Peer review of grant applications: a simple method to identify proposals with discordant reviews

PLoS One. 2011;6(11):e27557. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0027557. Epub 2011 Nov 14.

Abstract

Grant proposals submitted for funding are usually selected by a peer-review rating process. Some proposals may result in discordant peer-review ratings and therefore require discussion by the selection committee members. The issue is which peer-review ratings are considered as discordant. We propose a simple method to identify such proposals. Our approach is based on the intraclass correlation coefficient, which is usually used in assessing agreement in studies with continuous ratings.

MeSH terms

  • Dissent and Disputes*
  • Financing, Organized*
  • Peer Review / methods*
  • Research Design*