# Review Criteria by Agency

How NIH, NSF, DOE, and DARPA evaluate proposals, criterion by criterion, and what each
one rewards in practice.

## Review Criteria by Agency

Understanding how proposals are evaluated is critical for writing competitive applications.

### NSF Review Criteria

**Intellectual Merit** (primary):
- What is the potential for the proposed activity to advance knowledge?
- How well-conceived and organized is the proposed activity?
- Is there sufficient access to resources?
- How well-qualified is the individual, team, or institution to conduct proposed activities?

**Broader Impacts** (equally important):
- What is the potential for the proposed activity to benefit society?
- To what extent does the proposal address broader impacts in meaningful ways?

**Additional Considerations**:
- Integration of research and education
- Diversity and inclusion
- Results from prior NSF support (if applicable)

### NIH Review Criteria

**Scored Criteria** (1-9 scale, 1 = exceptional, 9 = poor):

1. **Significance**
   - Addresses important problem or critical barrier
   - Improves scientific knowledge, technical capability, or clinical practice
   - Aligns with NIH mission

2. **Investigator(s)**
   - Well-suited to the project
   - Track record of accomplishments
   - Adequate training and expertise

3. **Innovation**
   - Novel concepts, approaches, methodologies, or interventions
   - Challenges existing paradigms
   - Addresses important problem in creative ways

4. **Approach**
   - Well-reasoned and appropriate
   - Rigorous and reproducible
   - Adequately accounts for potential problems
   - Feasible within timeline

5. **Environment**
   - Institutional support and resources
   - Scientific environment contributes to probability of success

**Additional Review Considerations** (not scored but discussed):
- Protections for human subjects
- Inclusion of women, minorities, and children
- Vertebrate animal welfare
- Biohazards
- Resubmission response (if applicable)
- Budget and timeline appropriateness

### DOE Review Criteria

Varies by program office, but generally includes:
- Scientific and/or technical merit
- Appropriateness of proposed method or approach
- Competency of personnel and adequacy of facilities
- Reasonableness and appropriateness of budget
- Relevance to DOE mission and program goals

### DARPA Review Criteria

**DARPA-specific considerations**:
- Overall scientific and technical merit
- Potential contribution to DARPA mission
- Realism of proposed costs and availability of funds

Frame proposals with DARPA-style impact questions when appropriate:
- **What if you succeed?** — Impact if the research works
- **What if you're right?** — Implications of your hypothesis
- **Who cares?** — Why it matters for national security

### NSTC Review Criteria

**Core Evaluation Dimensions**:
1. **Innovation (創新性)**: Novelty of concept and approach.
2. **Feasibility (可行性)**: Methodology rigor and preliminary data.
3. **PI Capability (主持人能力)**: Track record and expertise.
4. **Value (價值)**: Academic contribution and societal/industrial impact.

For detailed review criteria, refer to `references/nstc_guidelines.md`.