The fundamental goal of Council programs is to help faculty in all disciplines move into a better position to apply for and receive extramural funding for their research and scholarship activities. These guidelines support the Council's long-standing commitment to scholarly work in the fine arts and humanities, while also urging faculty in those areas to continue efforts to secure extramural sponsors. All large research grants are routed through the Research Foundation's peer review system for evaluation of the science or scholarly or artistic merit, and for determination of the final award amounts. The system is composed of faculty members from the Storrs and regional campuses and, when additional expertise is needed, from the Health Center in Farmington.
Every attempt is made to choose reviewers with expertise in the proposal's specific research topic.
The ad hoc reviewers critique the proposal for merit of the overall idea, soundness and feasibility of the research plan, organization and clarity, and competence of the investigator. The Review Panel convenes. Primary panel reviewer presents report on proposal, followed by open discussion, including careful scrutiny of widely differing ad hoc reviews. The Panel also prepares a detailed summary statement and comments on the proposed budget. The Subcommittee meets to discuss the proposal, checks that it has received a fair hearing from the Panel and prepares specific budget recommendations, taking into account overall Council objectives and available funds.