See responses interspersed below.

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Research Administration List [mailto:xxxxxx@HRINET.ORG] On Behalf Of Russell Lentz
Sent: Friday, February 27, 2004 12:08 PM
To: xxxxxx@HRINET.ORG
Subject: [RESADM-L] limited competition RFPs

 

Hi everybody!

We are trying to come up with a policy on how to handle limited competition RFPs and have a few questions for you on your process/policy:

1. How do you handle RFPs that only allow for one or a limited number of applicants?

We have a standing University Nominating Committee that decides these matters.  They meet regularly throughout the year.  An announcement is sent by email, and short letters of intent (usually about 2 pages) are submitted to the Committee.  We occasionally have a situation whereby the Committee just picks someone to apply who hasn’t sent in a pre-application, and tells them to prepare an application.

2. Who or what body decides which applicant or small number of applicants can submit their proposal?

Usually we send out the notices only to the Head of Laboratory (we have labs here, not departments).  They usually decide who in their lab might be a good candidate.

3. What does the PI need to submit to the person or body ultimately deciding who will be able to apply (an abstract, an abstract plus the budget, or a full proposal)?

Usually about two pages – a short summary, but longer than an abstract.  Usually the budget in these things is dictated by the sponsor.

4. Do you give PIs a deadline by which they have to submit such documents to the body or person making this determination?

Yes, there are deadlines by which applications must be submitted for each meeting.  They are submitted to the Sponsored Programs Office or to Development, depending on which office handles that particular sponsor.  The two offices jointly support the Committee.

5. If so, how do you handle last minute PIs?

As with most grant deadlines, if they’re late, they’re out of luck.

6. How do you handle PIs that  submit their proposal without coming through your office? This, in turn, could cause a PI that did go through your office to be disqualified if only one applicant is allowed.

Normally applications have to be signed by an institutional official, which precludes their bypassing our office.  When they do, we do not guarantee we will accept the award if funded.

7. How do you make yourselves aware of such limited competition RFPs? Do you leave the responsibility on the PIs to notify your office of a limited competition RFP?

We provide the info to our faculty, from a variety of sources.  It is part of our job to keep up with the announcements.  I think it has happened only once that a faculty member became aware of an opportunity we were not aware of, and which didn’t make the normal subscription funding databases or newsletters.

8. Once you have determined that such a limited competition RFP exists, how do you notify other PIs that only one or a few PIs will be able to apply? Likewise, how do you notify PIs that a decision has already been made about who will be able to submit their proposal (i.e., via your website)?

We do not put these on our website, but notify the Lab Heads by email.

9. How do you handle a PI that is selected to submit her proposal but decides in the end not to do so, thereby disqualifying others in the process?

We try to find someone else, fast, and help him/her get the application in.

Thanks,
Russ

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Russell Lentz, Esq.
Associate Director
Florida State University
Sponsored Research Services
97 S. Woodward Ave.
Tallahassee, FL 32306-4166
(850) 644-5260 * Fax (850) 644-1464