Study Panel guidelines:

Each person will read 1 proposal as Lead Panelist and 1 proposal as Scribe.

Lead Panelist assignments: Please write a detailed review. During the panel meeting, you will be responsible for presenting this proposal and for leading the discussion. Although you will not write the panel summary, you will contribute to it.

Scribe assignments: Write a briefer review, listing the strengths and weaknesses of the proposal. During panel discussing, bring out points not made by Lead Panelist before the general discussion ensues. During the panel meeting, you will contribute to the discussion and will be responsible for writing a summary of the panelπs consensus.

Evaluation Guidelines

Comment on the following points in your reviews. (Some may be given more weight than others, depending upon the proposal)

∑ Is the proposal addressing a fundamental question in bioenergetics?

∑ Are the approaches logical, realistic, and creative?

∑ Is the research innovative?

∑ Will the projected outcome be exciting?

∑ Is the proposed research groundbreaking or pedestrian?

∑ Can the proposed experiments be done here (at UA)?

Give each proposal that you review a score:

Excellent: Addressed all points. Almost no weaknesses. New and exciting research path, promises to produce new breakthroughs.

Very Good: A very strong proposal, with few minor weaknesses. Interesting science that could lead to breakthroughs.

Good: Interesting proposal with some strong points, but with some substantial weaknesses as well. Could be improved.

Fair: Weaknesses outweigh the strengths, but some good ideas in it. Requires a lot more work to get into proper shape.

Poor: Bad science, poorly written, wasted your time. Not salvageable.

Assignments & timing

Reviews:

Turn in your review of the proposal for which you are a lead panelist by 8PM the night before the study panel (Wed., April 4) by email to the study panel coordinator (Kevin.Redding@ua.edu). Turn in your review of the proposal for which you are a scribe by 1PM on the day of the panel (Thursday, April 5). These should be Word or text documents (so that the scribe can cut and paste, if necessary.) This will allow adequate time for reviews to be sent to scribes and for the coordinator to print things out before the panel meeting.

Before Panel meeting:

Read reviews of all proposals you are evaluating. Read the summary of all proposals in the panel to which you are assigned (i.e. the other two). Feel free to read any proposals not assigned to you, if you wish.

Panel meeting:

Bring all materials you will need: hard copies of your reviews, hard copies of proposals you reviewed, a computer, etc. We will need to be efficient with our time, so have your comments ready and make them brief and to the point. We will not have time for you to re-read your proposals during the meeting or for you to make long speeches. So come prepared.
For each proposal, this will be the sequence of events:

1. Lead panelist will present a summary of the proposal to the panel. This should be a succinct description of the proposal. (5 minutes)

2. Lead panelist will present his/her critique of the proposal to the panel. This should also be concise and focus on the most important points, both positive and negative. (5 min.)

3. Scribe will add their comments, focusing on things not mentioned by the lead panelist (no need to repeat points already made) and on points where they disagree with the lead panelist. (5 min.)

4. General panel discussion lead by the lead panelist. Scribe will keep good notes. This is the most important part of the meeting, in which the panel needs to come up with a consensus on the proposal, including a rating.
(5-10 min.)

5. The scribe will write a summary statement. (This is due by midnight of day of the panel.) It is best to have this started before the meeting is over, so that comments can be obtained from all members.

After Panel meeting:

Scribes will turn in panel summary statements by midnight. Coordinator will distribute to all panel members for their comments and approval by email. After the edited versions have been approved, they will be sent to the proposal writers.