amrc
Post on 21-May-2015
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Dr Martin Turnerpolicy officer
today’s talk
1. AMRC
Who we are and what we do
Benefits of membership
2. Our members
Who are they?
Research funding opportunities
3. Peer review and the AMRC principles
about AMRC
• Association of Medical Research Charities
• Represent 125 member charities
• Support our members to enable them to be effective research funders
what we do
• Support
Provide guidance and training to members
Peer review audit
• Leadership
Develop solutions to key challenges facing the sector
Speak on behalf of the sector
• Influence
Campaigning to help researchers
Sitting on boards and committees
what we do
benefits of membership
• A united and strong public voice
Working together to develop and push our positions
Sector-wide data reinforces our arguments
• Opportunities for collaboration with public and private partners
We act as a hub and offer guidance
Spreading best practice
• Access to support and unique funding streams
AcoRD and CRSF
Grant-making trusts recognise AMRC membership as a quality-mark
2010/11
our members
Wellcome Trust & Cancer Research UK
BHF & Arthritis Research UK
Breast Cancer Campaign
Alzheimer’s Research UK
Parkinson’s UK
Alcohol Research UK
British Skin Foundation
Muscular Dystrophy Campaign
British Scoliosis Research
Foundation
our members
Over £58 million in current active grants in the North East
our members
our members
2009/10
Research funding opportunities
As long as it fits with the charitable objectives
• Traditional funding schemes
projects, studentships, pilot grants• Collaborations/partnerships• Invest in ‘infrastructure’
Clinical study groups
Tissue banks
Clinical Trials Units• Invest along the pipeline
Patenting costs
Seed funding
Spin outs
The grant application process
Triage
External reviewers
Scientific Advisory Panel
Trustees
Top tips:• Check the fit
Read the strategy
Talk to the programme manager
Have they funded in this area before/recently?• Provide the right information
Get a non-specialist to read your lay summary
Is it clear how the application fits the call/strategy?• Be a good grantee
Let them know when you are presenting/publishing
Look for opportunities to help them get additional funding/support
The grant application process
AMRC’s principles of peer review
Same standards for all AMRC charities
AMRC’s principles of peer review
Member charities developed five principles, based on agreed good practice:
• Accountability
• Balance
• Independence
• Rotation
• Impartiality
Accountability:
• Have a research strategy and information about funded research available online
• Publish scientific advisory panel members’ names and details of the peer review process online
AMRC’s principles of peer review
AMRC’s principles of peer review
Balance:
• Ensure scientific advisory panels reflect a fair balance of experience and scientific disciplines
• Use a variety of methods to select internal and external peer reviewers
AMRC’s principles of peer review
Independence:
• Charities’ staff do not make scientific judgment but can do “triage”
• Trustees may sit on the scientific advisory panel, but should generally act as observers with no voting rights
• The procedure for assigning reviewers to applications is fair
• There is a clear line of communication between the scientific advisory panel and the charity’s board of trustees
AMRC’s principles of peer review
Rotation:
• Appoint internal peer reviewers, including the committee chair, for a fixed term of office
• Scientific advisory panel members serve for a period of three years, with the option of renewing their term for a further two or three years
AMRC’s principles of peer review
Impartiality:
• A majority of the members of charities scientific advisory panels are not active grant holders (beneficiaries)
• A code of conduct and conflict of interest policy is in place
• Would-be beneficiaries are not present when their applications are discussed or when decisions are made
AMRC’s principles of peer review
Why do charities use peer review?
• Accepted by the research community
• Membership criteria for AMRC and other partnership schemes
• Provides relatively unbiased view for trustees
• Panels provide broad basis of advice and expertise drawn into
the work of the charity
Peer review aims to ensure that the research is:
• Scientifically valid, significant, original
• Timely and achievable
• Not unnecessarily duplicating other work
• Using appropriate methodologies – including animal work
• Done by researchers with the right skills and facilities
• Offering value for money
• Relevant to the charity’s aims and objectives
• Contributing to the charity’s strategy
AMRC’s principles of peer review
AMRC’s principles of peer review
However, peer review is also:
• A risk to confidentiality
• Not a fraud detection system
• Incestuous in small communities
• Time consuming and costly to administer
• Subjective
final thoughts
• Charities are an important source of funding for universities
• Different funding models
• All high quality
• More than just research funders
Thank you
Email: m.turner@amrc.org.uk
Follow me on twitter: @amrc
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