Limited Submissions Guidelines

Limited Submissions

Limited submission opportunities (LSO) are funding opportunities that limit the number of applications or nominations an institution may put forward. The limitations vary depending on the funder from the entirety of BU to each school/college to individual departments. Please read the eligibility and internal selection criteria carefully when preparing an internal application. 

 Within this definition, there are various types of LSOs including: 

• Coordinated submissions  
  • When a funder does not set a strict limit on the number of applications but there cannot be any overlap in the proposals.
• Limited nominations
  • Nomination or award opportunities that limit the number of nominations from an institution.

Oversight

At BU, the limited submissions process is managed by the Research Development team and overseen by the Vice President and Associate Provost for Research.  

If faculty or staff identify an LSO that is not being run and would like to apply, they must contact Research Development (resdev@bu.edu) immediately. 

Upon notification that you have been selected as an institutional candidate/nominee for an LSO, other supporting offices are available to assist applicants as they compile and complete their submission to the funder. Supporting offices may include Sponsored Programs, Foundation Relations, Federal Relations, and/or Corporate Research & Contracting and will be included in the notification email to the applicant. 

Process

Internal Competition Announced 

• Sign up to receive the weekly LSO Digest email 
• Tables on LSO website updated weekly 
• See internal competitions on application platform: InfoReady Review 

Submit an Internal Application 

• Review the call and submit the requested internal materials through InfoReady Review platform 
  • Ensure you have followed the guidelines provided in the announcement and on InfoReady Review 
• If you have questions about the materials requested or internal deadline, please contact Research Development (resdev@bu.edu) 
  • You can also review our FAQ page for insight.  
• If you encounter a technical issue while using the InfoReady Review platform, please contact InfoReady Review’s Support Team by clicking the “Help” icon at the top right corner of the page and then selecting “submit a ticket.” Be sure to indicate that you are an applicant when you submit your help ticket. 

As needed, there may be two parallel processes for applying internally that will be clearly marked within the internal announcement: 

• BU Process 
• BMC Process 

Which process you follow depends on whether your grants are managed by BU or Boston Medical Center (BMC), which you can verify using the BUMC Home Institution Finder. Follow the steps below to determine which institution manages your grants: 

1. Open the BUMC Home Institution Finder 
2. Log in to search the database – search using your last name 
3. Follow one process: 
   • If you see BU or BU-CAMED, follow BU Process 
   • If you see BMC, follow the BMC Process  

Internal Review of Applications 

• As needed, internal applications are reviewed and scored to help identify which candidate(s) should advance. 
  • Scores and comments from reviewers are presented to the Vice President and Associate Provost for Research who confirms the final decision. 
• In general, reviewers evaluate and score internal applications based on the following areas: 
  • Fit with the Funder 
  • Application Strength 
  • PI/Team Strength 
  • Proposed Research Project’s Potential for Impact 
• Internal review committees are assembled as needed consisting of some or all of the following groups at BU: 
  • Faculty across BU’s schools/colleges 
  • Past recipients of the LSO being reviewed 
  • Associate Deans of Research (ADRs), Deans 
• Reviewers are asked to disclose any potential conflicts of interest and, where applicable, do not participate in scoring the affected application. 

Institutional Candidates Notified to Prepare Application 

• All applicants will receive an email about whether they have been selected to submit to the funder. 
• For selected candidates, this email will also connect them with Sponsored Programs and any other research support (i.e., Foundation Relations, Federal Relations, Corporate Research & Contracting, Government & Community Affairs) offered to help them submit their proposal to the funder. 
• If you are selected as an institutional candidate, you are obligated to either:  
  • Submit your application to the funder. 
  • Notify Research Development that you are no longer able to submit as soon as possible.  
    • Another candidate will be given an opportunity to submit should someone be unable to submit. 
• Be sure to follow all guidelines and requirements for submitting proposals to Sponsored Programs in advance of the funder deadline. You can review this information on their website.

Timeline 

Because an internal selection process must be run for each LSO, the timeline from when an opportunity is announced internally and when application materials are due to the funder may vary as shown below. 

• Typical LSO process: 12-16 weeks  
• “Anticipatory” LSO: 12-20 weeks
  • Applies when a call is expected but not yet released (note that official call is not guaranteed); provides lead time for internal selection, with details subject to change if/when the official announcement is issued
• “Short-fuse” LSO: 4-6 weeks
  • Applies when a call is released with minimal turnaround (≤6 weeks), requiring an expedited internal selection and submission process