NIH PROPOSES WITHHOLDING PEER REVIEW SCORES FROM APPLICANTS
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a request for information last week proposing to move away from the current peer-review structure. Under the proposal, applicants would no longer receive their final overall impact scores and instead would be placed into one of three categories: “most competitive,” “competitive,” or “not discussed.” While reviewers would still assign impact scores, applicants would receive category designations, written critiques and summaries of the discussion rather than the numerical scores themselves. The NIH said the proposed change is intended to better reflect the broader range of factors considered in funding decisions, beyond peer-review scores alone, and the agency is seeking public feedback on the proposal. The Office of Government Relations (OGR) is closely monitoring this proposal and will provide updates when needed.
