Grant Program
Review and Decision Process
Non-Profit Organizations
All grant applications submitted to FARA are thoroughly reviewed in a professional and confidential "dual-review" process modeled after that used by the NIH. First, FARA's Scientific Review Committee, consisting of the scientists and lay leaders serving on FARA's Board of Directors, with broad experience and knowledge of the field perform a preliminary review. If the application passes the committee’s preliminary review then the peer-review process is initiated. Based on the peer-reviews, as well as the significance and relevance of the proposal to FARA’s mission and strategic priorities, the committee makes an overall recommendation on the proposal to the FARA Board of Directors.
Peer Review
For each grant application, FARA's Scientific Review Committee lead a peer review. In doing so, the Committee draws from FARA's Scientific Advisory Committee and outside the committee, on an ad-hoc basis, based on the specific expertise needed to consider particular applications.
- Supplementation of the peer-review committee will be used whenever a member of the Scientific Review Committee is refused from the process as a result of an association with the application being reviewed.
- The reviewers consider each application on its scientific merits based on its potential for advancing the FARA mission, and assess whether the application should receive FARA funding.
- On the grant application, we ask applicants to recommend reviewers and also to list those individuals that you would not like to have review the proposal.
- All applications and reviews are kept confidential.
FARA Board of Directors
The Board of Directors, including the three scientific members, then review the applications and take into account the comments and recommendations of the Scientific Review Committee.
- The review by the Board of Directors is based on the availability of funds in the FARA treasury and an assessment of future requirements.
- The Board of Directors may decide on full or partial funding of the applications reviewed, or may determine that sufficient funds are not available for some of them.
- The Board of Directors may fund only those grant applications recommended for funding by the Scientific Review Committee.
