This Is Auburn Senior Vice President for Research & Economic Development Proposal Services & Faculty Support

Limited Submission Procedures

Limited Submission Policy (Effective August 1, 2016)

AU Competition Space Limited Submission Web Portal

The Office of Proposal Services & Faculty Support (PSFS) consistently searches for limited submission opportunities that may be relevant to Auburn investigators regardless of the funding agency. Those opportunities that have been identified by PSFS are posted in the AU Competition Space, an online program that facilitates and simplifies the internal submission process for investigators. As the repository for limited submission opportunities, investigators are encouraged to review the limited submission opportunities posted to the AU Competition Space and initiate the internal application process for any opportunity listed. Please be aware that the office may not identify every opportunity available. Therefore, anyone who wishes to respond to a limited submission Request for Proposal (RFP) that is not posted in the AU Competition Space or advertised in the Funding Focus newsletter should notify PSFS (Laura Cauthen at ldc0020@auburn.edu) as early as possible so an internal selection process can be initiated. The e-mail notification should consist of the Principal Investigator’s (PI’s) name, opportunity title, and a copy of or link to the program announcement.  PIs should never assume they are the only ones applying.  Failure to send this notification may result in disqualification of an applicant, or the university as a whole, for the funding opportunity.
 

Opportunity is identified:
Once identified, PSFS will review the guidelines, establish appropriate internal review dates, post the RFP to the AU Competition Space and publish it in the Funding Focus newsletter when practical. All white papers developed in response to the internal selection process must be submitted through the AU Competition Space in the prescribed format.  If the identified opportunity has an impending deadline, PSFS may identify alternative procedures to ensure the submission deadline can be met.
 

Internal application period closes without any or all slots filled:
If the internal application period closes without any or all slots being filled, the opportunity may be reposted to the AU Competition Space and applications will be accepted in the order they are received until all available slots are filled.  Applicants may still be required to submit an internal white paper to be considered for submission depending on the solicitation.

Submission Information:

The White Paper
All internal white papers will be submitted through the AU Competition Space.  The submission form includes standard general information fields concerning the applicant and submission. If an application has been previously submitted to a funding agency, there is a field to enter the agency name and any reviews received from the funding entity. 

The PI will be required to upload the following into AU Competition Space for each competition (Some competitions may require additional information):

  • White Paper: Maximum Two Pages (unless otherwise specified in the online form, e.g., NSF MRI is 5 pages), flattened PDF only, single spaced, 1-inch margins, 12-point font. Proposals that do not meet these specifications will be rejected. This section is analogous to a mini-narrative.
     
  • Impact Summary Statement & Total Project Cost: Maximum One Page, flattened PDF only, single spaced, 1-inch margins,  12-point font. Proposals that do not meet these specifications will be rejected. This section is best fulfilled by a paragraph or two describing the importance and impact of the research and a broad breakdown of costs (a full budget and timeline are NOT needed). Click here to see an example.
     
  • Current & Pending Funding for all PIs (pertinent to this proposal): Maximum One Page, flattened PDF only, single spaced, 1-inch margins, 12-point font. Proposals that do not meet these specifications will be rejected.
    • Please note: Applicants may submit their Current & Pending funding through use of SciENcv. Please note, InfoReady platform does not support pdf portfolios. Pdfs must be flattened.
        
  • PI Biosketch: Maximum Three Pages (If there are CO-PIs, please upload a three-page CV for each.) flattend PDF only, single spaced, 1-inch margins, 12-point font. Proposals that do not meet these specifications will be rejected.
    • Please note: Applicants may submit their biosketches through use of SciENcv. Please note, InfoReady platform does not support pdf portfolios. Pdfs must be flattened.
       
  • Applicant Acknowledgement: All applicants will certify that they have read the acknowledgment statement regarding submissions and that they understand that sanctions may be enacted for failure to follow policy.

     

Submission information for nonstandard submissions:
Some opportunities, such as the Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) Ralph E. Powe award, require the PI to fill out the agency’s forms.  In such identified situations, the ORAU forms, in this example, will be used in lieu of the above requirements and will be reflected on the AU Competition Space.  Some competitions, such as the National Science Foundation’s Major Research Instrumentation RFP (NSF MRI), will require more information than listed above and will be reflected on the AU Competition Space.  If you have questions about a specific award, please contact Laura Cauthen (ldc0020@auburn.edu).
 

Review process and selection:
The strategy of the limited submission review process is to select the highest quality proposal(s) that have the potential to advance the research enterprise and enhance scholarship at Auburn University.

Once a competition closes, PSFS will review the submissions. If no more than the maximum number of proposals allowed has been submitted, notification will be sent to the PI(s) that permission is granted to move forward with the full proposal process. Upon receipt of multiple submissions over the maximum number allowed, PSFS will contact the Associate Deans for Research (ADRs) to provide names of faculty members who would be appropriate reviewers for the submissions. The review process will begin once reviewers have been procured (typically 2-4 per application). Each reviewer will score the assigned proposals based on the general review criteria listed below. Once all reviews are finished, PSFS will view the results and award the competition to the highest ranked proposal(s). Notification will be sent along with reviewers’ comments to each PI and corresponding ADR.  In the case of a tie, additional review will be sought from the applicants’ ADRs when possible.

Internal pre-proposals will be reviewed based on the following criteria:

  1. What are the proposal’s strengths and weaknesses as it addresses the program objectives in the solicitation?
  2. Does the project fit with the agency's primary thrust? Is the project innovative in its field and will it advance the needs of the agency?
  3. Is the white paper well written?  Is it clear and concise?  Does it explain the project thoroughly (well-reasoned, well-organized, and based on a sound rationale)? Does the plan incorporate a mechanism to assess success?
  4. Is the Investigator(s) able to adequately conduct the proposed scope of work( i.e., how well qualified is the individual, team, or organization to conduct the proposed activities)? The PI’s current & pending support applicable to the project will be reviewed and evaluated.

Please note: These are general standards/criteria that may be modified to meet the requirements of individual funding opportunities.
 

Reviewer Guide (October 2023)

(Page Updated February 2024)