Often in the peer review of research grant proposals, panel discussion is used as a way to take advantage of a broader set of expertise and perspectives for making funding decisions. The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) has published findings exploring reviewer experiences with panel discussion and examining their perceived quality and effectiveness as well as their influence on scoring.

AIBS published findings from an analysis of scientist participation levels in the grant peer review process, as well as their motivations to do so. These results, generated from a survey sent to over 13,000 scientists, show that while 76% of respondents participated in the peer review of research applications, an uneven distribution of participation was found across this sample, with a sub-set of reviewers shouldering higher review loads (the top 10% reviewing 3 times the amount of the bottom 40% of respondents). This sub-set was estimated to be close to maximum capacity in terms of review availability, highlighting concerns about the sustainability of the peer review system. However, most reviewer respondents indicated that participating in peer review has positively affected their careers, and that giving back to the scientific community is the most important motivation for reviewing.

The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF), a client of the AIBS Scientific Peer Advisory and Review Services, has recently published a correspondence article examining potential sources of gender bias in grant selection processes and what can be done to improve gender equity.

AIBS presented results from recent retrospective studies at the Health Research Alliance (HRA) Members Meeting.

The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) extends its congratulations to Dr. Frances H. Arnold, a recipient of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Dr. Arnold has previously participated on a peer review panel that AIBS organized on behalf of the Department of Defense to assess a funded research program.

The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) has just published a literature review summarizing results of empirical tests on the validity of peer review decisions using impact measures of investigator output.

The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) has recently published findings in the journal F100 on research it conducted in collaboration with the Queensland University of Technology to assess whether contentious funding applications (possibly higher risk) resulted in a higher return on investment (higher reward). We examined the scoring from 227 funded applications and their eventual relative citation impact.

The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) has published findings from research it conducted on reviewer and applicant perceptions of criteria usage and risk evaluation in grant peer review.

In 2001, AIBS SPARS provided a key peer review for the work of Army Materiel Command Hall of Fame Inductee Dr. G. Richard Price. Price is a retired Army scientist whose research has been focused in the areas of noise and hearing. AIBS SPARS provided peer review on a model developed by Price and his team, the Auditory Hazard Assessment Algorithm for Humans. This is still the only method of assessing noise hazard for the entire range of impulses that are relevant to all of DOD. For more on Price and his remarkable career, click here.

A recent New York Times article highlights the important role that science can play in international diplomacy and development. This article reports on the positive outcomes of programs to combat HIV/AIDS in Africa. These efforts contributed to better public health in Africa and, according to survey data, have enhanced the perception and reputation of the United States among individuals in the countries where these programs were conducted. This good will is nice, but it is also beneficial to efforts to combat terrorism, and tackle environmental and public health threats that do not respect geographic boundaries.