What is a Limited Submission?

A limited submission solicitation places a cap on the number of proposals Auburn may submit to a sponsor. Auburn coordinates limited submissions with notifications via this newsletter and competitions created in the Auburn University Competition Space (InfoReady). To apply to any limited submission posted in this newsletter, click on the link within the announcement. Please refer to the Limited Submission Procedures page for a general list of requirements.

Found a Limited Submission Opportunity that Interests You?


If so, please contact the PSFS office sooner than later so that an internal competition can be created for a timely, university-wide, fair and equitable selection process that allows for ample time for review, feedback and revisions.

For a list of current and forcasted Limited Submission Opportunities in Pivot 
Click Here.

USDA-NIFA: Equipment Grants Program FY26

The Equipment Grants Program (EGP) serves to increase access to shared-use special purpose equipment/instruments for fundamental and applied research for use in the food and agricultural sciences programs at institutions of higher education, including State Cooperative Extension Systems. The program seeks to strengthen the quality and expand the scope of fundamental and applied research at eligible institutions by providing them with opportunities to acquire one shared-use piece of equipment/instrument that supports their research, research training, and extension goals that may be too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NIFA grant programs.

The program emphasizes shared-use instrumentation that will enhance the capabilities of researchers, educators, and extension specialists both within and outside the proposing organization.

Institutional Limit: Two (2) Proposals

Internal Deadline: May 28, 2026, 4:45pm
Funder Deadline: June 26, 2026, 5:00pm ET

NSF: Integrated Data Systems & Services (IDSS)

The IDSS program supports national-scale performant operational systems and services that broadly facilitate open, data-intensive and artificial intelligence-driven science and engineering research, innovation, and education. IDSS projects should be aimed to broadly impact the science and engineering research and education community in a transdisciplinary and demonstrably multi-disciplinary way, enabling researchers and educators from diverse domains and disciplines to utilize research data, integrate data, and connect data sources with other scientific resources such as computing resources, facilities, instrumentation and repositories.

IDSS offers the following three categories of proposals:

Category I. Development, deployment, and operation of novel national-scale integrated data systems and services, which may include interfacing with or leveraging other existing capabilities, systems and services as appropriate to the project. Between $10 million to $30 million for up to 5 years. Potentially renewable.

Category II. Transition of established smaller scale, regional, pilot, or prototype data-focused systems and services to national-scale production/operational quality/level. This may also include enhancement and expansion of existing national-scale data-focused operational systems and services. Up to $9 million for up to 3 years. Potentially renewable.

*Category III. Planning grants for future potential development/deployment or transition/enhancement IDSS projects. Up to $500,000 for up to 2 years. Not renewable. (*No limit on number of proposals submitted.)

Institutional Limit: One Proposal per Category I and II

Internal Deadline: May 28, 2026, 4:45pm
Funder Deadline: July 28, 2026, 5:00pm ET

Please note: An individual may participate as PI, co-PI, or other Senior Personnel on at most one proposal across Categories I and II for each solicitation deadline. Thus, if an individual participates on a Category I proposal, the individual may not participate in a Category II proposal, or vice versa. 

Funding Opportunities

National Institute for Healthcare Management: Policy Research Grants

NIHCM is inviting letters of inquiry for projects that examine the key drivers and implications of rising health care spending, with a focus on costs, affordability, quality, and access. The Institute is particularly seeking solutions-oriented health care research that evaluates or informs public and private sector strategies and policies, including at the state and federal levels. All proposals should be geared towards improving the value of health care in the U.S. 

LOIs Due: June 8, 2026, 5:00pm ET

Spencer Foundation: Research-Practice Partnerships - Collaborative Research for Educational Change

This program supports collaborative research partnerships between scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and community stakeholders that drive educational improvements for learners, educators, families, communities, and institutions where learning and teaching happen. It emphasizes shared governance, diverse learning contexts, and capacity-building, with a focus on PreK-12, higher education, rural, international, and community-based settings.

Pre-Proposals Due: July 10, 2026, 12:00noon CT

NSF TIP & STRIDE Ventures: AI Efficiency Challenge

The challenge invites proposals that accelerate the commercial adoption of translation-ready solutions to dramatically improve the efficiency of at-scale AI/Machine Learning systems and data centers. The initiative aims to enhance capacity-building and competitiveness of U.S.-based AI companies by reducing the cost of training and inference, addressing near-term limitations on data center capacity and accelerating the time to market of new models.

Webinar 
May 28, 2026
1:00pm -2:00pm
Register Here


Applications Due: July 13, 2026

NSF TIP: X-Labs

NSF X-Labs is a new initiative to tackle pressing scientific challenges through novel and innovative research partnerships. Labs are comprised of independent teams of researchers, engineers and entrepreneurs pursuing milestone-based federal funding to solve specific scientific challenges. The first round of NSF X-Labs funding opportunities invites proposals on two topics:

Scientific Instrumentation for Sensing and Imaging 
NSF is seeking X-Labs to build the next generation of scientific instruments, drawing on quantum sensing, artificial intelligence-driven computational imaging and entirely new chemical modalities.

Webinar 
May 28, 2026 
12:00pm - 1:00pm CT
Register Here

Proposals Due: July 13, 2026, 5:00pm CT

Quantum Systems: Interconnects and Integrated Photonics 

NSF is seeking X-Labs to develop novel components to transfer quantum information and integrate heterogeneous quantum systems — key enablers of the computing frontier beyond classical systems.

Webinar
June 4, 2026
1:00pm - 2:00pm CT
Register Here

Proposals Due: July 24, 2026, 5:00pm CT

Mark Foundation for Cancer Research: Samuel Waxman Institute for Aging & Cancer Request for Proposals

This funding aims to enable collaborations that bring together complementary expertise to address the fundamental role of aging in cancer. Applications addressing solid tumors and/or blood cancers are encouraged. Proposals must justify the partnership through synergistic scientific aims.

Research supported by this program will advance our understanding of the rising incidence of cancer due to aging, with a special emphasis on the role of inflammaging and immunosenescence as common drivers of aging and cancer. Projects are encouraged to incorporate patient samples, datasets, and/or experimental models that can be stratified by age (e.g., aged animal models, models of premature aging, cellular models derived from young versus aged individuals).

LOIs Due: June 15, 2026, 5:00pm ET

John Templeton Foundation Grants

The mission of the John Templeton Foundation is to support interdisciplinary research and catalyze conversations in order to create a world where people are curious about the wonders of the universe, free to pursue lives of meaning and purpose. The foundation invests in bold ideas from contrarian thinkers that cross disciplinary boundaries and challenge conventional assumptions. Topics of interest in the 2026 cycle include the following:

• Character Virtue Development
• Individual Freedom & Free Markets
• Life Sciences
• Mathematical & Physical Sciences
• Religion, Science & Society
• Public Engagement

Initial Inquiry Applications Due: July 15, 2026, 11:59pm ET

Important Updates

CITI Program Webinar
Demystifying Grant Application Reviews
Thursday, May 21, 2026
1:00pm CT


This webinar provides an overview of common grant review processes and scoring criteria, and why strong projects are sometimes not funded. The webinar discusses how applications are assessed, common reasons for unfavorable reviews, and strategies for interpreting reviewer feedback to strengthen future submissions.

Register Here.

Hanover Research Webinars

Building Grantseeking Capacity & Culture​

Thursday, May 28, 2026

11:00am CT

Organizations striving to grow their funding portfolios inevitably face critical questions about how to strategically build the infrastructure required to seek, manage, and sustain grant funding over time. This webinar will explore comprehensive best practices and key considerations for developing this capacity—whether you are in the early stages of establishing a grants function or looking for proven strategies to strengthen and expand your existing efforts. ​

Register Here.

• 2026 Calendar of Webinars
• Recently Uploaded to the Archives: Pathways for Effective Research Translation

CCTS: Summer Translational Research Summer Series
Each Wednesday, June 10 - July 29
3:30pm - 4:30pm CT
via ZOOM

This program provides precursory skill training for scientists and research professionals in the formative stages of their translational research careers and covers topics such as biostatistics, epidemiology, community research, and team science, and are taught by experienced faculty and senior leaders. Participants will gain key skills that can be applied to their academic and professional endeavors.

Register Here.

Conflict of Interest Disclosures - Don't Wait!

Effective May 1, 2026, Conflicts of Interests disclosures are checked as part of the new proposal process, but don't wait until the seven-day OSP review window to report known or potential COIs.

Contact the Office of Research Integrity and Compliance as soon as possible to vet COIs and initiate a Conflict Management Plan. Without advanced notice, there is no guarantee the COI Management Plan can be in place within the new seven-day review window - and that could lead to non-submittal.

Need More Information? Reach out to the Research Integrity Office and click Here for comprehensive information on Policy, Management Plans, Checklists, FAQS and more!

Required Training Reminder:

Remember all project personnel - regardless of funding source or role on the project - are required to have the following up-to-date training modules:

• CITI AU Basic RCR Training for ALL Faculty, Staff, Postdocs, and Students
• CITI Research Security (Combined) courses.

Personnel should use their official (no aliases) Auburn email address to ensure courses are accurately tracked.

Instructions for accessing CITI accounts are available Here.

Hanover Research Queue Proposal Review Availability

Slots available July 3 - July 20 and after September 28


Auburn University has partnered with Hanover Research for a number of grant development solutions including Pre-proposal Support; Proposal Development; and Capacity Building. Hanover's full-service grant development solutions are available to set goals, build strategies to achieve key grant-seeking objectives, and develop grant proposals that are well-planned, researched, and written. 

For information regarding Hanover’s core capabilities and project timelines, click here. If you are interested in a slot in the queue, please e-mail Christine Cline.

Hanover GLC Modules for NIH, NSF-CAREER & Grant Development


The Hanover Research Grants Learning Center (GLC) on-demand grant development training portal offers faculty enrollees the unique opportunity to receive targeted training through self-paced, interactive modules with step-by-step guidance and templates for prospective applicants to develop compelling proposals. In addition to NIH and NSF-CAREER modules, AU faculty now have access to a variety of new modules on grant seeking, development and revisions.

Auburn faculty interested in signing up for this training should contact Christine Cline for registration information.

Free CITI Training Modules

Auburn subscribes to several training modules via the CITI Program website that may be of interest to researchers and research administrators. Each module is self-paced and can be finished in one or multiple sessions. Click on the link above to read descriptions.



• Essentials of Grant Proposal Development
• Essentials of Research Administration

Our editorial team is keeping abreast of the current status of federally funded opportunities. Such opportunities advertised here, to our knowledge at time of publication, are active. However, please continue to check solicitation websites for updates to U.S. Government opportunities of interest.

When perusing a solicitation, 1) make sure you are viewing the latest version, 2) read all notes in the headers and margins, and 3) follow provided links to ensure a solicitation is still active and accepting applications.