Modernizing Limited Submission Management | Virginia Tech

The Challenge

At Virginia Tech, the Office of Research and Innovation oversees the university’s limited submission opportunities—funding competitions where institutions are restricted to submitting a limited number of proposals to an external sponsor.

These competitions require careful internal coordination to ensure the strongest proposals move forward.

For years, the office relied on an internally developed platform to manage the process. While it initially met the university’s needs, the system became increasingly difficult to maintain as technology and expectations evolved.

“We previously had a platform that was built in house,” says Nelsen.

Over time, the platform became outdated and harder to manage.

“It was getting a little obsolete and clunky,” she explains.

The system also created challenges for faculty who needed to submit notices of intent or pre-proposals. The interface felt outdated compared to modern online platforms, and administrative tasks often required manual coordination.

The research office needed a more flexible and user-friendly solution that could streamline the process for both administrators and applicants.

The Solution

Virginia Tech transitioned its limited submission management to InfoReady, replacing the legacy system with a modern platform designed specifically for academic program administration.

The office now runs its entire limited submission process through InfoReady—from initial notices of intent to proposal reviews and final notifications.

“We use InfoReady exclusively for our limited submissions process,” Nelsen says.

The platform makes it easier for faculty to submit notices of intent and pre-proposals through a familiar, intuitive interface.

For administrators, InfoReady provides built-in tools to manage reviews, track submissions, and communicate decisions efficiently.

Notifications play a key role in the process. The system automatically informs applicants about deadlines, competition stages, and results, ensuring that faculty always know what to expect.

InfoReady also allows the office to share reviewer feedback directly with applicants. Instead of manually compiling comments, the platform organizes and distributes feedback automatically.

The Results

Since moving to InfoReady, Virginia Tech’s limited submission process has become significantly more streamlined and efficient.

“Bringing our limited submissions on board through InfoReady has really helped us streamline that process a lot,” Nelsen says.

Administrative tasks that once required manual coordination—such as compiling reviewer comments and sending individualized feedback—are now handled automatically.

This has saved valuable time while also improving the experience for faculty applicants.

“Being able to include those reviews directly in the notification email… has really saved me a lot of time,” Nelsen explains.

Researchers benefit from faster communication and clearer feedback, while administrators spend less time on repetitive tasks.

By replacing an outdated system with a modern platform, Virginia Tech has created a more transparent and efficient process for managing limited submissions.

The result is a smoother experience for everyone involved and a research office better equipped to support faculty success.