External Reviewer Program

Purpose:

To assist faculty to write more competitive grant proposals for external funding by providing an honorarium for senior scholars from other universities who agree to review their proposals to help strengthen the application.

Eligibility:

Any proposal to a major federal agency (NIH, NSF, NEH, DOE, USDA, etc.) that is submitted by a University of Memphis faculty member as Lead Principal Investigator with a direct cost budget of $500,000 or more. If funding becomes limited, priority will be placed on center grants or other interdisciplinary proposals.

Application Process:

• PI contacts Associate Dean for Research or Department Chair to indicate their interest in requesting external review. PI should identify the funding opportunity and deadline, provide a 1-page abstract of the proposal along with substantially completed scientific proposal documents, and recommend up to 3 potential external reviewers by providing their name, e-mail, phone, and rationale for selection (e.g. prior agency reviewer for the funding program). Except in extraordinary circumstances, only one external reviewer will actually be engaged for proposal review.

• The Associate Dean or Chair forwards the PI’s request and documents to researchdev@memphis.edu at least 30 days prior to proposal deadline to request support and certify that the proposal is review ready.

• PI and Associate Dean/Chair will be notified of acceptance or decline within 2 business days.

• Upon acceptance, it is the PI’s responsibility to initiate contract with the reviewer and work with unit staff to execute an honorarium or consulting agreement with the selected reviewer. The Division of Research and Innovation will transfer $750 to the Department for this purpose.

• A copy of the reviewer’s comments must be provided to researchdev@memphis.edu upon receipt. Failure to provide the comments will render the PI ineligible to request future support from this program.