Pilot Process to Revise Merit Review Criteria

Merit review is the evaluation, conducted by a committee of researchers and knowledge-users that assesses both the scientific merit and potential impact of research projects that engage knowledge-users. The merit review criteria have been revised on a pilot basis. The revised criteria were developed in consultation with the chair and merit review panel for the Knowledge to Action funding opportunity.

In the past, merit review funding opportunities at CIHR have included separate evaluation criteria for potential impact and scientific merit. From observing merit review panels and through informal discussion with panellists, it became clear that, while scientific merit and potential impact are clearly distinct constructs, the two sets of evaluation criteria previously developed for them did not capture this distinctiveness. There had been an on-going debate as to which evaluation criteria fit best under each of the two categories. CIHR Knowledge Translation Staff conducted a concept analysis of the evaluation criteria from each of the CIHR integrated KT funding opportunities and concluded that a common set of criteria could be used to assess both scientific merit and potential impact. This approach was validated through consultations with the Knowledge to Action merit review panel, who have since informally tested the new criteria and found them to be a significant improvement in terms of providing conceptual clarity for their deliberations.

We would like to reiterate that we are considering the proposed changes to be a pilot – if we sense from the Synthesis and Knowledge to Action panels that they are not an improvement over the previous version, then we will consult the panellists to determine how to improve them.

If you have any questions about the new criteria or how they were developed, please do not hesitate to contact Jacqueline Tetroe 613-946-1287 or Adrian Mota 613-954-1944.