Limited Submission Policy

Introduction and Purpose:

Limited Submissions are funding opportunities that allow a specific and limited number of proposals from a given institution. Extra submissions can result in rejection of all proposals submitted by that institution. Montana State University’s Office of Research Development (ORD) manages internal competitions to comply with sponsors’ limited submission guidelines.

Policy:

To be considered for limited submission opportunities, Montana State University (MSU) Deans, Department Heads, and Principal Investigators (PIs) must coordinate with the Office of Research Development as described in the procedures below.

 Procedures:

Limited Submission solicitations
The Office of Research Development (ORD) shall establish a procedure to both notify potential PIs of limited submission opportunities and collect initial information to determine who may submit a full proposal.

Selection Process
Should the number of pre-proposals submitted exceed the number of allowable submissions for an opportunity, the ORD will convene a review panel and implement reviewer recommendations. The ad hoc review panels will be comprised of members from the Office of the Vice President of Research and Economic Development, research council, and/or faculty members with relevant expertise. Evaluation criteria will include, but is not limited to, quality of the proposal, key deliverables, competitiveness, and eligibility of the investigator. Other key considerations include likelihood of successful funding and alignment with MSU’s strategic plan.

Full Proposal Submission

Once selected to move forward for a limited submission opportunity, a PI will proceed to develop a full proposal in accordance with sponsor guidelines through the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP), following normal submission procedures including the electronic Proposal Clearance Form (ePCF) and other required submittal documents.  ORD will copy a PI’s assigned Fiscal Manager from OSP on confirmation of receipt and decision emails to ensure clarity and communication between all Offices involved.

Resubmission

If a proposal is submitted for a limited submission opportunity and is not funded, that proposal will have no preference over other projects in any subsequent limited submission opportunities. To be considered for any subsequent limited submission opportunities, a new or revised pre-proposal must be resubmitted to a new InfoReady limited submission opportunity and will be evaluated against competing projects.  

Internal control considerations

Reviewers are required to certify a confidentiality statement as well as acknowledge any potential conflicts of interest (COIs) with any internal competition in which they are involved. The Office of Research Compliance will consult on any reported COIs.