Limited Submission Process Overview

The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) is pleased to announce this limited submission funding opportunity/award. Limited submission programs restrict the number of applications an institution may submit to the sponsor.

All interested PIs must submit a Notice of Intent (NOI) through the UConn Quest Portal by the deadline listed below to be considered.

After the NOI deadline, OVPR will determine whether an internal competition is needed based on the number of NOIs received. If the number of NOIs does not exceed the sponsor’s limit, eligible PIs who submitted an NOI by the deadline are typically approved to move forward without an internal competition. If no NOIs are received, the opportunity may remain open on a first-come, first-served basis until all available slots are filled or the sponsor deadline passes, whichever comes first (see full process on our website  ).

Deadline

Date/Time

Notes

Internal NOI Deadline

Monday, 8/3/2026 by 12 noon

Required.

Internal Pre-proposal Deadline

Monday, 8/10/2026 by 12 noon

Only required if an internal competition is needed.

Sponsor Full Proposal Deadline

Wednesday, 9/9/2026, 11:59 p.m. ET

Item

Details

Program Link

https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/363179 

Quest Portal Link

https://quest.uconn.edu/prog/AIRAN_FY27 

Award Details

Up to $25,000,000

Number of UConn Applicants Allowed

1 Total

Eligibility Requirements

1. There is a 50% cost share of total project cost.
2. Applicants must demonstrate they are capable of developing and commercially selling and/or deploying a solution that leverages a secure compute environment to enable native AI capabilities in the RAN.

Program Description

The goal of this NOFO is to demonstrate the value of deploying AI, including both U.S. led advanced computing capabilities and software, in RAN. Such demonstrations can promote the deployment of AI-native RAN networks both domestically and internationally, benefiting U.S. companies and U.S. security goals. Through this NOFO, NTIA will provide capable entities with financial assistance to develop an AI-native network architecture and to field test a service uniquely enabled by the architecture.

Question

Answer

What happens after the NOI deadline?

After the NOI deadline, one of three outcomes typically applies.

1. If the number of NOIs received exceeds the sponsor’s limit, OVPR will conduct an internal competition. 
2. If the number of NOIs does not exceed the sponsor’s limit, eligible PIs who have submitted an NOI by the deadline are typically approved to move forward without an internal competition. 
3. If no NOIs are received by the deadline , the opportunity will remain open on a first-come, first-served basis until all available slots are filled or the sponsor deadline passes, whichever comes first.

Only PIs selected and approved by OVPR are eligible to submit to the sponsor.

What are the pre-proposal requirements?

If an internal competition is necessary, pre-proposals should include:

1. Maximum two-page summary describing the project and demonstrating how it will fulfill the program/solicitation criteria and contribute to meeting the research/education goals of the institution (if applicable).
2. A brief budget overview and justification, 1-2 pages.
3. Biosketches or CVs for all key personnel.
4. Confirmation/commitment of securing cost share requirement

Please see the sponsor’s guidelines for details about program goals and application components.

What happens after the pre-proposal is submitted? 

1. Pre-proposals are reviewed by an ad hoc faculty committee with expertise in grant submission and relevant research areas. External reviewers may be involved when necessary.
2. After selections are made, all applicants will receive notification of the results (and reviewer feedback, when available) at the conclusion of the review.
3. Selected investigators will be approved to complete and submit full proposals according to the sponsor’s guidelines.

Where can I find more information?

For more information about the limited submission process, please visit our FAQ page .

For additional assistance, please contact us at research@uconn.edu .

How can I stay connected with UConn Research?

Follow UConn Research on Instagram  & LinkedIn  for all the latest information.