The Director shall evaluate applications through the officers and employees, experts, consultants, or groups engaged by the Director for that purpose, including review by the National Advisory Environmental Health Sciences Council in accordance with peer review requirements set forth in part 52h of this chapter. The Director's first level of evaluation will be for technical merit and shall take into account, among other pertinent factors, the significance of the program, the qualifications and competency of the program director and proposed staff, the adequacy of the applicant's resources available for the program, and the amount of grant funds necessary for completion of its objectives. A second level of review will be conducted by the National Advisory Environmental Health Sciences Council.