Applications submitted to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC) are entered into a database and sorted into their appropriate committee.
An allocation meeting is held. The Chair and Deputy Chair of each committee select two internal reviewers and two external reviewers for each application. Internal reviewers are members of the Scientific Review Committee (SRC) who meet face to face whereas external reviewers are members of the scientific community across Canada and internationally selected for their particular expertise.
External reviewers supplement the expertise of the panels and provide written comments on the application submitted. HSFC relies on the support and commitment of many researchers across Canada and internationally to ensure this process is effective.
Peer review meetings are held in December (for Grants-in-Aid) and in January (for Personnel Awards) where the applications are discussed. The Chair or Deputy Chair writes an SRC report which summarizes the discussion and the application is rated.
Results from the competition, including the ratings, SRC reports and all reviews are sent to the provincial Heart and Stroke Foundations.
Based on the ratings as well as available funds, the provincial foundations determine which Grant-in-Aid applications will be funded.
All Personnel Awards except Career Investigator Awards are administered by HSFC.