Announcements
- The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development has a federal matching program for federal proposals that require more than $1M in State matching funds. Eligible sponsors are limited to NSF, the US Dept of Energy, or the US Economic Development Administration, and FY26 applications must focus on nuclear energy, mobility, life science, or advanced computing sectors to be considered. If your application meets these requirements, reach out to your Grants Specialist to determine next steps. Letters of support that demonstrate State interest without direct funding commitments may also be requested.
- A virtual townhall for DASH Research ECC will be held on October 27 from 2-3pm to discuss the new effort certification process. PIs with active awards are strongly encouraged to attend. More info and the access link are available on the DASH Research ECC site.
- Beginning November 1, all requests for International Travel and Visitors Engaged in Research must be completed through DASH Research. ORI is holding a virtual training session on Tuesday, October 28 from 12pm-1pm. Click here to join the webinar. In the meantime, resources and guides are available on the DASH Research SharePoint Site.
Limited Submission Competitions
The following programs have a limited submission requirement.
| Sponsor/Program | Internal Deadline | Limitations or Special Considerations |
| ORAU Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards | November 5, 2025 | Eligibility is restricted to full-time assistant professors within two years of their initial tenure track appointment at the time of application (i.e., appointment began between January 1, 2024, to January 7, 2026). This is a full internal competition. A letter from your Department Head is required. See link for template. |
Internal Grant Competitions
| Sponsor/Program | Deadline | Limitations or Special Considerations |
| Mocs Innovate Mini-Grant Program | December 15, 2025 | Open to any UTC faculty or staff member. For additional information, please email [email protected]. |
| FY26 Open Publishing Support Fund | Rolling through 6/30/26 | Lead authors/applicants are limited to 1 award per fiscal year. |
External Funding Opportunities
ORSP has standardized the process for proposal notification, development, and submission. Click here to learn more and view required internal deadlines.
Looking for research development assistance? Learn more about ORSP’s Research Development services and request support here.
| Sponsor/Program | Deadline | Limitations or Special Considerations |
| NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Directorate for STEM Education (IUSE: EDU) | January 21, 2026 | Deadline for Level 1 proposals only. An individual may serve as PI or co-PI on no more than 3 proposals submitted to this program per federal fiscal year. |
| DoD FY25 Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Navy and Marine Corps Science and Technology N0001425B001 | Rolling through September 30, 2026 | Pre-application requirements and restrictions vary by program. See BAA for details. |
Sponsored Projects Policy Spotlight: Overlap on Current and Pending Support Forms
The federal templates for current and pending support forms require PIs to describe any known or potential overlap with the proposed project for each current or pending project listed in the form. This applies at both the proposal and reporting stages. NIH has provided a handy breakdown here of the three types of overlap you should report: scientific overlap, budgetary overlap, and commitment overlap. While the discussion is focused on NIH, the guidance can be generally applied to other federal sponsors. For NSF specific guidance, see the personnel document webpage here.
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