What is the decision making process on an appeal?
NSERC screens the letter of appeal to determine if it raises a serious issue to be considered in an appeal. If NSERC determines that the letter of appeal does not raise a serious issue, the appellant is advised in writing and is provided with a rationale for the determination. Otherwise, NSERC will make a decision on the appeal. At this stage, NSERC will assess whether the case requires the input of an appeal advisor and if so, the documents constituting the Appeal Record will be sent to the advisor for a recommendation on the disposition of the appeal. Appeal advisors are senior members of the research community with experience in NSERC peer review. This is to ensure an arm’s length review by peers. The appeal advisor’s recommendation for the disposition of the appeal, including a report containing an analysis that addresses the main arguments of the appellant and indicates the main considerations leading to the advisor’s recommendation, is to be sent to NSERC. Following receipt of th
