Criteria

The review criteria for a Planning Grant are the same as for the White Paper process and listed below.

Overall Impact
Reviewers should provide an overall impact/priority score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the Center for Research, Education and Innovation (CREI) to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, the broad impact to Skoltech and Russia, and science and technology worldwide. The following review criteria and possible additional review criteria (as applicable for the Center proposed) will be scored to assess this overall impact.

Significance and potential impact
Is the problem addressed by the Planning Grant proposal one of great significance to one or more of the target fields? Does the CREI address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field of the center? Does it redefine the boundaries of the disciplines in the research fields? Are the potential benefits sufficiently large to justify the level of investment in the CREI?

Investigators
Are the faculty, collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the proposed research? If they are new faculty in the early stages of independent careers, do they have appropriate experience and training? If established, have they demonstrated an ongoing record of accomplishments that have advanced their field(s)? Do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise? Is the proposed leadership approach, governance and organizational structure appropriate for the Center?
Do the designated leaders of the assembled team possess the appropriate expertise and qualifications to allow them to successfully lead the assembled research group? Do the team leaders and assembled team members possess current, independent research portfolios, strong publication records, and bring critical research and educational expertise to the Center? Do the investigators have a strong intellectual property portfolio and/or a history of support for innovation? Is the research expertise represented in the team sufficiently diverse and interdisciplinary to successfully address the proposed research question? Does the team have a successful track record of working together?

Approach
Does the approach proposed encompass fundamental and applied research guided by a consideration of use? Can it be characterized as “use-inspired basic research”? Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the Center? Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success presented? If the research is in the early stages of development, will the strategy establish feasibility and will particularly risky aspects be managed?

Does the research proposal challenge and shift current approaches to major problems? Does the proposed research utilize novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, or instrumentation? Are the concepts, approaches or methodologies, or instrumentation novel to one field of research or novel in a broad sense? Does the proposal offer a refinement, improvement, or new application of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, or instrumentation?
If the Center involves clinical research, are the plans for: 1) protection of human subjects from research risks, and 2) inclusion of minorities and members of both sexes/genders, as well as the inclusion of children, justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed?

Environment
Will the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Are the institutional support, equipment and other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the proposed Center? Will the Center benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangements, including those for engagement within the larger Skolkovo initiative?

Innovation
Is it likely that the proposed research, results, and solutions can be translated out of the laboratory for broad application? How does the proposed Research Center help promote a culture of Innovation? Is there an educational component or mechanism in support of innovation? Is there support from industry and other stakeholders, and are there mechanisms to engage them with the CREI?

Education
How does the proposed CREI develop new educational curricula, materials and pedagogy? How can these new educational materials impact education at the proposing participants?

Impact on Russia
If successful, will the center have a large impact on Russia’s scientific or technological capability and have long-term societal or economic impact? Do the goals of the proposal have specific impact on the Russian economy, environment, or human resources? Is the potential impact near- medium- or longer term? Is the proposed research possible to carry out in light of national export restrictions?

Impact on Skoltech
Does the proposed center enable and support the research and educational mission of Skoltech? Does the proposed CREI impact the creation of research infrastructure at Skoltech? Is there a plan to cultivate and integrate Skoltech faculty and future Skoltech leadership in the CREI? It is expected that, at the time of full proposal submission, proposers will have identified candidates for faculty and leadership positions at Skoltech associated with the proposed CREI. Is the scope and breadth of the Center sufficient to create a rich intellectual home for six to ten Skoltech faculty as the Center grows to steady state? Does the Center have a credible plan for developing education and innovation out of the research activities that will impact Skoltech?