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, 11/9/2026 by 12 noon

Required.

Internal Pre-proposal Deadline

Monday, 11/16/2026 by 12 noon

Only required if an internal competition is needed.

Sponsor Nomination Deadline

12/15/2026, 11:59 p.m. ET

Sponsor Full Proposal Deadline

1/10/2026, 11:59 p.m. ET

Item

Details

Program Link

https://www.rpbusa.org/grants/international-research-collaborators-award/ 

Quest Portal Link

https://quest.uconn.edu/prog/RPB-Int_FY27 

Award Details

$75,000

Number of UConn Applicants Allowed

1 per department

Program Description

The RPB International Research Collaborators Award promotes international collaborations through which collaborating researchers in the U.S. and outside the U.S. gain new knowledge and skills. These international collaborations have the potential to accelerate the development of treatments for blinding disorders, positively affecting large populations worldwide for years to come.

Under a reciprocal arrangement, a U.S.-based researcher will be funded to go for a period of time to an institution outside the U.S. to gain new knowledge and/or skills and deepen collaborative relationships with researchers there that will be conducive to future research collaborations. In turn, the institution outside the U.S. will send a researcher for a period of time to the U.S. institution from which the U.S. researcher came. An extended stay in the other country is expected by each researcher or a member of each researcher’s lab. A fair amount of flexibility in how this expectation can be implemented will be allowed.

The collaboration should provide a synergistic benefit to each researcher and to the culminating project. The submission must spell out specific and cogent objectives to be accomplished by each of the collaborating researchers toward the fulfillment of two broad goals: (1) gaining new knowledge and skills; and (2) strengthening collaborations across international boundaries. Successful candidates will leverage the unique expertise of each researcher, whereby their collaboration creates a work product that is more than the sum of its parts.

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. If any slots remain available, the opportunity will remain open on a first-come, first-served basis.
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.

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?

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