As an innovative approach to responsive mode funding, the Realising Our Potential Award (ROPA) scheme has attracted much attention. Although the results so far are encouraging. The ROPA scheme has, nevertheless, attracted controversy, with some members of the scientific community expressing concerns about its philosophy and its operation. The Royal Society therefore decided that an independent review at this stage would be helpful and this report considers the objectives, success rate and funding of ROPA with recommendations for future policy.
