Peer Review - before you submit

It can be extremely frustrating to read reviewer comments on your grant application when you have been turned down for funding. But, one way to alleviate surprises that may show up in reviewer comments is to engage a network of reviewers before you submit. Below are some recommendations for selecting and recruiting internal reviewers.

Aim for three
ORDE suggests that PIs try to find at least three people to review their grants before submitting. This gives you a nice diversity of perspectives and ups your chances that you'll hear some feedback that will allow you to revise your application in such a way that you don't hear that same feedback in your agency review.

Choose the right level of reviewer expertise
Certainly, you want to have people with the right expertise to emulate those who will review your grant at an agency. Look for folks in your field who will be familiar with the concepts you're using, but not those who are so close to the project (e.g., Co PIs) that they may overlook some of the same problems in your application that you've overlooked.

Find a layperson
We've heard several seasoned PIs say that they have a family member (a grandma, a daughter, a spouse, etc.) review their proposal before submitting. These generous family members are able to give feedback on whether your argument is clear, if you've adequately described the need for your research, and whether the proposal includes too much jargon. This is a useful perspective, especially if the agency you're submitting to may include lay people as reviewers.

Give direction
I've found that at times when I ask a colleague to review my writing, if I'm not clear with them on what I want, they sometimes go through and simply identify grammatical and/or spelling errors. This is certainly helpful, but not until I have a fairly final product. But, when folks don't know what to look for, they often focus on the little things. So, give your reviewers direction. Depending on how busy they are, you may want to send one piece of your proposal to a colleague or friend and have them assess one aspect, such as whether you've shown the potential impact of your project clearly and compellingly.

Give time and a heads up
Those in the grants game know that even when you start early, time is always of the essence when you're developing an application. Yet, if you want to adequately use internal reviewers before you submit, and you want them to continue talking to you, it's important to give them time. Even before you have something to review, it's a good idea to identify those you want to review your application and ask them if they're willing. Then let them know when to expect a draft and when you need it back (giving them a week is usually appropriate). Lastly, make sure that you have enough time to really use their feedback. If they give you comments, you need to make sure you have time to incorporate them in a revision, otherwise it's all for naught.

Resources
ORDE can help! If you are faculty member for CU Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus, Associate Director, Naomi Nishi, will review your grant overview and project description from a lay perspective, if you get it to her at least a week before routing through OGC. Email her to set it up.