Limited Submissions

In Limited Submission Programs, the sponsor restricts the number of applications or proposals a campus can submit to the agency. The guidelines for these programs require institutions to screen pre-proposals or nominations to determine which applications will be submitted for competition. Generally, institutions are allowed to submit one or two proposals or nominations to the sponsor.

Prior to preparing a proposal, a faculty member should always review the instructions from the agency for any limitations on proposals from an institution. It is the primary responsibility of the faculty member to check with the Sponsored Programs Office. When multiple PIs are interested in responding to the solicitation a committee will be formed to review mini-proposals to determine the proposals with the highest likelihood for succes.  The Sponsored Programs Office will disseminate the RFP and solicit responses from those who are interested to determine if more than the maximum researchers are interested.

In order for USU faculty and researchers to effectively capitalize on limited submission opportunities, it is imperative that all applications selected to go forward by our internal committee result in timely proposal submission.  Failure to realize this objective may result in a two-year loss in eligibility to the PI's for consideration of future limited submission opportunities.  Therefore, please be sure that you will have the time and necessary resources to develop a proposal and meet all limited submission requirements.

 Consistent and recurring limited submission programs are documented below for review.

 NSF Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI)

The Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) is designed to increase access to scientific and engineering equipment for research and research training in our Nation's organizations of higher education, research museums and non-profit research organizations. This program seeks to improve the quality and expand the scope of research and research training in science and engineering, and to foster the integration of research and education by providing instrumentation for research-intensive learning environments.  The MRI program encourages the development and acquisition of research instrumentation for shared inter- and/or intra-organizational use and in concert with private sector partners. 

Proposals may be for a single instrument, a large system of instruments, or multiple instruments that share a common or specific research focus. Awards for instrumentation will range from $100,000 to $2 million. Proposals requesting less than $100,000 will be considered only from non-Ph.D. granting organizations or from the disciplines of mathematical science or social, behavioral, and economic science at any eligible organization. Proposers may request an award period up to three years for acquisition proposals and up to five years for development proposals.
MRI Website: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf07510

 

 

NSF Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE)

NSF Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) seeks to catalyze a cultural change in U.S. institutions by establishing innovative models for international collaborative research and education. PIRE will enable U.S. institutions to establish collaborative relationships with international groups or institutions in order to engender new knowledge and discoveries at the frontier and to promote the development of a globally-engaged, U.S. scientific and engineering workforce. PIRE supports forward-looking research whose successful outcome results from all partners – U.S. and foreign – providing unique contributions to the research endeavor. It is also intended to facilitate greater student preparation for and participation in international research collaboration, and to contribute to the development of a diverse, globally-engaged, U.S. science and engineering workforce.

Any science and engineering area supported by the NSF is eligible, but PIRE awards will only support activities that: depend on intellectual collaborations with international partners; include significant and specific contributions (e.g., expertise, facilities, sites, data, different approaches/methods/models, educational opportunities, etc.) from international partners; and make use of the diverse capabilities of all participating institutions. Proposers are encouraged to describe how the partnership will contribute to creating a hub of international collaboration that will bring demonstrable benefits to the U.S. research community.

Proposals may be submitted for support for up to five years, with annual budgets not to exceed $500,000. NSF anticipates making 14 - 17 awards under this competition. Future funding of this program is dependent on availability of funds.

Details on this solicitation are available at the following website: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf06589

 

 

NSF Active Nanostructures and Nanosystems

The National Science Foundation (NSF) announces a program on collaborative research and education in the area of active nanostructures, nanosystems, and on the long-term societal change associated with these innovations. Active nanostructures change or evolve their structure, property, or function during their operation. The goal of this program is to support fundamental research and catalyze synergistic science and engineering research and education in several emerging areas of nanoscale science and engineering, including:

Active nanostructures;
Nanosystems with improved functionality and new architectures;
Hierarchical nanomanufacturing; and
Long-term societal and educational implications of scientific and technological advances on the nanoscale.

This solicitation provides support for Nanoscale Interdisciplinary Research Teams (NIRT) and Nanoscale Exploratory Research (NER).

Details of this program can be found at: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf06595