Peer-to-peer

Via Branwen Hide at Nature Network, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) has today announced changes to the way its peer-review committees are organized, the way new research and policy priorities are highlighted and a reorganization of funding structures for its five sponsored Institutes. The research council website summarizes the changes:

-The creation of four new research committees from the existing seven
-The setting up of a mixed economy of peer review membership, including core committee members and a pool of reviewers able to be called on flexibly for their specific expertise
-New research and policy priorities that will overarch all of BBSRC’s activities. The policy priorities will help BBSRC researchers to consider the strategic relevance of their proposals when they make applications
-A system of highlight notices that BBSRC will use to generate demand when it identifies the need for more applications in certain areas
-Institute Strategic Programme Grants to replace Core Strategic Grants to the BBSRC-sponsored Institutes

The BBSRC is holding a series of roadshows during November to explain and discuss the changes. Presentations will be available to download from 15 November (2008).

Another UK research council, the Engineering and Physical Sciences research council, is also currently undertaking a review of its peer-review processes.

Posted by Maxine Clarke on October 28, 2008
Categories: Grants, tenure and positions | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sense about Science has created a free education resource to meet the UK curriculum requirement (introduced in 2006) that secondary school children must be taught "how uncertainties in scientific knowledge and scientific ideas change over time and the role of the scientific community in validating these changes." From the Sense about Science announcement:
"Whatever reservations have been raised since the launch of the new science curriculum, for the first time there is a space to explore how science works, what’s special about scientific information versus other information and how knowledge is generated. In the resource, leading journal editors Philip Campbell (Nature) and Andrew Sugden (Science) talk directly about peer review, the system used to decide which research is published in a scientific journal bringing it into the scientific record, sharing their every day experiences. Scientists, both as referees and researchers, give their views on peer review and there is also discussion about controversies in science – with over 1 million research papers published annually, can quality be controlled? Can fraud, like the Korean cloning scandal, be avoided?
The lesson plans cover a range of abilities from Key Stage 4 pupils (age roughly 13-16) up to A-level (age roughly 16-18). These include:
Roleplay: an exercise where pupils play the different roles of researcher, editor and reviewer, experiencing the different stages that a piece of research must pass through in order to be published.
Science in the media: a look at how science stories are reported in the news using real-life examples such as mobile phones and cancer, cloning, and the HPV vaccine. Students are encouraged to question the nature of the research behind the story, identify who carried it out and most importantly, ask whether it has been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
The process and its challenges: intended for advanced students, this exercise looks at the limitations of peer review. Students learn about real-life cases such as the scandal surrounding Korean cloning expert Hwang Woo-suk, and learn what role peer review has to play in these events.
Feel free to use the resources with your pupils or pass on the details to those who might like to use them. There is also a link on the website to leave feedback so improvements can be made over time."
See here for the announcement of the peer-review resource.
See here for the peer-review resource and further links and information.

Posted by Maxine Clarke on October 14, 2008
Categories: Mentoring and training | Permalink | Comments (0)

The UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council is currently running a survey on peer-review, from 9 October to 7 November 2008. The survey aims to gather opinions about the peer-review process to help the research council to make improvements in its processes and procedures. From the survey outline: "We want to gather as much information and opinion about the current EPSRC peer-review process as possible so that we can make it more effective and fit for purpose to meet future needs, and improve its usability for applicants and reviewers while ensuring it remains fair and transparent." Anyone with an interest in EPSRC can respond, although the survey's questions are aimed at scientists who have either reviewed for or applied for grants from the council.
Further information about the EPSRC's reviewing process can be found here, including standards, advice on peer-reviewing and how to respond to peer-reviewers' comments, and details of the council's incentive scheme for reviewers.

Posted by Maxine Clarke on October 13, 2008
Categories: Grants, tenure and positions | Permalink | Comments (0)