Full applications will be reviewed by members of the iTP3 project team and advisory committee members. The iTP3 executive committee will identify and may adjust a budget to fund an award based on scope and justification of the proposed project. All applications submitted to iTP3 in support of teen pregnancy prevention innovative programs will be evaluated for merit through the iTP3 peer review system. Final award decisions will be determined based on the review process outlined below.
Overall Impact
Reviewers will provide an overall impact report to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the program to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following review criteria.
Description of Review Criteria
Reviewers will consider each of the criteria below in the determination of programmatic and innovation merit and may give a separate report for each. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major programmatic impact in teen pregnancy prevention.
Innovation
Are the concepts, approaches or methodologies, or interventions novel to teen pregnancy prevention in a broad sense? If so, does the application challenge and seek to shift current programmatic paradigms in teen pregnancy prevention? Is a refinement, improvement, or new application of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, or interventions proposed? Does the application incorporate innovative methodologies geared toward and/or relevant to underserved, adolescent populations using ecological approaches?
Program Justification
Are the pregnancy prevention approaches sufficiently described? Does the application justify how the proposed program will be innovative yet have the potential to affect unplanned pregnancies? Is the program desirable, relevant, and feasible? Does the applicant acknowledge their target populations’ point of view throughout all phases of program development?
Significance
Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field of teen pregnancy prevention? Does the program utilize an ecological approach? If the goals and objectives of the project are achieved, how will scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or programmatic practice be improved? How will successful completion of the goals and objectives change the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive teen pregnancy prevention? Does the proposed program have potential to lead to an innovative marketable product, process or service in teen pregnancy prevention?
Project Approach and Design
Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the goals and objectives of the project? If the program is in the early stages of development, will the strategy establish feasibility and will particularly risky aspects be managed? If the program is currently in or preparing for feasibility or pilot testing, does the proposal describe innovative strategies used to develop the program, the evaluation plan, and current evaluation activities? Does the program utilize an ecological approach?
Project Management
Are the Project Director, collaborators, and other key personnel well suited to the innovative teen pregnancy prevention project? If innovators are in the early stages of program planning, do they have appropriate experience and training? If established, have they demonstrated an ongoing record of accomplishments that have advanced the field of adolescent health and/or teen pregnancy prevention? Have they demonstrated record of accomplishments utilizing ecological approaches? Is the project team collaborative and innovative? Does the team structure encompass complementary and integrated expertise? Is the leadership approach, governance and organizational structure appropriate for the project?
Challenges and Risks
Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success presented?
Partnerships and Collaborations
Are existing partnerships, planned collaborations, youth engagement, community engagement, or planned collaborations described? How will the partnerships, engagement, or collaborations contribute to the success of the project?
Environment
Will the environment in which the work will be completed contribute to the probability of a successful innovation in teen pregnancy prevention? Are the institutional support, equipment and other physical resources available to the innovators adequate for the proposed project? Will the project benefit from unique features of the environment, innovative design, or collaborative arrangement?