Federal Research: DOE Is Providing Independent Review of the Scientific Merit of Its Research

Abstract

In March 1999, we reported on peer review procedures in 12 federal science agencies, finding that all of them were using peer review to assess research proposals. One of these agencies was the Department of Energy (DOE), which referred to its process as "merit review with peer evaluation." You subsequently asked that we conduct a follow-up study to determine whether DOE had implemented the "merit review" procedures the agency said it had established. You requested that we determine (1) what procedures DOE has established for performing merit reviews and (2) whether DOE could document that it has followed the merit review procedures it has established. As agreed with your offices, the scope of our work was limited to DOE's Office of Basic Energy Sciences in the Office of Science and the Office of Power Technologies in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy We reviewed the merit review procedures and practices of these two offices and analyzed the merit review files for selected projects and programs at headquarters, one DOE operations office, one DOE field office, and two DOE laboratories.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2000
Accession Number
ADA377898

Entities

Organizations

  • United States Government Accountability Office

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Business Administration
  • Climate Change Adaptation
  • Contractors
  • Contracts
  • Electronic Mail
  • Energy
  • Energy Efficiency
  • Energy Storage
  • Engineering
  • Environmental Restoration And Remediation
  • Management Personnel
  • Materials Science
  • Personnel Management
  • Renewable Energy
  • Research Facilities
  • United States
  • Waste Management

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy Engineering.
  • Systems Analysis and Design