Some feedback would be nice…
I just got two research grant applications rejected this week.
Nothing wrong with that, really, the success rate where I applied is less than 10% so I couldn’t really expect to get the grants. Still, it annoys me a little bit that the letter I got back is just boiler plate. “We receive more applications than we can fund, and unfortunately we could not fund yours.”
That doesn’t tell me if I was close to getting funded or lightyears from it. It certainly doesn’t help me improve on the application if I want to try again.
Some feedback on the applications would really be nice. If not a full reviewer report, then at least a score or something…
Oh well, I still have one grant application under review, this one for the EU Research Council, and here at least I’ve already gotten a review report back, with scores and everything, and it looks really nice, so I have my fingers crossed…
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342-339=+3
December 10th, 2009 at 7:59 am
Unfortunately, I think this is a common phenomenon the world over. In the UK at least, even though it is not specifically stated on rejection letters or funding agency websites, you can contact the relevant grant administrator to request feedback on your application. Typically this won’t be more than a few lines, and often it will come many months later, but it often can address the ‘where did I go wrong’ question. It can’t hurt to ask….
December 11th, 2009 at 9:49 am
My previous PI is going through the same thing right now. Apparently the recession doens’t help; several of the big funding bodies have cut down the amount their handing out.