Peer-Review Guidelines for reviewing grants

I've put this guide together by splicing together review guidelines from several major funding sources. Almost every granting agency will have its own guidelines, and it's most important that the grant writer be guided by those, first and foremost. But these more general questions will help you develop the content of any scientific or technical grant. If you want to see some really good sets of professional guidelines for peer reviewing, try these from the NIH: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/peer/#guidelines.

From The National Institutes of Health (NIH) criteria for reviewing grant applications:

• Significance. Does this study address an important problem? If the aims of the application are achieved, how will scientific knowledge be advanced? What will be the effect of these studies on the concepts or methods that drive this field?

• Approach. Are the conceptual framework, design, methods, and analyses adequately developed, well-integrated, and appropriate to the aims of the project? Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider alternative tactics?

• Innovation. Does the project employ novel concepts, approaches or methods? Are the aims original and innovative? Does the project challenge existing paradigms or develop new methodologies or technologies?

• Investigator. Is the investigator appropriately trained and well suited to carry out this work? Is the work proposed appropriate to the experience level of the principal investigator and other researchers (if any)?

• Environment. Does the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Do the proposed experiments take advantage of unique features of the scientific environment or employ useful collaborative arrangements? Is there evidence of institutional support?

In addition to the above criteria, and in accordance with NIH policy, all applications will be reviewed with respect to the following:

• For clinical research, the adequacy of plans to include both genders, minorities and their subgroups, and children as appropriate for the scientific goals of the research. Plans for the recruitment and retention of subjects will also be evaluated.

• The reasonableness of the proposed budget and duration in relation to the proposed research.

• The adequacy of the proposed protection for humans, animals or the environment, to the extent they may be adversely affected by the project proposed in the application.

The following quotes are taken from The Foundation's Center's "Guide to Proposal Writing." What the Funders Have to Say." As you review the your grant proposal, ask yourself how readers with the following concerns will feel about what you've presented:

"Be thorough in your preparation and research before attempting to initiate contact with a funder."

"Ideas need to stand out. If the format of the proposal helps accomplish that, then it is O.K. But fancy fonts and layout don't carry much weight in and of themselves."

"If it is clear, concise, to the point, everything should be there without having to look for it. There should be meat on the bones but no fat."

"Start with clarity and no fluff. I remember one proposal that was just bullet format. It was clear, succinct and to the point. For a literary point of view, it was dull, but programmatically, it was clear and precise."

"Statistics are important, but can be confusing. Use them when they set the stage and give a context for the project."

"Nothing can beat a clear and logical organization, accuracy in content and numbers, and good editing. Applications that are full of mistakes don't interest
 us."

"We like to see more, rather than less, information is the budget. We want to see how our money will be used, how it will fit into the whole picture."

"I don't like to see in-kind services in the budget when often, it's just a million volunteers licking stamps. It can be a bogus attempt to make a $300,000 budget look like a million dollars."

"What makes me crazy is an organization ignoring our guidelines."

"Don't try to pull the wool over our eyes. Be honest and straightforward."