Since its inception, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation has received over 3,000 proposals from researchers around the world, and funds the highest quality projects. In evaluating these proposals, the Foundation employs a peer-review process modeled closely on those used by other major scientific research institutions and organizations, including the National Institutes of Health. The scientific peer-review process ensures the quality and relevance of research activities, and helps maintain the scientific objectivity and credibility of the grant-making program. All reviews of proposed research projects are based on their relevance (particularly to pediatric AIDS), scientific merit, and promise.

The Foundation's grant-making process begins when the Foundation issues a formal Request for Applications (RFA), which is distributed to thousands of researchers worldwide.

General RFAs allow the Foundation to identify promising new ideas on the cutting edge of HIV/AIDS research; targeted RFAs are designed to elicit applications from scientists working in areas that have been deemed critically important by Foundation think tanks and scientific advisors. RFAs and calendars are posted on, and available to, investigators from the Foundation's website.

Investigators are required to submit a pre-application letter of intent (LOI). LOIs are reviewed and pre-screened by internal Foundation staff and members of the advisory board assigned to a particular program committee, and full grant applications are solicited from those investigators whose LOIs are most highly recommended.

Each full application is appraised in depth by three reviewers who present their findings to a panel of between 10 and 20 other members of the advisory board. This panel discusses the proposals, allowing for an interdisciplinary exchange of ideas, and scores them by confidential ballot. Proposals are prioritized for funding based on the reviewers' average scores. Funding recommendations are presented to the Foundation's Board of Directors, which has final authority for approving grant disbursements. Both LOIs and full applications are evaluated according to the following criteria:

• The scientific merit of the proposal;
• Priority for pediatric HIV/AIDS;
• The degree of innovation in concept and design/originality;
• The relevance of the research to the control of the pandemic or to the benefit of patients with AIDS or AIDS-related conditions, with particular emphasis on pediatric HIV/AIDS;
• The qualifications, experience, and productivity of the investigator(s);
• The facilities available and their ability to perform research; and
• The likelihood of success.

Note: We may consider proposals for studies in adults but the research must have relevance to pediatrics (i.e. vaccine research).

In addition to the expertise of the reviewers and the cooperative nature of the process, confidentiality and the avoidance of any conflict of interest are critical components of our peer review.

Once an application is awarded, significant research progress is determined annually by the evaluation, review, and approval of a progress report (for the Elizabeth Glaser Scientist Award and International Leadership Award) or interim progress report (for the Scholar Award and International Scholar Award), approval of the budget, and an in-person presentation of research accomplishments (for the Elizabeth Glaser Scientist Award and International Leadership Award). As with all of our research programs, reports of research accomplished are an important part of yearly review and will determine whether funding will be continued. All progress reports are reviewed non-competitively by the original reviewers of the award and/or internal Foundation staff and external members of the advisory board. Awardees are encouraged to submit reprints, preprints, or abstracts with the progress reports. Reports of unpublished research are considered confidential information.

Payments for awards are disbursed quarterly and are based upon the period of award: five years for the Elizabeth Glaser Scientist Award, three years for the International Leadership award, two years for Basic, and two years for the Scholar/International Scholar Award. The final payment for the award is not disbursed until the final Report of Expenditures (ROE), scientific progress report, lay progress report, and post-award information sheet have been approved by the original reviewers, the advisory board, and/or internal Foundation staff. The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foudation maintains complete information on leveraged funding for all programs, as well as an up-to-date bibliography for scientific papers resulting from Foundation funding.