External Funding Opportunities

• Review current limited submission opportunities listed below or through funding databases.
• Notify ORED of your interest in the opportunity by the stated internal deadline.
• Submit materials for the internal selection process, including a brief project summary, timeline, and budget, as specified by ORED.
• If selected, develop and submit your final proposal to the funding agency by its external deadline.

Timing is critical for limited submission opportunities. Here’s how ORED handles these scenarios based on when the opportunity becomes known:

• Eight or More Weeks Before the Sponsor Deadline: The standard Internal Competition Procedure is followed to select and develop proposals for submission.
• Four to Eight Weeks Before the Sponsor Deadline: ORED will make every effort to fill the slot with a strong proposal. Depending on the time available, this may or may not involve an internal competition.
• Fewer Than Four Weeks Before the Sponsor Deadline: An internal competition will not be feasible. In these cases, the Director of Research Development or the Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development (VCRED) will assign the slot. Priority will be given to the first researcher(s) who expressed interest in the opportunity.

For high-priority opportunities of strategic importance to the university, the VCRED may choose to bypass the internal competition process and directly select or solicit a proposal. These instances are rare but may occur when the opportunity aligns closely with institutional goals.

• IDRUM Exploration Groups and Strike Teams may be given priority consideration for limited submission opportunities.
• For recurring funding opportunities, some proposals or teams may be selected for the current or a future cycle, depending on the timing and nature of the competition.

When the standard procedure is followed, here’s how the internal competition process works:

• Key highlights from the solicitation.
• A link to the full solicitation.
• Requirements for a Letter of Intent to Propose (LOI).
• Deadlines for submitting the LOI and the notification date.

• If the number of applicants submitting an LOI does not exceed the allowed number of proposals:

• • • All applicants may proceed with the opportunity following the sponsor’s standard submission process.
    • If fewer applicants submit than the institutional limit, ORED will accept rolling applications on a first-come, first-served basis after the LOI deadline.

• If the number of LOIs exceeds the institutional limit:

• • ORED will initiate a Request for Pre-Proposals (RFPP).

ORED sends an RFPP to all applicants who submitted an LOI. The RFPP includes:

• Pre-proposal requirements.
• Deadline for submission.
• Evaluation criteria based on the solicitation and university priorities.
• Cost-sharing requirements, which must be finalized before the pre-proposal can proceed.

The pre-proposal should address all stated requirements, including cost-sharing commitments. These elements ensure the university’s proposal is competitive and aligned with sponsor expectations.

Stage 1:

• For each school or college that has an application pending, the ORED first seeks guidance for appropriate reviewers from the Dean or ADR.
• ORED puts together a set of 3 or more reviewers (from among Dean/ADR suggestions, ORSP Research Development Fellows, other UM faculty/staff, and/or external grantsmanship experts)

Stage 2:

• ORED reviews each pre-proposal for alignment with the program requirements, and makes comments on the review form.
• If the ORED notes opportunities for collaboration among the respondents, an effort will be made to encourage internal connections and interdisciplinary cooperation.
• ORED distributes internal pre-proposals to reviewers along with a scoring sheet.  The scoring sheet contains the stated requirements of the solicitation, and appropriate scoring criteria.
• Reviewers complete scoring sheets for all applications.
• If the Reviewer believes he/she has a conflict of interest with respect to scoring a particular application, they will so indicate

Stage 3:

• ORED compiles and reviews score sheets, and based on the scores, will select which internal pre-proposals will go forward.
• ORED may also select an alternate pre-proposal.
• ORED notifies applicants about selection results and provides consolidated, anonymous feedback to all submitters based on reviewers’ comments.
• ORED sets a deadline for internal submission. As a condition of their selection, submitters must agree to comply with all internal deadlines, and to share sponsor review comments with ORED.  Proposals not received in full by the deadline are subject to being replaced with the alternate proposal.

Stage 4:

• The selected internal pre-proposals and alternate proposal are developed into full proposals by the investigators (incorporating the comments of the internal reviewers and eliminating identified weaknesses).
• ORED RD or SPA research administrator (as assigned) will assist as needed in compiling and reviewing proposal components.
• The ORED Director of Research Development will offer assistance in strengthening the language of the proposal, especially the summary or project description.

Deans may request the names of reviewers before the review process begins.  However, the names of reviewers will not be shared with applicants.

​The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Mid-Career Advancement (MCA) program offers opportunities for tenured Associate Professors to advance their research through collaborative partnerships, typically at institutions other than their own. The program aims to enhance research productivity and innovation during a pivotal career stage. Proposals are due annually on the first Monday in February. For detailed information, refer to the NSF MCA solicitation.

The MCA provides protected time and resources to enable advancements in creativity and productivity. Projects that envision new insights on existing problems or identify new but related problems previously inaccessible without new methodology or expertise from other fields are encouraged, but not required. The MCA fosters innovation by supporting synergistic and mutually beneficial partnerships to catalyze convergence across different disciplines or sub-disciplines. Scientists at the Associate Professor rank (or equivalent) are freer than their more junior colleagues to pursue bold and innovative research ideas, but at the same time are often more constrained due to increased service and teaching responsibilities that can hamper scientific productivity. MCA support is expected to help lift these constraints and reduce workload inequities.

A key component of a successful MCA will be the demonstration that the PI's current research program could substantively benefit from the protected time, mentored partnership(s), and resources provided through this special program, such that there is a substantial enhancement to the PI's research and career trajectory, enabling scientific and academic advancement not likely without this support.

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Eligibility:

• Rank: Open to faculty at the Associate Professor level or equivalent.​

• Tenure: Applicants must have held their rank for at least three years by the proposal submission date.

Application Process:

All MCA proposals must include letters from a) the partner(s) describing the nature of the collaboration and the benefits of doing so for both parties, as well as b) the departmental chairperson (or an equivalent organizational official). The Project Description of a MCA proposal must include three sections in addition to the other required elements as defined in the PAPPG; these are described in more detail under Proposal Preparation Instructions and include:

1) Candidate's Past Research

2) Candidate's Proposed Research Advancement and Training Plan

3) Candidate's Long-Term Career Plans

MCA awards will provide funds to support the mid-career researcher (PI) and one month of summer support for the collaborative partner (in lieu of summer support for the partner, other reasonable collaborative costs may be considered). Funds for the PI include up to a total of 6.5 months of salary, calculated as half of a typical 9-month academic year plus two additional summer months. Fringe benefits are also included and an additional $100,000 for other direct costs in support of the research advancement and training plan. The aforementioned funds are total amounts that may be expended over the course of 3 years. Travel to attend a PI meeting during the first and final years of the award will also be supported.

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For additional support and information, University of Mississippi faculty are encouraged to contact Jason Hale at jghale@olemiss.edu.​