The proposed science will be the primary reason why an application is either selected for funding or not and will be the area of the application which the reviewers and funding panel will focus upon. While other sections will influence this decision, especially where the application sits within a middle ranking, if the science is not innovative and world-leading the application will have little chance of being funded.
Developing the science within a proposal takes time. It is not recommended that a proposal is rushed to meet a short deadline and that each application should be planned out well in advance to ensure that there is sufficient time for a review of the science is completed. This may mean planning many months ahead of any deadlines.
NHLI Review Process
The NHLI review requirements have been updated and while undertaking independent review of proposals prior to submission is still seen as a cornerstone of a sucessful application, this is now only required for researchers (postdocs, research assistants, research fellows) and Assistant Professors (Lecturers on the old scales), and for anyone applying for a fellowship due to the very high level of competition for those schemes. It is no longer mandatory for those holding positions of Associate Professor or higher. NHLI requires that grant applications are internally reviewed prior to submission.
The review process should be fully embedded in the development of the grant proposal and therefore should take place as it is being prepared and not as an add-on step at the end. Reviewers should be happy to review draft text at an early stage of development, which avoids time being spent on writing a perfect grant application only to change it following reviewers' feedback. Additionally, reviewing at an early stage means the application will be ready for submission at the correct time (see sections on “Approvals” and “Timelines”).
The review process within the Department is managed by the applicant, who can select the reviewers who will be asked to provide information. This allows the correct people to be selected who will provide constructive comments and additional insight. Reviewers should however not be involved in the project or, in the case of junior researchers such as postdocs or fellows, be that person’s line manager. It would be expected that these people would be supporting the application and already providing feedback.
An NHLI Review Template has been provided to assist in this step but it is the process rather than the form which is important, so reviewers may wish to follow a different method.
If you experience any issues in obtaining reviews or are unable to identify anyone to undertake this step, please contact Alun Owen.
MRC Shadow Panels
From December 2025 the MRC will be revising the way it provides funding and will remove all deadlines for its research programmes within it's project, programme and New Investigator Research Grant (NIRG) funding streams.
The College will continue with the existing Shadow Panels, which mirror the MRC panels, Molecular & Cellular Medicine, Infection & Immunity, Population & Systems Medicine and Neuroscience and Mental Health. The panels are made up of Imperial College academics who have previously served on these panels or have significant relevant experience. Applications will still need to be submitted in a complete and final form to the Panels by a set deadline, which will be announced by email and take place 3 times/year. Applications will be reviewed and can then be submitted to the funder.
For any queries about the Shadow Panel please contact the team which supports this process.
Exceptions
There are a few types of applications where it is difficult for the NHLI review process to take place, although in all cases review is highly encouraged. These includes:
- Applications which are highly collaborative and involve many sites. While a review is certainly encouraged it would be expected that with many academics being involved any problems will be identified within the consortium. Typically this would include EU consortium proposals.
- Applications where the proposal is not led by an NHLI academic. Where we are a partner, we may need to follow the process set out by the lead organisation, which may or may not include a review step.
- Commercial contracts, where they may be covered by a non-disclosure agreement or commercial confidentiality.
To confirm if it is appropriate not to under the pre-submission review please contact Alun Owen.