NSB 97-72
March 28, 1997
RESOLUTION APPROVED BY THE NATIONAL SCIENCE BOARD
AT ITS 342ND MEETING, MARCH 27-28, 1997, CONCERNING
NEW GENERAL CRITERIA FOR MERIT REVIEW OF PROPOSALS
WHEREAS competitive merit review, with peer evaluation,
is the National Science Foundation's accepted method for informing its
proposal decision processes; and
WHEREAS the Board requested that the general review criteria
adopted by the Board in 1981 be re-examined in light of the Strategic
Plan for NSF, as approved by the Board in October 1994; and
WHEREAS in October 1996 the Board received a discussion
report of its Task Force on Merit Review (NSB/MR-96-15), and asked the
Director to share that report with the Nation's research and education
community for comments; and
WHEREAS comments received from the community have been
fully considered, resulting in several improvements to the proposed
criteria, which the Task Force has incorporated into its final report
( NSB/MR-97-05);
-
Now, therefore, be it RESOLVED that the National
Science Board:
- APPROVES the criteria set forth in the final report;
- APPROVES their use for all proposals reviewed beginning October
1, 1997;
- AUTHORIZES the Director, NSF, to proceed expeditiously with all
steps necessary for complete implementation by that date; and
- REQUESTS the Director to report to the Board at its meetings in
August and November 1997 on the status of implementation and use
of the new criteria.