Know how projects are selected for funding

By Despoina Mademtzoglou, project manager - GO 

Image source: chaylek - stock.adobe.com

Understanding the evaluation process offers valuable insights into reviewer expectations, enhancing your proposal's competitiveness.

Evaluation criteria 

The project’s novelty and feasibility, the consortium’s complementarity, the research’s impact are common criteria, but always consult the call for proposals for specific aspects or extra criteria that the reviewers will be asked to consider. Please note that evaluation criteria may vary from one funder to another, and even between different calls of the same funder.

Evaluation process 

The evaluators/panels and their mode of operation are funder-dependent and -often- information for previous calls will be available (e.g., ERC panels here; ANR process here). NIH even organized mock evaluations in 2023 to explain the evaluation process (recording here). The Grants Office often invites former or active evaluators in its webinars and roundtable discussions.  

The applicants often receive a summary evaluation report. Such reports are sometimes analyzed by research support services (e.g. Grants Offices, grant writers) to help future applicants develop compelling proposals (example for Horizon Europe here). 

Moreover, to learn how projects are selected for funding you can become an evaluator. To express your interest in European Commission proposals, follow this link. In the NIH, you can e-mail the appropriate scientific review officer (details here), and in addition there is a unique program for Early Career reviewers (details here). 

When drafting your proposal, keep in mind that i) proposals will be evaluated by experts and non-experts, and ii) evaluators must go through many applications at limited time on top of their ordinary tasks. Thus, good practices of grant writing can help your application stand out (e.g., graphical abstract, well-spaced text, headings, understandable text, active voice, etc.). 

Awareness of evaluation criteria and selection process empowers you to tailor submissions effectively, increasing the likelihood of securing funding. Do not hesitate to contact the Grants Office in case of questions.