Goal: To regularly engage the Chairs of CSR study sections in each IRG to gather their insights on emerging areas of science and gather feedback on how well their review groups perform to help make them more effective and efficient.
CSR will work to achieve this goal by asking the Chairs to (1) meet with senior CSR staff to review CSR processes and initiatives to enhance peer review, (2) provide input on how well the study sections have functioned and what needs to be done to enhance them and prepare for the future, and (3) discuss the critical role played by study section Chairs.
Expected Benefits:
· Better align study sections with evolving scientific fields to ensure CSR’s review groups adequately serve their respective scientific fields.
· Allow CSR to update and improve its study section guidelines so applicants are better able to suggest the best study section to review their applications.
· Enable CSR to be proactive in anticipating and meeting future needs of the scientific areas it serves.
· Provide CSR feedback on meeting management, policies and procedures for enhancing not only the performance of individual panels but all CSR review groups.
Status: CSR initiated a new set of IRG reviews that began in July 2008 and will continue through July 2010. The reviews include Chairs providing input to CSR Director Toni Scarpa and CSR senior staff about CSR and NIH initiatives to improve the peer review process and an assessment of study section performance. There have been four IRG reviews this year: Biobehavioral and Behavioral Processes, and Risk, Prevention and Health Behavior in January; and Healthcare Delivery and Methodologies, and Population Sciences and Epidemiology had April reviews, IRG reviews have been on hiatus in light of staff demands related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and other initiatives.
Schedule for Implementation: CSR is planning to review the following IRGs in the fall: Immunology; Infectious Diseases and Microbiology; and Oncology: Basic Translational. Half of all IRGs will have been reviewed this year, with the other half due to be reviewed in 2010 on a schedule yet to be determined.