Review Process

RSF employs a rigorous multi-disciplinary, multi-stage review process for all applications. Progress at each step of the review process is conditional on positive reviews. Applicants may be asked to respond to questions and/or reviewer comments or notified of decisions at various stages. 

All applications first undergo an internal review by program staff, who are primarily looking for fit with RSF priorities, clarity in presentation, and whether there are sufficient details to assess the proposed project. Those that make it to the external peer review stage will receive a masked copy of the reviewer comments. RSF uses interdisciplinary peer reviewers and advisory committees who have expertise in the proposed topic, data, and/or methods.

Core Research Grant applications follow a two-step application process that begins with a letter of inquiry (LOI). Conditional on the LOI making it through the internal and external review process, applicants are invited to submit a full proposal that will undergo external peer review, followed by committee and president/board review. The full review process takes about 8 months from an LOI deadline to a final decision. 

1. LOI Internal Staff Review: All LOIs will be internally reviewed by program staff to decide which LOIs move forward. Approximately 25-35 percent of the LOIs will move to the next stage.
2. LOI External Peer Review: At least 2-3 external peer reviewers will read an LOI. RSF staff will decide which projects to move forward based on these reviews. Approximately 50 percent of the externally reviewed LOIs will be invited to submit a full proposal.
3. Proposal External Peer Review: At least 3-4 external peer reviewers will read the full proposal. Usually some of them have read the LOI. Proposals that received mostly positive reviews will typically be asked to respond to reviewer comments in detail before moving forward.
4. Proposal Advisory Committee Review: Advisory committee members are external to the Foundation and recruited specifically for their expertise in each of the Foundation’s program areas. Advisory committees recommend which proposals are moved forward to the RSF Board for funding consideration, which proposals are invited to resubmit, and which are declined. Committees and/or staff may ask the investigator(s) additional questions before moving forward.
5. Proposal President/Board Review: All proposals with budgets greater than $75,000 are reviewed by the Board of Trustees, who may decide to fund or reject a project, offer an opportunity to revise and resubmit for a future cycle, ask for further clarification, or approve with conditions. For projects with budgets of up to $75,000, the President makes the final decision.

All early career grants (pipeline grants; dissertation grants; causal research on criminal justice system grants) follow a one-step application process with the direct submission of a proposal. The full review process takes about three to four months from a proposal deadline to a final decision.

1. Proposal Internal Staff Review: All proposals will be internally reviewed by program staff to decide which proposals move forward. Approximately 33-50 percent of the proposals will move to the next stage.
2. Proposal Peer External Review: At least 3-4 peer reviewers will read each proposal. PIs may be asked to respond to reviewer comments in detail before moving forward.
3. Proposal Advisory Committee Review: Each early career program has a standing advisory committee that reviews all proposal materials, including requested PI responses. Advisory committees recommend which proposals to fund or decline.

All fellowship applications follow a one-step application process with the direct submission of a proposal. The full review process takes about five months from the proposal to a final decision. 

The selection of Visiting Scholars is based on both an individual’s demonstrated record of research accomplishments and the scientific merit of the applicant’s proposed project. Several criteria receive special consideration. The project’s relevance to RSF’s declared mission to contribute to “the improvement of social and living conditions in the United States” is given substantial weight—this usually rules out studies of other countries unless they are part of a comparative project aimed at elucidating social and living conditions in the U.S. Strong preference is given to proposals focused on RSF’s priorities.

For working group applications, priority is given to geographically dispersed collaborators, where time together would advance the completion of the project. Working group applications may result in some, but not all working group members being selected.

1. Proposal Internal Staff Review: All proposals will be internally reviewed by program staff to decide which proposals move forward. Approximately 50 percent of the proposals will move to the next stage.
2. Proposal External Peer Review: At least 3-4 peer reviewers will read the proposals.
3. Proposal Board Committee Review: The Visiting Scholar Selection Committee is a board committee that reviews all visiting scholar applications and selects a class of about 15-17 scholars.

All fellowship applications follow a one-step application process with the direct submission of a proposal. The full review process takes about two months from the application deadline. 

1. Proposal Internal Staff Review: All proposals will be internally reviewed by program staff to decide which proposals move forward.
2. Proposal External Peer Review: At least 2-3 peer reviewers will read each proposal.
3. President/Staff Review: The President and program staff will select the visiting researchers based on the external reviews and available housing and office space.