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 SFS Program welcomes proposals to establish or to continue scholarship programs in cybersecurity. A proposing institution must provide clearly documented evidence of a strong existing academic program in cybersecurity. In addition to information provided in the proposal narrative, such evidence can include ABET accreditation in cybersecurity; a designation by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE), in Cyber Operations (CAE-CO) or in Research (CAE-R); or equivalent evidence documenting a strong program in cybersecurity.
Opportunity Overview: The goals of the CyberCorps® SFS Program are to: (1) increase the number of qualified and diverse cybersecurity candidates for government cybersecurity positions; (2) improve the national capacity for the education of cybersecurity professionals and research and development workforce; (3) hire, monitor, and retain high-quality CyberCorps® graduates in the cybersecurity mission of Federal Government; and (4) strengthen partnerships between institutions of higher education and federal, state, local, and tribal governments. Examples of partnerships between SFS institutions and government organizations include internship agreement, advisory boards, speaker series, participation in cybersecurity task forces, etc. The SFS Program welcomes proposals to establish or to continue scholarship programs in cybersecurity. All scholarship recipients must work after graduation for a federal, state, local, or tribal government organization in a position related to cybersecurity, or as educators in the field of cybersecurity at an SFS institution, for a period equal to at least the duration of the scholarship. A proposing institution must provide clearly documented evidence of a strong existing program in cybersecurity. In addition to information provided in the proposal narrative, such evidence may include ABET accreditation in cybersecurity; designation by the National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C); or equivalent evidence documenting a strong program in cybersecurity. The SFS Program also supports efforts leading to an increase in the ability of the United States higher education enterprise to produce cybersecurity professionals.
Maximum Number of Applications Allowed Per Organization: Each performing organization is limited to one (1) proposal per annual SFS competition.

FOA is available online at: NSF 23-574: CyberCorps Scholarship for Service (SFS) | NSF - National Science Foundation

Internal Competition Submission Deadline: April 30, 2025 @ 11:59 p.m. 
Internal Competition Results Announced: May 16, 2025
Sponsor Full Proposal Deadline: July 15, 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  
   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 NSF SBIR/STTR programs provide non-dilutive funds for use-inspired research and development (R&D) of unproven, leading-edge, technology innovations that address societal challenges. By investing federal research and development funds into startups and small businesses, NSF helps build a strong national economy and stimulates the creation of novel products, services, and solutions in the private sector; strengthens the role of small business in meeting federal research and development needs; increases the commercial application of federally-supported research results; and develops and increases the U.S. workforce, especially by fostering and encouraging participation by socially and economically-disadvantaged and women-owned small businesses.
Opportunity Overview: NSF seeks unproven, leading-edge technology innovations that demonstrate the following characteristics:

• The innovations are underpinned and enabled by a new scientific discovery or meaningful engineering innovation.
• The innovations still require intensive technical research and development to be fully embedded in a reliable product or service.
• The innovations have not yet been reduced to practice by anyone and it is not guaranteed, at present, that doing so is technically possible.
• The innovations provide a strong competitive advantage that are not easily replicable by competitors (even technically proficient ones).
• Once reduced to practice, the innovations are expected to result in a product or service that would either be disruptive to existing markets or create new markets/new market segments.

Maximum Number of Applications Allowed Per Organization: An organization may submit only one NSF SBIR/STTR Phase I Project Pitch and/or proposal per submission deadline.

FOA is available online at: NSF 24-579: NSF Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I Programs (SBIR/STTR Phase I) | NSF - National Science Foundation

Internal Competition Submission Deadline: May 2, 2025 @ 11:59 p.m. 
Internal Competition Results Announced: May 21, 2025
Sponsor Full Proposal Deadline: November 5, 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  
                            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: The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity Announcement (NOFO) is to solicit meritorious applications from universities with graduate programs in mining and explosives engineering to develop and conduct research specifically focused on aspects of underground mine evacuation technologies and human factors related to mine emergencies. This research will build on NIOSH's work to address mandates in the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006 , as well as advance the safety and health of mine workers in our nation.
Research priorities include developing new wireless communication devices and methodologies; developing training, systems, and tools to facilitate miner self-escape; and continuing to improve the design of refuge alternatives.

Opportunity Overview: Possible research topics of interest may include health and safety issues in related areas, particularly those associated with mine emergencies caused by mine fires and explosions. Interested applicants are encouraged to consider aspects of their graduate program in mining and explosives engineering, including unique facilities, that could best support research related to mine emergencies and other aspects of the MINER Act. Unique facilities refer to specialized resources or infrastructures that provide distinct capabilities for conducting research. For example, an underground mine owned by the university and operated by the program, capable of testing for methane-coal dust explosions, would be considered a unique facility. Other examples may include a refuge chamber installation capable of ingress/egress testing. A key factor of this announcement is the congressional intention that the award goes to a U.S. academic institution that offers (1) an Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET) accredited undergraduate degree program in mining or mineral engineering (under the Mining and Similarly Named Engineering Programs criteria), and (2) graduate degree programs in both mining and explosives engineering.

Maximum Number of Applications Allowed Per Organization: Only one application per institution is allowed.

FOA is available online at: RFA-OH-25-183: U60 Research Cooperative Agreement

Internal Competition Submission Deadline: May 2, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Internal Competition Results Announced: May 21, 2025                                                                                                                              
Sponsor Full Proposal Deadline: November 3, 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  
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.