{"id":480,"date":"2023-06-28T19:24:01","date_gmt":"2023-06-29T02:24:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/imhablog\/?p=480"},"modified":"2023-06-29T11:18:17","modified_gmt":"2023-06-29T18:18:17","slug":"engaging-patient-partners-as-peer-reviewers-of-grant-applications-tips-for-everyone-involved","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/imhablog\/2023\/06\/28\/engaging-patient-partners-as-peer-reviewers-of-grant-applications-tips-for-everyone-involved\/","title":{"rendered":"Engaging Patient Partners as Peer Reviewers of Grant Applications: Tips for Everyone Involved"},"content":{"rendered":"

By: Dawn Richards, Deb Baranec, Eileen Davidson, Trudy Flynn<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Le fran\u00e7ais suit \/ French follows<\/em><\/p>\n

What is peer review anyway?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The peer review process can be strange and slightly confusing if you\u2019re not in academia or new to the process. At its simplest, peer review is a process used by an organization that funds research to review grant applications that have been submitted to be considered for funding. Funding organizations include the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, a health or other charity, and research foundations. While the exact process may be different depending on the organization, generally grant applications are \u2018assigned\u2019 to people who are called \u2018reviewers\u2019. Organizations will select reviewers who have the experience or expertise to assess the applications.<\/p>\n

Often, a group of reviewers is assigned to each application and will discuss how they rate it at a virtual or in-person peer review meeting. Before the meeting, reviewers spend time reading and assessing each application based on a set of criteria created from the specific objectives of that research funding competition. They will share their assessments at the peer review meeting and discuss them with other reviewers. Reviewers may decide to change their assessment based on the discussions that take place with other peer reviewers at a meeting.<\/p>\n

*<\/em>\u00a0 Ref: Peer Review Overview – <\/em>https:\/\/cihr-irsc.gc.ca\/e\/39380.html<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

\"Blue<\/a><\/p>\n

Patient partners as peer reviewers of grant applications<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Some organizations that do peer review are now including patient partners in the process. Patient partners bring lived experience and expertise that complements the expertise of other reviewers who may be researchers, clinicians, and others (e.g., people from community- and not-for-profit organizations, etc.).<\/p>\n

Organizations may involve patient partners in different ways. Sometimes patient partners are asked to read and review only part of the grant application and sometimes they\u2019re asked to review the grant application the same as any other reviewer. Patient partners are asked to bring all of their skills and experiences to the review which may include their patient perspective and for some it may also mean critiquing the proposed research. For many patient partners, peer review of grant applications is a new concept and a different way to be involved in research.<\/p>\n

As patient partners who have been involved in peer review, we thought it would be helpful to use our own experiences to offer some advice to other patient partners as well as to people and organizations who are running peer review that involves patient partners. Our hope is that we can help make this a smooth and informed process for everyone who is involved.<\/p>\n

The table below is structured for different points in the peer review process of grant applications and there is a column for what patient partners might find helpful to ask\/know about the process and there is a column to help people and organizations consider what might be most helpful to share about their processes with patient partners.<\/p>\n

Tips on involving patient partners in peer review of grant applications – questions to ask and things to consider based on the time point in the <\/em><\/strong>process<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Note: Downloadable PDFs of the below tables are available here:<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a> Patient Partners download here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>People\/Organizations download here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Before\/preparing for the peer review meeting<\/strong><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

Patient Partners<\/strong> \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n