In one of the few assessments so far of cost savings for an agency due to a shift from in-person to virtual due to the pandemic, the IG at the National Science Foundation said the agency saved two-thirds of the average cost for peer review of grant proposals.
The report said that about nine-tenths of proposals involve “merit review panels” involving volunteers from members of the scientific and engineering community, which in fiscal 2020 were used in evaluating more than 42,000 proposals and making more than 12,000 awards. It said that those participating virtually receive $200 daily in compensation compared to either $280 or $480 a day in-person if travel is required, plus travel expenses.
In changing to all-virtual reviews early in 2020, the NSF spent 67 percent less over the following 12 months compared with the prior 12 months while processing only 5 percent fewer proposals and issuing only 2 percent fewer awards, it said.
“In addition, according to NSF, using remote panels supports NSF’s efforts to broaden participation by increasing participation opportunities for individuals with small children, individuals with disabilities, and other individuals who cannot travel,” the report said. However, it said that low response rates to demographic questions do not allow for a conclusion regarding the impact on diversity of review panel membership.
It added that “prior to COVID-19, criticism of virtual panels, as compared to in-person panels, included a perceived loss of social interaction and engaged discussion” but that “only 17 percent of NSF staff responding to a remote work survey said in-person panels were needed, whereas 47 percent said they did not see a need for any in-person meetings.”
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