Announcement of UTRGV Limited Submission Internal Competition  
                          All PI-eligible UTRGV faculty/staff interested in submitting a proposal to the Limited Submission opportunity must submit the internal pre-proposal via Submittable platform (using single PDF document) by the deadline. Please see OSP Handbook, page 8, for PI eligibility details. Internal pre-proposals must comply with all instructions and address the NIH review criteria referenced in this announcement.
Funding Opportunity Purpose: This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) invites applications from institutions/organizations that propose to establish core centers that are part of an integrated and existing program of nutrition and/or obesity research. The Nutrition Obesity Research Centers (NORC) program is designed to support and enhance the national research effort in nutrition and obesity. NORCs support three primary research-related activities: Research Core services, a Pilot and Feasibility (P and F) program, and an Enrichment program. All activities pursued by Nutrition Obesity Research Centers are designed to enhance the efficiency, productivity, effectiveness, and multidisciplinary nature of research in nutrition and obesity.
Opportunity Overview: This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites applications for Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC) grants to support research in nutrition and/or obesity. The mission of the NORC program is to serve as a key component of the NIDDK-supported research effort to advance nutrition and obesity research. The NORCs promote new discoveries and enhance scientific progress through support of cutting-edge basic, clinical, translational, and health disparities research in nutrition science and obesity with the ultimate goal of improving public health. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) aligns with the Mission and Vision of the NIDDK Strategic Plan for Research, including the theme of empowering a multidisciplinary workforce, engaging a broad range of partners, and pursuing health equity and health disparities research. NIDDK’s Strategic Plan highlights a cross-cutting theme of “achieving health equity by eliminating health disparities among racial and ethnic minority populations and others who are underserved.” The “Pathways to Health for All” report from the NIDDK Advisory Council Working Group on Health Disparities and Health Equity acknowledges the need for and encourages NIDDK to pursue research on broader social, environmental, structural, and systemic drivers of population health and health disparities to promote greater health equity.
Maximum Number of Applications Allowed Per Organization: Only one application per institution is allowed

FOA is available online at: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-DK-25-007.html

Internal Competition Submission Deadline: April 4, 2025 @ 11:59 p.m. 
Internal Competition Results Announced: April 23, 2025                                                                                                                              
Sponsor Full Proposal Deadline: June 10, 2025, at 5:00 PM
Documents Needed for the Preproposals:
          Submitters will complete and submit a form providing the following:

• Draft project summary/abstract of up to 2 pages; References do not count toward the 2-page limit.    
• Biographical sketches for the PIs and Co-PIs (any format);       
•  List of collaborators and any other senior/key personnel, if any.

Change in application form: Since the limited submission process does not involve OSP assistance with budget development, we are now using a budget template in the Submittable form. This template is designed to capture a general overview of the budget. Additionally, we have included a budget justification section directly in the form, eliminating the need for applicants to upload separate budget documents with their pre-proposal materials.
 

*If assistance is needed, please contact Bernadette Perez at bernadette.perez01@utrgv.edu. 

Review Criteria: Internal review criteria shall mirror the NIH criteria in the FOA.
Internal Review Process: The Research Division in consultation with a review committee, will decide which pre-proposals will continue to the full proposal submission stage. Anonymized reviewer feedback will be provided in a timely fashion to all PIs whose pre-proposals were considered by the review committee, following the announcement of the finalist selection.

Announcement of UTRGV Limited Submission Internal Competition  
All PI-eligible UTRGV faculty/staff interested in submitting a proposal to the Limited Submission opportunity must submit the internal pre-proposal via Submittable platform (using single PDF document) by the deadline. Please see OSP Handbook, page 8, for PI eligibility details. Internal pre-proposals must comply with all instructions and address the NSF review criteria referenced in this announcement.
Funding Opportunity Purpose: The INCLUDES Initiative is a comprehensive, national effort to enhance U.S. leadership in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) discovery and innovation, focused on NSF’s commitment to ensuring accessibility and inclusivity in STEM fields, as communicated in the NSF Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years (FY) 2022 - 2026. The vision of the INCLUDES Initiative is to catalyze the STEM enterprise to work collaboratively for inclusive change, resulting in a STEM workforce that reflects the Nation’s population. More specifically, the INCLUDES Initiative seeks to motivate and accelerate collaborative infrastructure building to sustain systemic change to broaden participation in STEM fields at scale. Significant advancement of the INCLUDES Initiative’s goals will result in a new generation of STEM talent and leadership to secure the Nation’s future and long-term economic competitiveness.
Opportunity Overview: With this solicitation, NSF continues to offer opportunities to propose projects that: a) contribute rigorous research to the knowledge base about broadening participation in STEM and b) motivate and accelerate collaborative efforts to sustain systemic change and demonstrably broaden participation in STEM, especially in STEM fields that lack participation that reflects the talent throughout the Nation’s population. Researchers and practitioners with experience and expertise in institutions committed to broadening participation are strongly encouraged to consider this opportunity.

Proposals must align with the four INCLUDES key principles, described below: (1) broadening participation in STEM, (2) enabling sustainable change in systems, (3) scaling up outcomes in ways that advance equity, and (4) building collaborative infrastructure. These key principles should be integrated throughout proposals and should align with the proposed activities.
Maximum Number of Applications Allowed Per Organization: An organization may serve as a lead organization on only one proposal per project type, not including conferences. 

Design and Development Launch Pilots

Collaborative Change Consortia

Alliance

Network Connectors

FOA is available online at: NSF 22-622: NSF's Eddie Bernice Johnson Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science Initiative | NSF - National Science Foundation

Internal Competition Submission Deadline: April 9, 2025 @ 11:59 p.m. 
Internal Competition Results Announced: April 25, 2025
Sponsor Full Proposal Deadline: October 28, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Documents Needed for the Preproposals:

Submitters will complete and submit a form providing the following:

• Draft project summary/abstract of up to 2 pages; References do not count toward the 2-page limit.    
• Biographical sketches for the PIs and Co-PIs (any format);       
•  List of collaborators and any other senior/key personnel, if any.

Change in application form: Since the limited submission process does not involve OSP assistance with budget development, we are now using a budget template in the Submittable form. This template is designed to capture a general overview of the budget. Additionally, we have included a budget justification section directly in the form, eliminating the need for applicants to upload separate budget documents with their pre-proposal materials.

*All documentation must be uploaded in a single PDF file. If assistance is needed to create the PDF, please contact Bernadette Perez at bernadette.perez01@utrgv.edu. 

Review Criteria: Internal review criteria shall mirror the NSF criteria in the FOA.
Internal Review Process: The Research Division in consultation with a review committee, will decide which pre-proposals will continue to the full proposal submission stage. Anonymized reviewer feedback will be provided in a timely fashion to all PIs whose pre-proposals were considered by the review committee, following the announcement of the finalist selection.

Announcement of UTRGV Limited Submission Internal Competition  
NSF Major Research Instrumentation Program: (MRI)
         All PI-eligible UTRGV faculty/staff interested in submitting a proposal to the Limited Submission opportunity must submit the internal pre-proposal via Submittable platform (using single PDF document) by the deadline. Please see OSP Handbook, page 8, for PI eligibility details. Internal pre-proposals must comply with all instructions and address the NSF review criteria referenced in this announcement.
Funding Opportunity Purpose: The MRI Program especially seeks broad representation of groups, institutions, and geographic regions that are underrepresented in STEM disciplines. Proposals from women, underrepresented minorities, persons with disabilities and early-career PIs are encouraged, as are proposals that benefit early-career researchers and proposals with PIs from geographically under-served regions, including EPSCoR jurisdictions. Additionally, proposals are encouraged from under-resourced institutions, including from emerging research institutions, where MRI can significantly build capacity for research.
Opportunity Overview: The Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program (MRI Program Website) serves to increase access to multi-user scientific and engineering instrumentation for research and research training in our Nation's institutions of higher education and not-for-profit scientific/engineering research organizations. An MRI award supports the acquisition of a multi-user research instrument that is commercially available through direct purchase from a vendor, or for the personnel costs and equipment that are required for the development of an instrument with new capabilities, thereby advancing instrumentation capabilities and enhancing expertise for instrument design and fabrication at academic institutions. MRI instruments are, in general, too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NSF programs.

MRI provides support to acquire critical research instrumentation without which advances in fundamental science and engineering research may not otherwise occur. MRI also provides support to obtain next-generation research instruments by developing instruments with new capabilities that open new opportunities to advance the frontiers in science and engineering research. Additionally, an MRI award is expected to enhance research training of students who will become the next generation of instrument users, designers and builders.
The MRI Program especially seeks broad representation of PIs in its award portfolio, including women, underrepresented minorities and persons with disabilities. Since demographic diversity may be greater among early-career researchers the MRI program also encourages proposals with early-career PIs and proposals that benefit early-career researchers.

An MRI proposal may request from NSF up to $4 million for either acquisition or development of a research instrument. Each performing organization may submit in revised "Tracks" as defined below, with no more than two (2) submissions in Track 1 and no more than one (1) submission in Track 2. For the newly defined Track 3, no more than one (1) submission per competition is permitted. As a result, it is now possible for an institution to submit up to four MRI proposals within the Track limits as described above.

• Track 1: Track 1 MRI proposals are those that request funds from NSF greater than $100,0001 and less than $1,400,000.
• Track 2: Track 2 MRI proposals are those that request funds from NSF greater than or equal to $1,400,000 up to and including $4,000,000.
• Track 3: Track 3 MRI proposals are those that request funds from NSF greater than or equal to $100,0001 and less than or equal to $4,000,000 that include the purchase, installation, operation, and maintenance of equipment and instrumentation to conserve or reduce the consumption of helium. Institutions may submit no more than one Track 3 proposal. Submission of a Track 3 proposal does not impact limits that apply for Track 1 and Track 2 proposals.

Maximum Number of Applications Allowed Per Organization: 4 per institution (2 for Track 1, 1 for Track 2, and 1 for Track 3)

FOA is available online at: https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/mri-major-research-instrumentation-program/nsf23-519/solicitation#elig

Internal Competition Submission Deadline: June 6, 2025 @ 11:59 p.m. 
Internal Competition Results Announced: June 27, 2025
Sponsor Full Proposal Deadline: November 14, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Documents Needed for the Preproposals:

Submitters will complete and submit a form providing the following:

• Draft project summary/abstract of up to 2 pages; References do not count toward the 2-page limit.    
• Biographical sketches for the PIs and Co-PIs (any format);       
•  List of collaborators and any other senior/key personnel, if any.

Change in application form: Since the limited submission process does not involve OSP assistance with budget development, we are now using a budget template in the Submittable form. This template is designed to capture a general overview of the budget. Additionally, we have included a budget justification section directly in the form, eliminating the need for applicants to upload separate budget documents with their pre-proposal materials.

*All documentation must be uploaded in a single PDF file. If assistance is needed to create the PDF, please contact Bernadette Perez at bernadette.perez01@utrgv.edu. 

Review Criteria: Internal review criteria shall mirror the NSF criteria in the FOA.
Internal Review Process: The Research Division in consultation with a review committee, will decide which pre-proposals will continue to the full proposal submission stage. Anonymized reviewer feedback will be provided in a timely fashion to all PIs whose pre-proposals were considered by the review committee, following the announcement of the finalist selection.