The National Institutes of Health is revising its grants review framework to focus its assessment on the research applications’ scientific merit and reduce reputational bias in grantmaking.
NIH said Thursday the revised review framework will evaluate applications received on or after Jan. 25, 2025, based on three criteria: the importance of research; rigor and feasibility; and expertise and resources.
The first two criteria will be scored using a common scale while the third factor will be evaluated for sufficiency and not given a numeric score.
“Studies have shown that consideration of reputation of the institution or investigator in the grant review process could affect assessment of scientific merit, potentially giving reputation greater weight than other factors,” said Lawrence Tabak, acting director of NIH.
NIH is developing a timeline, policy rollout and training to support the implementation of the simplified review process.
Join the Potomac Officers Club’s 2023 Healthcare Summit on Dec. 6 to hear from government and industry leaders about the emerging innovations and trends in the health care sector. Click here to register for the highly anticipated event.
