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Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Limited Submissions

I just found a limited submissions opportunity, what should I do?

Limited submission opportunities fall under the purview of the Office of Research Development, which is responsible for administering a competitive peer-review process through which the institution selects its candidate(s) for each limited opportunity.

When you do find an opportunity where the number of applicants per organization is limited, please check the Limited Submissions current opportunities page to verify that ORD is not already running a competition for the opportunity. If the opportunity you have found does not appear, please contact Alden Chang, Research Administrator in the Office of Research Development, immediately. He can be reached at 847-467-0043 or alden-chang@northwestern.edu.

What do I need to submit for a particular limited submissions opportunity?

Each limited funding opportunity is announced via email to a targeted list of recipients, a list of department based research administrators, central administration, and posted on the ORD Limited Submissions website. Within this announcement is a list of deadlines, the components required for the opportunity in question, and the process for submitting the application electronically.

If you have not received the announcement, please contact Alden Chang in the Office of Research Development. He will be happy to forward that announcement to you.

I am applying for a limited submissions opportunity; can I get a copy of a successful proposal from the previous year's competition?

Unfortunately, the Office of Research Development does not receive final proposals for many of the applicants who have gone through the Limited Submissions process and were selected and then subsequently were funded externally. However, ORD will be happy to work with you, and in the case of foundation funded proposals, with the Office of Foundation Relations, to obtain a copy of a successful proposal from the PI.

What time is the internal proposal due?

Internal proposals should be uploaded to the Depot system by 5:00 p.m. central time on the date listed as the deadline for internal proposals in the limited funding opportunity announcement.

How do I submit my application to the limited submissions opportunity I'm interested in?

Within the funding opportunity announcement are explicit instructions for submitting your applications. These instructions include a naming convention for the file, which file format to use, and how to upload it to NU's Depot file storage system.

Do I have to submit an internal letter of intent to enter into an internal submissions competition?

Letters of Intent to submit to an internal submissions competition are NOT mandatory. However, they are strongly suggested. Periodically, new information is received that may alter a deadline or change the components that are required in the internal proposals. This information is only transmitted to those investigators who have submitted an internal proposal and are published on the website.

Like non-mandatory letters of intent requested by external funding agencies, we request a letter of intent to help us to discern the scale of the competition and to determine whether the standing Limited Submissions Advisory Committee will require supplementary expertise to review the applications.

I missed the internal notification/internal letter of intent deadline. Can I still apply to the opportunity?

As above, submission of a letter of intent is not mandatory. You may, therefore, enter the competition as long as your internal proposal is submitted by the deadline stated in the limited funding opportunity announcement.

For the reasons stated in the previous question, submission of a letter of intent, even if it is late, is beneficial to both you and to the Office of Research Development.

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