Observer Program: participation from 2017 to 2020

Note: The Reviewer in Training (RiT) program replaced the Observer program. For more information on the RiT program and other capacity development programs, please visit the Reviewer Pathway.

Up until spring 2021, CIHR offered an Observer program for Early Career Researchers (ECRs) to participate as an observer in the peer review process of the Project Grant Program. This program represented an opportunity for ECRs to observe face-to-face peer review committee meetings and gain valuable insights on the review process. As you can see in the table below, the program has always been in high demand:

Project Competition Applicants Participants
Fall 2017 409 67
Spring 2018 491 58
Fall 2018 335 116
Spring 2019 353 106
Fall 2019 206 99
Fall 2020 514 177

Application pressure by committee

Each applicant may select up to two Project Grant Program committees to participate on. Successful applicants are chosen by random lottery, which we believe is a fair approach given the high demand to the program.

It is important to note that as grant application pressure rises in Project Grant Program committees, they may split in two resulting in additional opportunities on these newly formed committees. The table below lists the application pressure and number of participants by committee of the three most recent Observer program competitions:

Committee Spring 2019 Applicants Spring 2019 Participants Fall 2019 Applicants Fall 2019 Participants Fall 2020 Applicants Fall 2020 Participants
BCA 12 2 7 2 15 3
BMA 9 2 2 2 10 3
BMB 16 2 5 2 15 3
BME 13 2 3 2 32 3
BSA 11 1 6 2 14 3
BSB 16 4 11 4 51 6
BSC 15 2 8 2 34 3
CB1 4 2 4 2 10 3
CBB 14 2 10 2 15 3
CBC 8 2 7 2 7 3
CBT 11 4 7 4 18 6
CHI 29 2 14 1 35 3
CIA 20 4 9 3 36 6
CIB 7 2 4 2 18 3
CIC 7 2 3 2 12 3
CID 7 2 6 2 19 3
CMZ 1 1 2 0 5 3
CPT 16 4 5 3 28 6
CSA 2 1 1 1 2 3
CSB 2 1 1 1 10 3
CSC 5 2 0 0 11 3
DEV 8 2 4 2 8 3
DOL 6 2 2 2 10 3
E 1 0 0 0 0 3
G 10 2 10 2 17 3
GMXFootnote * 11 2 - - 15 3
GSH 13 2 8 2 24 3
HDK 4 2 3 2 5 3
HLE 16 2 8 2 11 3
HPM 16 2 7 1 26 3
HS1 73 6 51 6 89 9
IHR 7 1 5 2 13 3
IT 12 2 12 2 19 3
KTR 18 2 14 2 24 3
MCC 5 2 6 2 11 3
MID 13 2 10 2 29 3
MOV 24 2 11 2 32 3
MPI 12 2 11 1 18 3
NSA 20 2 7 2 18 3
NSB 18 2 9 2 13 3
NUT 12 2 6 2 11 3
PB1 38 4 19 4 58 6
PH1 58 4 27 4 56 6
PS 5 1 0 0 5 3
PT 6 2 2 2 5 3
RC1 25 4 18 4 43 6
RS 3 1 5 2 10 3
SDA 11 1 9 2 15 3
VVP 7 2 3 2 2 6
Total 677 106 382 99 984 177
Footnote *

In 2019-09, G and GMX convened as a single committee

* referrer

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