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Assessment Score for Excellence - Applicable for all Schemes apart from Fellowships

Assessment Score for Fit to Scheme – Applicable for Research Programmes Only

Assessment Score for Excellence - Applicable for all Schemes apart from Fellowships

Please select the score that best describes the Excellence of the proposed research according to the definitions below. Consider the full range of scores available.

Score	Excellence
6	Outstanding The proposed work meets outstanding standards in terms of originality, quality and significance and addresses extremely important scientific questions or will enable them to be addressed through technological development.
5	Excellent The proposed work meets excellent standards in terms of originality, quality and significance and addresses highly important scientific questions or will enable them to be addressed through technological development.
4	Very Good The proposed work meets high standards of originality, quality and significance and addresses important scientific questions or will enable them to be addressed through technological development.
3	Good The proposed work is of merit, meets satisfactory standards of originality, quality and significance and addresses reasonably important scientific questions or will enable them to be addressed through technological development.
2	Not Competitive/ Modest The proposed work is potentially of some merit but overall is of inconsistent quality, significance and originality but could result in some useful knowledge.
1	Unfundable/ Poor The proposed work is unsatisfactory in terms of originality, quality and significance and is unlikely to advance the field.
0	Non-Scoring For special cases e.g. flawed in scientific approach, subject to serious technical difficulties, sufficiently unclearly written that it cannot be properly assessed, success depends on the project student or is duplicative of other research

Assessment Score for Fit to Scheme – Applicable for Research Programmes Only

Please score the fit of the proposed research to the specific Research Programme’s objectives (primary criterion), as expressed in the Announcement of Opportunity for that Programme.

Scientific Objectives

Please select the score, from the table of definitions below, which best describes the fit of the proposed research to the objectives and requirements of the Research Programme as outlined in the Announcement of Opportunity for the Programme.

Score	Excellence
6	Outstanding The proposed work meets outstanding standards in terms of originality, quality and significance and addresses extremely important scientific questions or will enable them to be addressed through technological development.
5	Excellent The proposed work meets excellent standards in terms of originality, quality and significance and addresses highly important scientific questions or will enable them to be addressed through technological development.
4	Very Good The proposed work meets high standards of originality, quality and significance and addresses important scientific questions or will enable them to be addressed through technological development.
3	Good The proposed work is of merit, meets satisfactory standards of originality, quality and significance and addresses reasonably important scientific questions or will enable them to be addressed through technological development.
2	Not Competitive/ Modest The proposed work is potentially of some merit but overall is of inconsistent quality, significance and originality but could result in some useful knowledge.
1	Unfundable/ Poor The proposed work is unsatisfactory in terms of originality, quality and significance and is unlikely to advance the field.
0	Non-Scoring For special cases e.g. flawed in scientific approach, subject to serious technical difficulties, sufficiently unclearly written that it cannot be properly assessed, success depends on the project student or is duplicative of other research.

Applicable to Fellowship Schemes only

Responsive Mode Independent Research Fellowships (IRFs)

The NERC Independent Research Fellowship scheme is designed to develop scientific leadership among the most promising early-career environmental scientists, by giving all Fellows five years' support, which will allow them sufficient time to develop their research programmes and to establish international recognition. The primary criterion is the suitability of the applicant and their potential to become a future world class research leader. Track record should be assessed as appropriate to career stage and equal opportunities.

Some Responsive Mode Fellowship proposals will be linked to Research Programmes (for example Omics Fellowships). The Steering Group will determine whether the proposal fits the remit of the Programme, so reviewers are requested to assess the quality of the applicant and the research excellence of the project alone (and not score "Fit to the Programme"). In a few cases, the proposal may have been considered out of remit for the Programme but the applicant is still being assessed for a Responsive Mode Fellowship.

For the Responsive Mode Independent Research Fellowship Scheme, please refer to the appropriate referee guidance on the NERC website

(http://www.nerc.ac.uk/funding/application/howtoapply/forms/)

Research Programme Fellowships

Some Research Programmes support a small number of fellowships as part of the overall programme. Where the reviewer is being asked to score fit to the Programme, the Research Programme Fellowship Proposal form will be used and the reviewer form will request scores for the Fit to Scheme. The Announcement of Opportunity (available on the NERC website at: http://www.nerc.ac.uk/funding/application/assessment/assesscriteria/ao-peer/ ) should be read in conjunction with the specific Reviewer Guidance for Research Programme Fellowships.

For Research Programme Fellowships, please refer to the appropriate referee guidance on the NERC website (http://www.nerc.ac.uk/funding/application/howtoapply/forms/ )