Who is eligible for Hanover's services?
All Heritage College faculty members and members of Heritage College institutes are eligible to use Hanover's services at no cost to them.
Hanover Research FAQ
How are projects selected for the Hanover queue?
Requests for services and support are evaluated by the Office of Research and Grants based on alignment with Heritage College priorities and availability of service and support queues and tokens based on our annual agreement with Hanover Research.
What types of proposals are appropriate for Hanover to critique?
Hanover works with many different funding mechanisms including individual grants (e.g. K, R0I, R21, R03), programmatic grants, institutional training grants. New submissions, resubmissions, and competing renewal applications are all eligible for services. For resubmissions of unfunded proposals and competing renewal applications, PIs will be asked to provide a copy of the original submission along with reviewers’ comments or summary statement. Hanover will not review grants for internal competitions.
Does Hanover have experience with a wide range of funders?
Hanover has experience with many federal, private, and nonprofit funders such as the NIH, NSF, DOD, PCORI, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
How do I request Hanover's services?
Submit a Project Request Form using the link below. If your project is prioritized for services, ORG will coordinate with Hanover, who will reach out to you regarding next steps.
Submit a Hanover Assistance Request Form (opens in a new window)
Do I need to have the full grant completed for Hanover's review?
For proposal reviews and revisions, most faculty submit the narrative components of the application (e.g., abstract, specific aims, research strategy, project description, etc.). At a minimum, PIs submit the specific aims, research strategy and budget. For resubmissions of unfunded proposals and competing renewal applications, PIs will also be asked to provide a copy of the original submission along with reviewers’ comments or summary statement.
How does Hanover work with each PI?
After a PI's project is accepted in Hanover Research’s pipeline, Hanover Research emails the PI to introduce the assigned grants consultant. Consultation sessions are generally one hour in length and take place via conference call. For proposal review and revision services, Hanover Research first schedules a project initiation conference call prior to the start of work. Project initiation calls give the PI an opportunity to discuss specific areas of concern with the assigned grants consultant and to share reviewer feedback (if available). After Hanover releases its deliverables, the PI is afforded the opportunity for a debrief conference call to discuss Hanover’s critique and to address any outstanding questions or concerns.
How does Hanover protect the confidentiality of investigator materials?
Any proposal materials that an investigator shares with Hanover remain confidential. Materials will only be shared with the Hanover content director and the single consultant working on their proposal.
Will Hanover be reviewing the underlying science/scientific merit of my proposal?
Hanover makes no claim that its grants consultants are subject matter experts who can evaluate the specific science underpinning a research proposal. Rather, Hanover’s value lies in its understanding of proposal and agency nuances that can help investigators competitively reframe proposals in response to a specific solicitation. Hanover seeks to achieve cohesion in the grant narrative and to align the proposal with funding requirements. A Hanover grant consultant may address general scientific elements of a proposal, such as:
- Construct or structure of the hypothesis and methodology: While Hanover does not purport to provide “scientific reviews” that evaluate the specific science underpinning proposals, its grants consultants will flag where they think research questions, aims, and hypotheses could be strengthened and better aligned.
- Literature review: Hanover grants consultants will note places where a citation is needed and has not been included.
- Clarity and focus: When Hanover suspects that narrative content lacks sufficient clarity, consistency, or rigor, Hanover grants consultants will pose questions to encourage the investigator to verify the science, and/or suggest a review by a senior colleague or program officer.
Who do I contact I have any questions?
Please contact Jessica Wingett (opens in a new window), director of research administration and student research, with any questions or concerns.