Limited Submission Process

Limited submission funding opportunities and internal and external deadlines are posted below on this website. In addition, announcements about major limited submission funding opportunities are communicated Research Council, and distributed by listserv notice sent biweekly to the Mason research community. These announcements identify the opportunity, provide a brief description, include a link to the funding agency’s site, and indicate all internal and external deadlines.

Limited submission funding opportunities are listed in the listserv, and below, as either “First Come”, or with an internal application deadline date. Limited submissions with a sponsor application due date of more than 8 weeks requires a Notice of Intent (NOI), and an internal application. An NOI should be sent at least one week prior to the internal application due date. NOI’s should be sent to Sheila Davis at sdavis46@gmu.edu.

An internal application typically consists of the following (however can vary depending on the review criteria and solicitation): 

1-page Cover page with solicitation name, project title and list of investigators and collaborators;

Project Summary of up to 3 pages (references may be included by not required and are excluded from the 3-page limit);

2-page Biosketch (any style) for PI

The internal application should be submitted to limited@gmu.edu by the internal application deadline.

“First Come” limited submission opportunities are limited submissions with an application due date to the sponsor that is less than 8 weeks away. “First Come” means the first PI team to submit a request for approval to limited@gmu.edu after the opportunity has been posted to this website, will be  approved to move forward with the application to the sponsor. Approval will be documented by receiving an approval email from limited@gmu.edu. PLEASE NOTE, this is a change effective September 1, 2022. Previously, PIs were asked to submit a request for proposal assistance to OSP or begin a proposal in the Research Administration Management Portal (RAMP). Beginning September 1, 2022, PIs will need to submit a request for approval, with the Funding Opportunity link, to limited@gmu.edu. PIs will receive an approval email from limited@gmu.edu. Once approved, the PI (or local Research Administrator) may create a proposal in RAMP and upload the approval email to the proposal attachments in RAMP.

To request approval for a limited submission, the PI should provide the following to limited@gmu.edu:

• PI Name
• Title of Proposal
• Opportunity/Solicitation/Request for Proposals Name and URL
• Funding agency/organization

In cases where the sponsor has indicated a specific number of applications from the institution (GMU) may be accepted (e.g., “An institution may submit no more than 3 applications.”), approvals will continue to be granted until the application limitation has been met.

In the RAMP system, PIs will be asked to indicate whether an opportunity is a limited submission and provide proof of approval (i.e., copy of the approval email received from limited@gmu.edu) before being able to continue. It is the PI’s responsibility to read the solicitation carefully to determine if it is a limited submission opportunity. If it is not clear whether the opportunity is limited, PIs should contact limited@gmu.edu. 

Internal review proposals should be submitted to limited@gmu.edu by the posted internal deadline. A copy of the proposal should also be sent to the applicant’s Associate Dean for Research.

Faculty planning to submit an internal application for a posted limited submission opportunity are asked to submit a Notice of Intent (NOI) to Sheila Davis at sdavis46@gmu.edu at least one week prior to the internal due date. The NOI should include the following: Opportunity Name or Number; PI, Co-PI, and collaborators’ names; and title of proposal. The NOIs allow us to begin the process of creating the ad hoc review committee should an internal review be necessary.

Standard Proposals

• Project title and a list of investigator(s);
• Project Summary (typically 1-3 pages; This varies by application. Please see the Grants Program Deadline Table for specific instructions);
• For large, complex proposals, names of team members at Mason and at partnering institutions;
• If cost sharing (mandatory or voluntary) is involved, applicant should indicate the plan for how the match will be met.

Equipment/Instrumentation Proposals

• Description of the equipment and need justification (1-2 pages);
• A table listing faculty who will be involved in the submission and the estimated number of researchers who will benefit from the use of the equipment;
• Description of project and management plans, including plans for the maintenance, operation, and technical support of instrumentation, and for attracting new users (one page);
• Total budget estimate and total project cost share estimate, if applicable.

Status	Agency	Title	Sponsor Due Date	Internal Review Deadline
Open One Application Accepted (PFI-RP Track); No limits for PFI-TT Track	Directorate for Engineering/NSF	NSF 23-538: Partnerships for Innovation (PFI)	9/5/2023	7/13/2023 Include the following: Cover Page (1 page) to include: Solicitation Name Project title List of investigator(s) and collaborators Project Summary (up to 3 pages). Please consider the review criteria when preparing the project summary You may include references, but they are not required and are excluded from the 3-page limit. 2-page Biosketch (any style) for PI Submit to: limited@gmu.edu
Open One Application Accepted	Department of State/Bureau of International Narcotics-Law Enforcement	INL23GR0040-EAMOLDOVA-DRIMJUS-050223: Mobilizing Civil Society to Monitor, Analyze and Report on Selective Justice in the Republic of Moldova, and Promote Civil Society Engagement in Vetting Processes	7/3/2023	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	Department of State/US Mission to NATO	DOS-USNATO-PAA-2023-001: US Mission to NATO Public Affairs Annual Program Statement	7/3/2023	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	Department of State/US Mission to the European Union	DOS-USEU-2023-01: US Mission to the EU PAS Annual Program Statement	7/7/2023	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	Department of State/Bureau of Human Rights and Labor	SFOP0009665 DRL Nothing About Us Without Us: Building Evidence for an Integrated Human Rights Framework and Justice in Evaluation Practice	7/18/2023	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	US Agency for International Development Kazakhstan - Almaty	72011523RFA00001 USAID Central Asia Information Integrity Activity (CAIIA)	7/10/2023 (10:00 am GMT+6)	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	Department of State/ US Mission to India	K-NOFO-23-101: Be Cybersmart	7/20/2023	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	Department of State/Bureau of Oceans - Int. Environmental Scientific	SFOP0009811: Leveraging Local Community Partnerships to Combat Nature Crimes	7/14/2023	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	National Science Foundation	NSF 23-585: BioFoundries to Enable Access to Infrastructure and Resources for Advancing Modern Biology and Biotechnology (BioFoundries)	8/1/2023 (LOI); 10/2/2023 (Application)	6/5/2023 Include the following: Cover Page (1 page) to include: Solicitation Name Project title List of investigator(s) and collaborators Project Summary (up to 3 pages). Please consider the review criteria when preparing the project summary You may include references, but they are not required and are excluded from the 3-page limit. 2-page Biosketch (any style) for PI Submit to: limited@gmu.edu
Open One Application Accepted	The Conservation, Food and Health Foundation	Grants Program	7/1/2023 (Concept) 9/2/2023 (Proposal)	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	Department of State/US Mission to Iraq	DOS-BAGHDAD-PD-2023-010: NGO Boot Camp in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region	7/10/2023	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	Department of State/US Mission to Iraq	DOS-BAGHDAD-PD-2023-06: Reducing Gender-Based Discrimination in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region	7/10/2023	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	Department of State/Bureau of Oceans - Int. Environmental - Scientific	SFOP0009701: Host of the End Plastic Pollution International Collaborative (EPPIC) Public-Private Partnership	7/8/2023	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	Department of State/Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor	SFOP0009705 DRL Support for Recently Exiled Cuban Human Rights Defenders	6/26/2023	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	Department of State/US Mission to South Korea	PD-SEOUL-FY23-02-ADH Women’s Youth Leadership Program	6/12/2023; 11:59 PM GMT+9	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	Department of State/US Mission to India	ND-NOFO-23-102 A Climate Action Podcast	7/16/2023	First Come
Open Two Applications Accepted	Department of State/Bureau of Oceans - Int. Environmental - Scientific	SFOP0009801 Combating Wildlife Trafficking through Civil Society Outreach and Awareness on Traditional Medicine	7/1/2023	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	National Endowment for the Arts	NEA Grants for the Arts Project, FY 2024	7/6/2023	6/1/2023 Include the following: Cover Page (1 page) to include: Solicitation Name Project title List of investigator(s) and collaborators Project Summary (up to 3 pages). Please consider the review criteria when preparing the project summary You may include references, but they are not required and are excluded from the 3-page limit. 2-page Biosketch (any style) for PI Submit to: limited@gmu.edu
Open One Application Accepted	US Agency for International Development - India USAID-New Delhi	72038623RFA0004: NOFO for Strengthening Preservation of Tibetan Culture	6/7/2023	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	Department of State/Bureau of International Narcotics-Law Enforcement	INL23CA0031-WHPPERU-ENVIRODEF-042123: Monitoring Justice Processes in Environmental Defender Cases in Peru	6/20/2023	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	Department of State/US Mission to India	M-NOFO-23-102: Promote Diversity in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME)	6/22/2023	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	Department of State/US Mission to India	C-NOFO-23-004: The Partner of Choice: Explaining the Significance of US-India Strategic Partnership	6/24/2023	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	Robert Wood Johnson Foundation	Data Visualization of Structural Racism and Place	6/2/2023	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	Department of State/US Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina	GH005FY2023: BOLD Academic Fellowships Program	6/16/2023	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	US Agency for International Development/USAID-Vietnam	72044023RFA0003: USAID Climate Resilient Agriculture in the Mekong Delta	6/6/2023. 9:00 am Hanoi Time	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	Department of State/Bureau of International Narcotics-Law Enforcement	INL23CA0025-EA-BIH-CRIMJUS-04242023 Criminal Justice Task Force Initiative	6/30/2023	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	Department of State/Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor	SFOP0009692: DRL Strengthening Migrant Workers' Rights in Southeast Asia	6/14/2023	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	Department of State/Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor	SFOP0009739: DRL Media Literacy in Europe	6/19/2023	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	National Science Foundation	NSF 23-574: CyberCorps(R) Scholarship for Service (SFS) Defending America's Cyberspace	7/17/2023	5/8/2023 Include the following: Cover Page (1 page) to include: Solicitation Name Project title List of investigator(s) and collaborators Project Summary (up to 3 pages). Please consider the review criteria when preparing the project summary You may include references, but they are not required and are excluded from the 3-page limit. 2-page Biosketch (any style) for PI Submit to: limited@gmu.edu
Open One Application Accepted	Department of State/US Mission to Haiti	DOS-PD-PAP-GG-22: US Embassy Haiti's 2023 Grants	6/30/2023	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	Department of State/Bureau of Counterterrorism	SFOP0009508: Building Capacity for Investigations of Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremism (REMVE) in Brazil	6/9/2023	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	Department of State/Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor	SFOP0009648: DRL Investigative Journalism in Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia	6/30/2023	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	Department of State/US Mission to India	C-NOFO-23-002 Reconciling the Past: The Power of Art to Heal	6/9/2023	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	Department of State/US Mission to India	C-NOFO-23-003: Strengthening Institutions Combatting Gender Based Violence	6/15/2023	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	Department of State/Bureau of International Narcotics-Law Enforcement	SFOP0009700: Countering the Trafficking of Protected Marine Species in South Asia	6/20/2023	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	National Science Foundation	NSF 23-571: Building the Prototype Open Knowledge Network (Proto-OKN)	6/20/2023	4/14/2023 Include the following: Cover Page (1 page) to include: Solicitation Name Project title List of investigator(s) and collaborators Project Summary (up to 3 pages). Please consider the review criteria when preparing the project summary You may include references, but they are not required and are excluded from the 3-page limit. 2-page Biosketch (any style) for PI Submit to: limited@gmu.edu
Open One Application Accepted	Department of State/Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs	SFOP0009621: FY2023 American Spaces Digital Literacy and Training Program	6/7/2023	First Come
Open One Application Accepted	Department of Justice/National Institute of Corrections	23CS16: Community Supervision Leadership Learning Lab Training	6/6/2023	First Come
Open 25 Applications Accepted	Walmart Foundation	Walmart Foundation Community Grants	12/31/2023	First Come

If the number of internal review proposals exceeds the sponsor limit, the internal proposals will be sent to selected reviewers. The reviewers will identify the proposal(s) with the best chance of success in the overall external competition by evaluating the application against the program guidelines and established review criteria and then recommend these proposal(s) to the Vice President for Research.

The Vice President for Research has the final authority for selecting a proposal(s). When reviews require additional research expertise not reflected by the composition of the review panel members, the Vice President for Research will select ad hoc reviewers based on their expertise.

Exceptions:
While every effort is made to adhere to the procedures listed above, there are instances when the time between becoming aware of a limited solicitation and the time for submission of materials to the funding agency makes it impractical to follow the process outlined above. In those cases, broad announcements may not be made, expedited reviews with limited or no feedback comments may be performed, and/or submission slots may be awarded on a first-come first served basis.

There will also be an exception to this process for programs that make awards to individuals as an acknowledgement of their academic or professional achievement. These programs frequently target junior faculty who have demonstrated significant contributions early in their careers. An example of this program is the ORAU Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Achievement Award. Internal applicants for these awards shall be nominated by the Associate Dean for Research in the applicant’s unit. The nominees identified in this manner shall then be reviewed and selected as described above.

If RD is notified of a limited submission RFP that has not previously been announced or posted on the RD site and, if there are at least two months until the agency deadline, an announcement will be sent out and the standard review process will apply. If there are fewer than two months until the agency deadline, the Vice President for Research shall determine which proposal will be selected as an institutional submission (if more than one team wishes to submit a proposal) or the opportunity will be considered a “first come” opportunity. If any proposals come in after the University has reached the maximum number of submissions permitted, those proposals will not be eligible for submission

For proposals for which there is an internal competition, selected proposal PI(s),their Associate Dean for Research, and the Office of Sponsored Programs will be notified by email from limited@gmu.edu that their internal application was selected and approval to move forward with the full application to the sponsor. Selected PI(s) will be required to confirm intention to submit a full proposal within three (3) work days of receiving selection notice. If intention to submit is not received, a new candidate will be selected. Candidates who were not selected will be notified at the same time as the selected candidates. Selected PI(s) or their Research Administrator can then create a proposal in RAMP, noting that the application is a limited submission and attaching the approval email. 

If you have questions regarding the limited submission review process, please contact Sheila Davis at sdavis46@gmu.edu or limited@gmu.edu.