Please indicate your overall view of the proposal from a technical point of view referring to the technical review grade descriptors. You are asked to highlight strengths and weaknesses and when outlining any weaknesses you should outline how fundamental these weaknesses are in relation to viability of the project. Can these concerns be rectified by a small amendments or additions or do they require a substantial reconstruction of the project?
Is the approach appropriate to the aims of the project and will it produce the output claimed?
You should bear in mind that this review will be seen not only by the panel but will be forwarded to the Applicant as part of the Applicant response process. You should bear this in mind when raising any issues where clarification would be welcome.
You may wish to look at the guidance provided to applicants on completing the Technical Plan which is available in the Research Funding Guide on the AHRC’s web site. Overall Grade - Technical Reviews| Grade | Definition |
| 6 | Strong Support – the technical aspects of the proposal are strong, well thought out and appropriate to the needs of the proposed project. |
| 5 | Support with advice –the technical aspects of the proposal are sufficient to allow the project to be completed successfully, although there are some issues raised in the review that the P.I. is advised to bear in mind. |
| 4 | Conditional Support – in general, the proposal has addressed the technical requirements of the project but there are one or more issues which would need to be addressed before an award is made. Minor issues may be addressed through PI response whereas larger issues may need to be addressed through a conditional grant offer. Please indicate whether the issues are minor or major. |
| 3 | Unsatisfactory – there are significant concerns about the technical aspects of the proposal. The proposed approach is inappropriate to the nature of the project and would need to be completely revisited. The concerns are of such significance that the project should not be funded as it currently stands. |
| 2 | Insufficient information –the proposal has not provided enough information to enable a review to be provided. The proposal would need to be resubmitted. |
| 1 | Please do not use this grade. |