Dear Colleagues,
As many of you have experienced firsthand, sponsors including federal agencies such as NSF, are increasingly issuing funding opportunities with markedly compressed timelines, in some cases allowing as little as 30 days from the release of a funding opportunity to the sponsor's submission deadline. This is not a temporary trend. As federal agencies continue implementing revisions to the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200), which permit shorter, more streamlined Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs), we expect these compressed timelines to continue and likely become more common.
To help our research community navigate these shorter timelines successfully, we are writing to reinforce our internal processes for limited submissions, white papers, Requests for Information (RFIs), and other fast-turnaround opportunities, and to ask for your partnership in helping us meet these evolving sponsor expectations.
Limited Submissions
When a sponsor limits the number of applications an institution may submit, DivRED posts the opportunity through the ¹ú²úÂ×Àí InfoReady Limited Submission process as soon as we become aware of it. When the sponsor's timeline provides fewer than approximately four to six weeks between announcement and submission, we may conduct an abbreviated or expedited internal review. When the available time does not reasonably allow for an internal competition, DivRED may instead identify nominees on a first-come, first-served basis. This tiered approach is consistent with practices adopted by many peer research institutions in response to increasingly compressed sponsor timelines.
Some limited submission opportunities also have broader strategic or regional significance and require coordination beyond the internal competition process, including collaboration with regional partners, Government Relations, University leadership, and other institutional stakeholders. We are continuing to refine our approach for managing these opportunities and appreciate your patience as these processes evolve.
In certain instances, when an opportunity is determined to be strategically important to the University, DivRED may post it on the ¹ú²úÂ×Àí InfoReady Limited Submission page and designate it as a centrally coordinated opportunity institutional opportunity. In those cases, the opportunity will be posted on the ¹ú²úÂ×Àí InfoReady Limited Submission page with guidance describing the coordination process, the designated institutional point of contact, and expectations for faculty interested in participating or collaborating to develop the University's single allowable submission.
White Papers and RFIs
White papers and Requests for Information (RFIs) are often viewed as less complex than full proposals; however, they frequently require preliminary budget development, sponsor system access or registration, internal review, and, in many cases, confirmation of cost-sharing commitments from the college or department. To allow sufficient time for these activities, please notify your Pre-Award at preaward@odu.edu at least two weeks before the sponsor's deadline.
Proposals with Collaborators
For any proposal involving collaborators — whether at another institution or across colleges — please notify Pre-Award at least four weeks in advance. Multi-party proposals require additional lead time for subrecipient documentation, budget coordination, and the internal sign-offs that come with each additional collaborating unit.
Please see the Proposal Submission Preparation Diagram, particularly page 2, for the University’s internal proposal preparation timeline and submission deadlines at /sites/default/files/2024/documents/Proposal-Submission-Preparation-06132024.pdf.
How You Can Help
The single biggest factor in whether we can support a fast-turnaround opportunity is how early we hear about it. If you become aware of an upcoming NOFO, RFI, or white paper opportunity — even before it is formally posted or you've fully decided to pursue it — please loop in your Pre-Award contact right away at preaward@odu.edu. Early notice, even informal, gives us the best chance to run a fuller review rather than defaulting to first-come, first-served, or to begin the coordination a regional opportunity requires.
We know these compressed timelines are demanding on everyone, and we are committed to doing everything we can on our end to give you the runway you need to put forward competitive proposals. Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions about a specific opportunity or about our internal process more broadly.
With appreciation for your continued partnership,
Shannon M. Robinson, Ed.D.
Executive Director
¹ú²úÂ×Àí Research Foundation
Petros Katsioloudis, Ph.D.
Assistant Vice President for Research
Division of Research and Economic Development (DivRED)