MYTH #5: The funder decides who gets funded

I highlighted that understanding the funding system you’re operating in is an element of a competitive proposal back in the very first myth of this series.

One of the reasons this is so important can be seen in a myth in that it seems un-mythlike: of course the funder picks who gets the funding. It’s right there in the name.

But, in general, funders are really more like facilitators. They oversee the delivery of the funding process but are typically not responsible for determining who gets the cash. Although the funder will have a say in the assessment criteria used, the process used to evaluate the proposals, and any policies that are used, the ultimate decision—what projects are fundable?—will be left to experts in the research area.

It’s a very different process compared to publishing a paper, where an editor may do an initial cull to decide what gets reviewed and what gets an immediate rejection. However, providing the proposal is within remit, portfolio managers at EPSRC will send all proposals out for peer review. The research council does not assess the feasibility of the science or technology. Indeed, portfolio managers are intentionally not experts in the research area they oversee to avoid biases and conflicts of interest.

So, what does determine standard mode funding at EPSRC? It’s the comments from reviewers that are key in the decision-making process because they must provide evidence demonstrating how the proposal meets the assessment criteria (or not). It’s then the prioritisation panel who has the responsibility of moderating the comments (along with assessing the PI response) to create a rank order list.

It’s only once the list is created that a representative from EPSRC will step in to authorise funding as far down the list as their budget allows. Perhaps you could say that it’s decision-making by committee?