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Proposal Review Process

By John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis

Are you asking the novel, important, big science questions?

Proposals are evaluated for scientific merit, novel approaches, and rationale for conducting investigative activities at the Powell Center.

The Powell Center’s Science Advisory Board (SAB) reviews proposals and makes recommendations to the Director who makes final decisions about which proposals to support. SAB members recuse themselves from proposal review if conflict of interest is perceived, according to the terms of the Powell Center Code of Ethics.

All proposals are reviewed by at least four SAB members. A summary of the written and panel review comments is sent to principal investigators, often within six weeks after submission. Summaries include descriptions of the strengths and weaknesses of the proposal. Proposals that are unsuccessful can revise and resubmit up to three times.

We strongly encourage you to contact Jill Baron (jill_baron@usgs.gov) ahead of time if you are considering submitting a proposal to discuss your ideas and approach. They can advise whether the ideas are suitable for synthesis and offer guidance on how to develop a successful proposal.

Proposals are evaluated on the following criteria:

1.    Compelling and Urgent: research question(s) tackle important Earth or environmental challenges; the proposal describes why question(s) are critically important right now and how the work will contribute to scientific knowledge.      
2.    Methods: methods are sound and sufficiently described to allow evaluation of their potential for synthesis and analysis success     
3.    Plan of action: provides a clear vision for accomplishing the synthesis    
4.    Outcomes and results: clearly describes the project’s expected research and products and how those outcomes may advance science    
5.    Expertise: invited participants have necessary expertise and technical skills    
6.    Diversity and Broader Impact: group composition is diverse by discipline, career stage, backgrounds, and gender; the proposal articulates how the team plans to build and maintain an inclusive working group culture and contribute to education or STEMM participation beyond the Working Group. 
7.    Justification for coming to the Powell Center: describes why this effort requires a team of experts and must be conducted at a synthesis center. Could the work be done elsewhere?    
8.    Data availability: data are available and accessible     
9.    Model and data management: data and data analytics management plans and plans for dissemination are sound    
10.    Unique contribution: the research and challenge occupy unique and exciting niche(s) that the Powell Center should support    
 

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