FOI2022/00227: Success rates on a per value and per grant number basis for all EPSRC panels since January 2017.
Case reference FOI2022/00227
Published 11 November 2022
Request
Request Received: 8 July 2022
Dear Information team,
Thank you very much for your response. The information you sent me did not go beyond what is already published on your web-interface. In fact it is less, because it does not include, for example the value of panel rejected grants.
From your justification, it is not clear to me why you feel unable to send me the requested information.
I understand that your main concern is confidentiality and your that the release of the information may "prejudice UKRI's capacity to successfully attract applicants to participate in any future competition processes."
The second reason is particularly puzzling to me. I can follow the reasoning that sharing scoring information could, potentially, identify candidates. However, the bulk of the information I requested was grant number, grant value and whether or not accepted. This information can in no way be used to identify unsuccessful candidates. So there are no confidentiality issue.
In order to lay to rest any remaining concerns about confidentiality, I re-formulate my FOI and ask for summary data only. Please find below my re-vised FOI request:
Please send me the success rates on a per value and per grant number basis for all panels since January 2017.
This information is of essential interest to the public because it will provide information whether or not there is a value bias in the application approvals, and will thus provide information about the effectiveness of the EPSRC peer review process.
Please calculate this data as follows:
For each panel of EPSRC, split up the data into three classes of grants according to the amount asked:
£0-150000 , £150001-£400000, £400001 - unlimited
For each of the three classes and each panel, please report:
1-Number of grants that did not go to panel (but would have done so had they been of sufficient quality).
2-Number of grants that were rejected by panel
3-Number of grants accepted by panel.
4-Combined Value of grants that did not go to panel (but would have done so had they been of sufficient quality).
5-Combined of grants that were rejected by panel
6-Combined of grants accepted by panel.
Please send this to me as an Excel file where the first column should be the name of the panel. The remaining 6x3 = 18 cols should contain the information requested above for the relevant panel.
Response
Response Sent: 2 August 2022
Full details of this response are provided in the attached documents.
Documents
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