Appeals of Decisions Based on Peer/Merit Review

Objective

SSHRC is committed to the integrity of its peer/merit review processes. As part of these processes, it has an appeal process that provides applicants with the opportunity to seek reconsideration of a funding decision.

In keeping with the principles of independent peer/merit review, the SSHRC appeal process is managed by individuals who were not involved in the original management or review of the application. Specifically, the process is managed through the office of the executive vice-president, Corporate Affairs.

Policy

Decisions may be appealed only by the applicant named in the application, and only where there is evidence that an error has occurred during the adjudication process managed by SSHRC.

Errors are departures from SSHRC’s policies and procedures, and may include:

• an undeclared or unaddressed conflict of interest;
• a failure by SSHRC staff to provide prescribed information to the adjudication committee; or
• an adjudication committee decision to not recommend an award based on a conclusion that is contrary to information provided by the applicant in the application.

SSHRC will not accept appeals based on:

• eligibility of subject matter;
• a difference in scholarly opinion versus that of peer/merit review committee members and/or assessors;
• disagreement over the interpretation or analysis of facts by adjudication committee members and/or external assessors;
• a lack of external assessments;
• composition of adjudication committee; or
• amount awarded.

Decisions on appeals are final.

Procedure

Appellant

Applicants seeking further information about the review of their application should first contact the SSHRC program officer identified in the letter of decision.

Applicants who have evidence that an error occurred during the adjudication process and that this error resulted in a negative decision on their application, may submit a formal letter of appeal to SSHRC by regular mail or by email.

Appeals must be submitted in writing, postmarked or emailed no later than 60 days after the postmark on the letter of decision that was sent to the applicant.

The appeal must be specific in identifying the error that has occurred; however, no new supporting documents that were not included in the original application may be included in the appeal.

SSHRC

Determining grounds for appeal
Once an appeal is received, a process to determine whether there are grounds for an appeal is administered by staff reporting to the executive vice-president, Corporate Affairs. This process involves the following steps:

1. acknowledgement of receipt of the appeal;
2. analysis of the appeal and SSHRC documents relating to the application and its review;
3. submission of a recommendation as to whether there are grounds for an appeal; and
4. decision as to whether or not to allow the appeal.

Appeal administration
Where an appeal is allowed, it will be referred to an appeals committee well versed in the SSHRC peer/merit review process. This committee will assess the appeal and provide a recommendation to SSHRC. The committee, composed of current or former SSHRC adjudication committee chairs or members, will exclude any individuals that were involved in making the original funding recommendation to SSHRC.

The appeals committee will make its recommendation to SSHRC based on the committee’s review of the documentation originally provided to the adjudication committee, any feedback provided to the applicant, and the appellant’s letter of appeal.

Appeal results
SSHRC will advise appellants of appeal results in writing. Appeals are normally resolved within two to three months from the time they are received by SSHRC.

The appeal procedure may result in:

• the appeals committee deciding to confirm the original recommendation of the adjudication committee; or
• the appeals committee deciding to recommend in favour of the appellant.

Note: Depending on the final ranking of the proposal, a decision in favour of the appellant may not necessarily result in a grant being awarded.

Future Applications

Information on appeals submitted, whether successful in the appeal process or not, will not be provided to adjudication committees reviewing any future applications for SSHRC funding. In any future applications, applicants may comment on any difference in scholarly opinion versus that of prior peer/merit review committee members and/or assessors.