Hi Kavita,
In response to your first question, we utilize the NIH scoring range of 1 to 9 as the overall impact score, with our funding cutoff set between 1.0 and 2.99 (high impact). Applications that receive scores in the range of 3.0 to 3.2 may be funded and considered for a process we refer to as “rapid revise and resubmit.” This provides applicants with the opportunity to address critiques raised by our scientific review committee that can be effectively resolved within the timeframe prior to presenting our funding recommendations to the board for official approval.
Our decision on these scoring cutoffs was informed by a thorough analysis of data from recent years, including initial and final scores from reviewers, the variability between these scores, and the typical score of applications we typically choose to fund. It is important to note that while scoring plays a significant role in our evaluation process, we also take into account additional factors such as the career stage of the investigator, the relevance of the research topic, our budget, etc. This approach is very helpful when we are faced with a highly competitive pool of proposals that demonstrate strong scores, and there are budget constraints.
Vanessa Gonzalez
Director of Grant Programs
2510 North Frontage Road, Darien, IL 60561
Direct: 630-737-9724 | P: 630-737-9700 | foundation.aasm.org