Merit Review Process
Instead of having research grant application reviewed by a traditional peer-review panel, the Foundation has developed a merit review panel. These panels are made up of peers drawn from both the research and decision-making communities who can comprehensively evaluate the grant applications at hand. Where appropriate to the objectives of the competition, educators and communication experts may also participate. Panelists give equal importance to both potential impact of the research and the scientific methods proposed. The experience of the research team, their academic setting, home institution and decision-maker partner(s) and dissemination plans for results are all given significant value.
Appeals Process
The recommendation of the Foundation's merit review panel is usually considered final.
There are only two grounds for appealing a recommendation of a merit review panel:
- if there were clear misinterpretations of fact contained in an application; or
- if there was missed/undeclared conflict of interest by merit review panel member(s) that may have contributed to bias in the recommendation.
Disagreeing with the judgment of the merit review panel is not, unfortunately, considered legitimate grounds for an appeal.
If, under these conditions of appeal (clear misinterpretation or missed conflict of interest), the applicant wishes to submit an appeal, it should be sent in a letter documenting the concerns to the Foundation's director of research programs. The following steps will be taken once an appeal request is received:
- The director will evaluate the case and will make a written recommendation to the Foundation's chief executive officer. This includes a recommendation that there are no grounds for an appeal.
- The chief executive officer will then review the written recommendation and make a decision regarding whether or not there are grounds for an appeal.
- If there are no grounds for an appeal this will be communicated to the applicant by the director of research programs.
- If there are grounds for an appeal, an investigation will be made by the chief executive officer on the basis of materials and recommendation provided by the Foundation's research programs unit. A final decision will be made and communicated to the applicant and the chair of the merit review panel.
