For all schemes except the Research Networking scheme and Follow-on Funding scheme, applicants whose proposal passes the quality threshold will be given the right of reply to the reviews received. A proposal will pass the quality threshold if it receives two or more reviews graded at four, five or six.
The principal investigator (PI) will be invited to submit a PI response to the reviews and any technical assessments received. This allows applicants to correct any factual errors or conceptual misunderstandings, or to respond to any queries highlighted in the comments from the reviewers. It is not intended to be an opportunity for the applicant to change or reconstitute a proposal in light of the comments.
Applicants are not obliged to submit a response but are encouraged to do so, as responses from applicants are forwarded to the peer review panel and are taken into account when proposals are moderated.
If a response is not received from the PI within the period stated, then the application will proceed to the peer review panel without it.
If a PI considers that a response to a particular review or reviews is not required, they are asked to include a statement to this effect in their response. Here are the points to consider for a PI response:
- there is no need to repeat reviewer comments
- you should aim to keep language neutral in tone, even if you feel strongly about a reviewer’s comments
- it is important to focus on answering questions and addressing any issues raised by reviewers
- you should aim to be specific in your comments
- you should not rewrite the application.
Last updated: 28 February 2022