WIKIMEDIA, AREYNAbsent from the many analyses and discussions of scientific peer review are two intangible but very important byproducts: 1) feedback to the applicant and 2) exposure of the reviewers to new hypotheses, techniques, and approaches. Both of these phenomena have a virtual mentoring effect that helps move science forward. Such learning can occur as a consequence of both manuscript review and grant application review, but the review of grant applications, by its very nature, is more iterative and impacts the direction in which research moves very early in the investigation.
The primary mission of reviewing grant applications is to identify the strongest research proposals based on intrinsic scientific merit, hypotheses posed, and feasibility of the approach. At the very least, reviewers will identify the strengths and weaknesses of the application, usually coupled with a scientific merit score, which are then communicated back to the applicant. Thus begins a subtle dialogue between reviewer and “reviewee.”
The simplest form of review is done online, with reviewers sharing their critiques with the applicants electronically. Sometimes, online reviews can include a “chat” or conferral period during which the two (or sometimes three) reviewers may discuss their initial critiques and scores, and then refine either or both to reflect the exchange.
More in-depth reviews can involve regularly convened panels of ...
