Re: Survey of Grant Proposal Reviewers' Anonymous Assessments Howard Kaplan 16 Jun 1997 17:46 EST

Dear David:

 Thanks for your quick response to my request.  Our university's role
in the funding (or non-funding) agency's communication of reviewers'
comments to the faculty is no different from yours.  However, because a
significant component of my office's grant-related services is to work with
faculty to revise and resubmit "rejected" proposals, many of them share the
reviews with us.  More than once, these individuals have given me permission
to use some of their anonymous reviews in grant development workshops, both
on and off campus, with the proviso that I, of course, will remove any
information which might serve to identify them.
 I am hoping that a number of our research administration colleagues
will have access to similar information and be willing to have it shared
anonymously.

Best regards,
Howie Kaplan

At 10:24 AM 6/16/97 -0400, you wrote:
>Dear Surveyor:
>
>At our university, the faculty receive the reviewers comments directly.
>The information that is sent to the Office of Sponsored Programs does not
>include the reviewers' comments.  Therefore, I can not provide the
>information you are seeking.
>
>David Bowen
>
>_________________________________________________________
>
>David Bowen, Asst. Director
>Research & Proposal Development
>Office of Sponsored Programs
>Boston University
>25 Buick Street
>Boston, MA  02215
>
>phone:  (617) 353-4365 (office); (617) 353-4059 (direct)
>fax:    (617) 353-6660
>email:  xxxxxx@bu.edu
>
>
>
>>Dear Colleague:
>>
>>        We are contacting you and other grant development and research
>>administration professionals in order to request your inputs for a grant
>>proposal development book we are preparing under contract with Sage
>>Publications.  One of the book's discussion points is that, in general, more
>>competitive proposals receive reviewers' comments which are quite different
>>from those received by less competitive proposals.  Although this point is
>>obvious, the specifics are not.  You have the specifics.  (For example,
>>former National Science Foundation Program Director Ms. Lola Rogers includes
>>in her grant workshops sample "positive" and "negative" reviewers' comments
>>such as "the discussion reflects familiarity with appropriate literature for
>>the project," and "the proposal lacks focus," respectively.)
>> Our request for you:  in the space below, please quote 1-3 positive and 1-3
>>negative comments made or received by you or your colleagues as elements of
>>anonymous  proposal reviews.  [Please send your response (within the next
>>week or so, if possible), along with any questions or comments, to the above
>>e-mail address; or you may contact either of us by telephone at
>>912-681-4088.  Also, we would appreciate your forwarding this electronic
>>request to colleagues who might have examples to add.  Thank you very much
>>for your participation.]
>>
>>SAMPLE "Positive" and "Negative" comments from grant proposal reviewers.
>>For Each Reviewer's Comment, Please Identify the Program, Office, Agency, or
>>Organization to which the proposal had been submitted and use one or more of
>>the following initials to indicate the type of award being sought:
>>
>>Research (R)/Service (S)/Instruction (I)/Institutional Support (I/S)/Other
>>(Spec.)
>>
>>"Positive"      (1)
>> (2)
>> (3)
>>
>>"Negative"      (1)
>> (2)
>> (3)
>>
>>[What is your position or role in your Agency/Organization/Program? (If you
>>would like a copy of this survey's results or would like to be acknowledged
>>personally in our book, please give your name as well.)]:
>