| When a proposal is
received by USIJI, a manager for the proposal is designated. The proposal
manager is responsible for initially checking the proposal for completeness
and notifying the project's developers about incomplete areas in the proposal
that require additional information, clarification, or consultation. A
proposal that is relatively complete from a technical standpoint is advanced
to the next stage in the evaluation process, the technical screening.
In the technical screening phase,
USIJI contractors quickly review the proposal against the USIJI technical
criteria to identify gaps and technical problems. Project developers then
receive the results of the technical screen and are given the opportunity
to amend or clarify the proposal. The revised proposal is then re-evaluated
to determine whether it is ready to advance to the technical review.
The technical reviewers include
recognized experts drawn from government agencies, national laboratories,
and private industry and represent a broad range of scientific disciplines.
Reviewers are required to sign and return nondisclosure forms and to confirm
in writing that they have no conflicts of interest that might compromise
standards of impartiality. The reviewers for each project category return
written evaluations for each proposal to the USIJI and meet as a group
to discuss and clarify comments.
Project developers have one more
opportunity to address additional deficiencies identified in the detailed
review. The USIJI Secretariat then determines if the revised proposal reasonably
meets all the USIJI criteria for advancing to the Evaluation Panel. Only
projects recommended for acceptance into USIJI are forwarded to the Evaluation
Panel. The proposal managers draft decision memoranda on all proposals
that will be presented to the Evaluation Panel. The Evaluation Panel also
receives a separate summary of comments from the technical review.
Project developers are notified
of the status of their proposals, and a public announcement of the projects
accepted into the USIJI portfolio is made. Developers of accepted projects
receive certificates of recognition and further instructions for reporting
under the USIJI and may be invited to participate in public recognition
events sponsored by the Panel. The USIJI also attempts to advise applicants
whose proposals were not accepted on proposal revision and reapplication
for acceptance. Applicants are permitted to reapply with modified versions
of rejected proposals as often as they wish. |
Copyright © 1999 USIJI
