for the award, applicants must identify an allowable funding source(s) at the time of Pre-Proposal submission. The source(s) of funds should be outlined on the Limited Submissions Resources Commitment Form and uploaded with application materials by the Pre-Proposal submission deadline.

Internal Deadlines

All Declarations of Intent (DOIs) and Internal Pre-Proposals must be received by 11:59 pm on the deadline date to be considered. If no declarations of intent are received by the deadline, interested researchers are encouraged to submit a DOI as soon as possible after the deadline. Links to submit a DOI after internal deadlines have passed can be found on the Limited Submissions Funding Opportunities web page.

Current & Expired Opportunities

Visit the Limited Submissions Funding Opportunities website to find a list of the funding opportunities that the Office of Strategic Research Initiatives (SRI) has curated as most relevant to UTSA researchers. Please note that this list is not comprehensive. Anyone interested in applying to a limited program that is not currently posted on our website should contact the Limited Submissions office immediately. SRI will review the opportunity and determine the next steps.