The NIH has a review that is double of applications, the GAO report explains. The first degree of review occurs in committees with members who possess expertise in the subject regarding the application. Significantly more than 40,000 applications are submitted into the NIH each and each committee (there are about 100, with 18 to 20 members per committee) reviews up to 100 applications year. The agency usually follows the recommendations for the committee in approving grant applications. Then there is a secondary level of review, by an council that is advisory consisting of external scientists and lay members of the general public, including patient-group advocates as well as the clergy. Peer report about continuing grants occur at the same time as new projects.

National Science Foundation peer overview of grants

The National Science Foundation uses the idea of merit as an element of its peer review process, the GAO report says. Specialists in the field review grant applications submitted to NSF and figure out if the proposals meet certain criteria, including the merit that is intellectual of proposed activity, such as for instance its importance in advancing knowledge; the qualifications for the proposing scientist; in addition to extent to that your project is creative and original. Read more