Limited Submissions Program

Limited Submissions Program

A limited submission proposal is a type of broad agency announcement, request for proposal, or other funding opportunity, in which the sponsor restricts the number of applications or proposals that can be submitted by an institution or a unit within an institution. When multiple eligible principal investigators (PIs) or teams of PIs are interested in submitting a proposal to such a funding opportunity, institutions must consider pre-proposals or nominations to determine which application or applications will be submitted to the relevant external agency. Typically, institutions are permitted to submit one or two proposals to the sponsor of a limited submission proposal call. 

Submit an application

Faculty must complete the limited submissions online application, and upload the required documentation to be considered. 

Pre-proposal process and application instructions

A principal investigator must complete a pre-proposal as outlined below while adhering to the parameters of the selection criteria noted in the sponsor’s solicitation: 

Step 1) Submit a Pre-Proposal Outline  (approximately three pages) 

  • Project Summary and Intellectual Merit 

  • Broader Impact

  • Approach and Methods 

  • Resources: Team Members and Facilities (please summarize) 

  • Total Estimated Budget (conceptual over award period) 

  • Biographical Sketch for the principal investigator(s) / Co-PI(s) (2 pages maximum; sample NSF  guideline) 

  • Letter of acknowledgement from Dean or Associate Dean from college

Step 2) Ensure you have submitted your pre-proposal by the published internal deadline listed on the Upcoming Limited Submission Opportunities webpage.  ​

Step 3) Wait for confirmation email regarding final selections. GCA will be notified, and the selected team will submit the final proposal with GCA to the sponsor directly. 

Limited Submissions FAQs

For questions not in the FAQs, please contact limitedsubmissions@unt.edu