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Georgia Council for the Arts uses Peer Review Panels to adjudicate applications following National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) precedent. Panelists are GCA Council members and fellow professionals who are experienced in the arts discipline or type of grant being reviewed or are citizens with a record of arts activities, experience, and knowledge.
FY25 Bridge Grant PanelistsFY25 Project Grant PanelistsFY25 Arts Education Program Grant Panelists
FAQ about Grant Review Panels:
How do I know the date when my application will be reviewed?
GCA staff will e-mail all applicants approximately one month prior to the panel meeting with the panel meeting date and time. Applicants will also receive information on how to listen to the panel meeting as well as the order in which applications will be reviewed.
May I attend the panel meeting in person?
No- panelists meet via conference call. There is no in-person meeting. In-person meetings would require GCA to pay for mileage, lodging and meals for panelists coming from across the state. Virtual meetings allow GCA to retain as much money as possible for grants.
How do I know what time my application will be reviewed?
Because of the structure of the panel, GCA can list the order in which applications will be reviewed, but the staff cannot forecast precisely what time each application will come up for review. Each panel is scheduled for three hours, though some have ended after only two hours. When you log in online for the panel meeting, GCA will provide a list of the order of review on the screen so that listeners can keep track of the progress.
Do Vibrant Communities panelists have a conference call meeting?
No- panelists for Vibrant Communities do not meet; they submit their scores online in order to keep the review process as fast as possible.
Will my organization be penalized if I cannot listen to the panel meeting?
No. Listening to the panel meeting is not required.
Are multiple people from my organization allowed to listen to the panel meeting?
Yes, anyone may call in and listen to the panel meetings.
May I listen to other reviews or just the review of my organization?
You may listen to as much or as little of the panel meeting as you like.
How do I call in to listen to the meeting?
To listen to the panel meeting, follow these steps:
• Go to this page
• Log in as a Guest by entering your first and last name at the prompt
• Make sure that the volume is turned up on your computer speakers
• Read through the notes about the panel that will appear on your screen If you have never attended an Adobe Connect meeting before, test your connection ahead of time.
I am trying to dial in to listen to the panel meeting, but I can’t get through. What do I do?
If you are having technical problems, contact Allen Bell at 404-962-4839 or Sanaa Furqan at 404-962-4837.
May I provide additional information for panelists or respond to their questions during the meeting?
No- applicants are not able to provide any additional information once the grant application deadline has passed, nor are they able to respond to comments from the panelists during the meeting.
Why didn’t the panelists have any comments about my application?
Panelists submit preliminary scores and comments prior to the panel meeting. The comments and an overall preliminary score are then shared with all of the panelists. If the panelists all agree with the comments and feel that the preliminary score is appropriate, then they may not have anything else to add.
Why did the panelists only talk during the panel meeting about concerns they had with my application? Does that mean our application will not be funded?
Because there is a limited amount of time to discuss each application, panelists are instructed to focus the discussion on questions they had about the application, questions they had about comments from other panelists, or questions/concerns they have about the preliminary score. They may have cited many commendations in their preliminary comments, and if all panelists are in agreement about those favorable comments, then there is not a need to discuss them during the meeting.
If I cannot listen to the panel meeting, is it possible to get a copy of comments from the panelists?
All applicants will receive a copy of panel comments with the grant announcement.
Who should I contact if I have questions about the panel meeting or the panel comments?
Contact the program manager for your grant type:
• Tina Lilly for Partner or Project Grants
• Allen Bell for Arts Education Program Grants