Assessing health research grant applications: A retrospective comparative review of a one-stage versus a two-stage application assessment process

摘要

Background Research funders use a wide variety of application assessment processes yet there is little evidence on their relative advantages and disadvantages. A broad distinction can be made between processes with a single stage assessment of full proposals and those that first invite an outline, with full proposals invited at a second stage only for those which are shortlisted. This paper examines the effects of changing from a one-stage to a two-stage process within the UK’s National Institute for Health Research’s (NIHR) Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) Programme which made this change in 2015.