While many funding agencies have no restrictions on the number of applications they will accept for a particular program, there are some that do (e.g. NSF Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT), NSF Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI)) – that is, they will accept only a very limited number of applications from a given institution. Submitting too many proposals, whether knowingly or unknowingly, may result in the automatic rejection of all proposals from Tufts. The Office of Research Administration (ORA) centralizes the limited submission process in order to ease the application process for interested candidates and to ensure that submission restrictions are met.
ORA receives mailings, newsletters, and email notifications about limited submission funding opportunities. Once an appropriate opportunity is found, an internal deadline date is established by ORA. This date is typically three or four weeks before the actual due date of the proposal to the agency. A notice containing information about the limited submission opportunity, the internal deadline and the required application materials is sent to subscribers to an internal Tufts email list for such funding opportunity notices. On or before the internal deadline, each interested applicant must send the application materials to the Health Sciences Campus or Medford/Somerville Campus ORA office. Application materials may include an applicant’s CV, proposal abstract, department letter of nomination, or other information. For this process, ORA tries to give PI the requirements that they would need to submit for the actual application.
ORA will confirm the eligibility of each applicant and pass eligible applicants’ materials to the internal review committee. Following the deadline, the selection committee then reviews the applications and chooses the nominee(s). ORA notifies the applicants of the committee’s decision and selected nominee(s) can proceed to the funding agency website to download and complete the opportunity application. The nominee(s) submit their completed applications to ORA staff, who ensure that only a selected nominee's packet will be approved for submission to the agency.
To subscribe to the email list for limited submission notices, please contact Elizabeth Brady at (617) 636-6550.
To see a list of current limited submission opportunities, please click here.
Please note that these funding opportunities are offered on an annual basis. If the deadline for an opportunity for this year has passed, anyone interested in the opportunity should contact ORA to ensure they are on the limited submissions notification list so they will receive the notice for the following year.