Page Updated: 12-Apr-2007

Evaluation procedure

Once an application has arrived at NATO Headquarters it is registered and allocated to one of the four independent Advisory Panels: the Chemistry/Biology/Physics Panel (CBP); the Environmental Security Panel (ESP); the Information and Communications Security Panel (ICS); and the Human and Societal Dynamics Panel (HSD).

The Advisory Panels meet three times a year to evaluate applications received before the most recent of three annual deadlines. Each Advisory Panel consists of 10-20 experts from the international scientific community who have been appointed by the NATO Committee on Science for Peace and Security. Most members of the Advisory Panels come from NATO countries, complemented by experts from Partner and Mediterranean Dialogue countries.

On the basis of the recommendations of the Advisory Panels, a shortlist is sent to the NATO nations for their endorsement. Grants are awarded by the NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy.

For all mechanisms, except for Science for Peace (SfP) projects, NATO will normally be able to mail the grant letter for a successful application about 6 months after the deadline.

In contrast to the other mechanisms, SfP has a two-step evaluation procedure. The first step involves submitting a short SfP application. The relevant Advisory Panel then selects the best SfP project ideas and NATO invites the applicants of selected short SfP applications to submit a full Project Plan. For this second step the applicants receive a Planning Grant to cover the costs of the preparation of the Project Plan and its presentation to the relevant Advisory Panel. After the presentation, NATO will make the final decision on whether or not to fund the project. Normally, in the two-step evaluation procedure, there is about one year between the deadline for which the short application was submitted and NATO's issuing of the initial grant letter for the project.

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