Limited Submission FAQs

Limited submissions are funding opportunities for which The University of Texas at Austin (UT) can submit only a limited number of proposals, as defined by the sponsor. For these awards, the Office of the Vice President for Research, Scholarship and Creative Endeavors runs an internal completion to select UT’s candidate or candidates.  The overall objective of this process is to make UT as competitive as possible in these external competitions.

The Office of the Vice President for Research, Scholarship and Creative Endeavors maintains a list of limited submissions opportunities, including their internal competition deadlines, on our website. Names of selected candidates and of UT PIs who have previously won the award can be viewed on this site as well (UTEID login required).

Check the request for proposals (RFP) or other sponsor guidelines for any mention of organizational or institutional limits. If you are still unsure or want confirmation, contact the Program Administrator.

If you would like to submit to a limited submission opportunity that isn’t already on our website, contact the Program Administrator. If there is enough time, an internal competition will be announced; if not, available submission slots may be awarded on a “first to notify” basis.

In the case that no internal applications are received prior to the internal competition deadline, the internal competition will show “No Applications Received” in the Nominees Selected to Advance Column (available with UTEID and password) of the Limited Submission Programs page. In those cases, the Office of the Vice President for Research, Scholarship and Creative Endeavors may allow an interested participant to move forward without the full internal review process on a “first to notify” basis. Contact the Program Administrator if you are interested in submitting a proposal to a competition that shows “No Applications Received.”

Any researcher who is eligible for PI status at UT may apply to any internal competition, provided he or she meets the sponsor requirements for that opportunity.

Emeritus faculty may apply to the internal competitions if they are eligible for PI status.

The limited submission process is a competitive process. A nominee is selected over other competing candidates with the expectation that the nominee will submit a full proposal to the sponsor. If for some reason, the nominee is unable to submit, the Program Administrator should be notified as soon as possible so that we may offer nomination to another researcher.

In most instances, reviewers provide written feedback as part of their evaluation of internal competition applications. The Office of the Vice President for Research, Scholarship and Creative Endeavors will provide the feedback received about each application to its author after the internal competition has ended. Reviewers’ identities will always be anonymous.

To receive email announcements whenever a new internal competition is launched, subscribe to our Limited Submission mailing list. The Office of the Vice President for Research, Scholarship and Creative Endeavors runs approximately 60 internal competitions each year, so you will receive approximately 60 emails/year once subscribed to this list.

You follow both deadlines. Colleges/Schools/Units are permitted to establish their own level of review for certain competitions; check with your Unit director, department chair or Dean’s office to ensure that deadlines at that level of review are met ahead of the OVPR deadline.

The Office of the Vice President for Research, Scholarship and Creative Endeavors does not distribute copies of internal competition proposals without permission from their authors. We recommend contacting past winners of a given internal competition to ask their advice and obtain first-hand perspective on how to prepare a successful proposal. You can view past winners of internal competitions in our Limited Submissions table (UTEID login required to view the “past winners” column). You may also contact us for suggestions.

Review criteria are driven by the requirements each competition.  In general, internal applications will be reviewed based on the following criteria:

  • Likelihood of success based on program objectives and review criteria in the agency solicitation
  • Relevance to university’s or college’s strategic direction
  • Presentation of project (clear plan of action, summary of project, grammar)
  • Qualifications of investigators and collaborators
  • Investigators’ track record of successful planning and development of competitive proposals for submission to external sponsors

For more information, visit our Limited Submission Process page.

The submissions are reviewed and ranked by a review committee composed of peer faculty.  Names of potential reviewers are solicited from both the Associate Deans for Research and the applicants themselves. When possible, review committees are composed of faculty members from each college, school, or unit represented in the applicant pool.

YES, you need to compete successfully in the internal competition again and YES, you should make us aware of the positive response you received from the agency - it will factor into our evaluation of your resubmission. Be sure to submit copies of program reviews of prior submission and response to reviewers’ remarks with your future internal competition submission.

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