Final Evaluation and Decision

The Final Evaluation and Decision phase represents the concluding stage of the Research Proposal selection process.

At this stage, based on the outcomes of the Peer Review, it is determined whether a proposal may be accepted or rejected within the framework of the Transnational Access programme.

The final decision follows a structured process involving the TNA Manager and, where applicable, the Host Coordinator, in accordance with the roles and responsibilities defined by the system.

Once all evaluations have been completed and the Research Proposal is in the Peer Reviews Completed status, the TNA Manager can access the Peer Review results.

At this stage, the TNA Manager:

• reviews the assessments and comments provided by the Peer Reviewers;
• verifies the scientific and organisational coherence of the proposal;
• evaluates any critical issues or requests for clarification that emerged during the review phase.

Based on this analysis, the proposal becomes ready for final decision.

If the outcome of the evaluation is positive, the TNA Manager and/or the Host Coordinator may proceed with the acceptance of the Research Proposal.

By selecting the Accept action:

• the proposal transitions to the Accepted status;
• the Fellow is notified of the positive outcome;
• the Transnational Access process proceeds to the operational phase of visit planning.

Acceptance confirms that the proposal satisfies the scientific and organisational requirements established by the Call for Application.

If the proposal does not meet the evaluation criteria, the TNA Manager and/or the Host Coordinator may proceed with rejection.

By selecting the Reject action:

• the proposal transitions to the Rejected status;
• the Fellow is informed of the negative outcome;
• a justification for the decision may be provided, where applicable.

Rejection concludes the evaluation process for the Research Proposal and prevents progression to the visit phase.

In certain cases, before making a final decision, the TNA Manager or the Host Coordinator may consider it necessary to request further assessment.

In such situations:

• the proposal may be returned to the Under Peer Review status;
• the Peer Reviewers are notified again;
• evaluations may be supplemented or modified.

This mechanism ensures flexibility and accuracy within the decision-making process.

Even at an advanced stage of the process, the Fellow retains the possibility of withdrawing their application.

In case of cancellation:

• the Research Proposal transitions to the Cancelled status;
• the process is interrupted;
• all involved actors are informed through notification.

The cancellation is recorded by the system for historical traceability and audit purposes.