I am in Helsinki, Finland, for a few days this week, sitting on a review panel for the 'Joint Programme - Neurodegenerative Disease Research.' It is the first time that this programme has involved patients in its review process for funding research so it feels a bit of a milestone moment. This, after twelve months, of … Continue reading Patients and researchers – sparring partners not hostile combatants
peer review
The art of lay reviewing in health research: some pointers
A little while ago someone suggested that I write something about my approach to lay reviewing in health research. Not so much a 'how to' guide as there are lots of these and very good they are too. More, an insight into the questions I ask myself when forming an opinion on an application for … Continue reading The art of lay reviewing in health research: some pointers
Parliament’s take on peer review in scientific publications
Here is the BBC News online report about today's parliamentary select committee report about peer review in scientific publications and the report itself is here. More later I suspect.
From peer review to clinical trials
So there I was this morning talking about peer review, when what should come through the Ovarian Cancer Action letterbox but our certificate of best practice from the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) for our peer reivew practices. It's great to have this 'quality-mark' for all that we do as a research funder. If … Continue reading From peer review to clinical trials
Some alternative thinking on peer review
A few years back I recommended an NIHR report for pool-side summer reading. Ever since I have been inundated with requests to make similar recommendations each year. A little like Greta Garbo I have refused. But not this year. RAND Europe - who are a little like the McKinsey of research proffering consultancy and advice … Continue reading Some alternative thinking on peer review
Science and the budget, peer review and a spot of crowd-sourcing
Tomorrow is Budget day. Having just finished AMRC's own budget and business plan for 2011-2012 all I can say is: George you know where I am if you want to crunch some last minute numbers? The Financial Times is reporting today that the Chancellor of the Exchequer will announce a £100million cash injection for capital … Continue reading Science and the budget, peer review and a spot of crowd-sourcing
Uniting fact and fiction in the name of science
A colleague in the office sent me this rather good blog on New Philanthropy Capital. In it, Angela Kail talks about, or rather asks the question, why charities generally don't do more to promote the real evidence of their effectiveness rather than rely - or allow others to rely on - anecdotes. My belief is that research … Continue reading Uniting fact and fiction in the name of science
Research charities on the world stage
Occasionally I post things up on the blog simply to illustrate different aspects of how UK medical research charities work. Last week the office noticed this rather cool interactive research map produced by the Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF) which shows the different projects supported by MRF around the world. A good example is its project … Continue reading Research charities on the world stage
Not another article about partnership
The term 'partnership' is now scattered liberally through the narrative we all use for the way in which we work - either as organisations or as individuals. The highly inventive among us occasionally substitute it with 'collaboration' or even the more arcane 'working together,' but partnership is in the ascendant in every sense. But I am beginning to … Continue reading Not another article about partnership
Simon Denegri's Lay Review 