Mike Grusak and Mike StraussOffice of Scientific Quality Review
Surviving the Path to Peer Review
Success
“1998 Farm Bill”* ARS research peer-
reviewed every 5 years Most review panelists
external to ARS Satisfactory review
before beginning research
Why OSQR Review?
*Technically the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 and not considered a “Farm Bill.”
National Action Plan
OSQR Review and Certification.
Retrospective evaluation.
Stakeholder input
Input
Implement
PlanAssess
Input
Objectives set (PDRAM).
4. Project Plan prepared.
Research initiated
Annual progress reviews
Congressional Mandate
You are here
NPL Validation
“Life after the PDRAM…”FIRST: Review OSQR Handbook and Area/RL expectations
-Plan Drafted lead scientist and project team -Review by other colleagues-Review by RL-Revision
Revised plan to Area Officefor approval
(some require proof of outsider review)
If needed, plan revisedApproved Plan sent by Area to
Office of National Programs
Validation by National Program Leader
Due to OSQR
Validated plan returned to Area
Red denotes establishedDates for completion.
Revision ifNeeded (through Area)
Some Advice• Set a time line
• Based on when the plan is due to the Area Office• What does your Area require?
• Some want proof of review outside your group.• If not you should still send the plan outside your
group for review.
• Schedule time for:• Each member of the team to write • Members to coordinate plans• Lead scientist to compile a cohesive document• Colleagues to review the plan• RL to review the plan• Revision of the plan following review
Who Oversees OSQR?Mike Grusak, ARS Scientific Quality Review Officer (SQRO)• Approves each panel chair and panel member who
participates in OSQR• Responsible for certifying that project plans have completed
review
Mike Strauss, OSQR Coordinator• With two staff members, schedules all panels, contacts and
trains panel members, and coordinates the review and certification process.
Both Mikes:• Attend panel meetings • Read project plans• Read the OSQR reviews • Read responses to review
Who are the Reviewers?Panelists are your colleagues.
They read your peer-reviewed papers.
Panelists are active scientists.Most are academics (per the Farm Bill).
Panelist often know your work.And are often familiar with your excellence.
Panelists take their task very seriously.The devote many hours to each review.
They don’t want to give low scores!
76%
13%8%
0% 1% 2%
AcademiaIndustryGovtRetiredFormer ARSOther
Who are the Reviewers?
How is a Panel Selected?OSQR Receives suggestions/nominations from
ONP, Areas, others.
All potential chairs are screened for COIs.
Coordinator Interviews potential candidates and SQRO approves Chairs.
Chairs work with Coordinator to develop a balanced, proposed list of panel members. SQRO reviews and approves final list of panelists.
Reviewers NEED to know…What is the problem?Why is it important?
Where are you going with it?How are you going to get there?And how will you know you have
arrived?
Don’t make them hunt for this!
Aggregated PlansIn some cases plans may be comprised of several
independent pieces. In such cases be aware of…
- Clarity…why are all these pieces here?What links them?State, however, that they are independent
- Consistency…each piece should be equivalent in detailSomeone needs to oversee the final product.
- Content (flow)…is it an “easy read?”The general format is not rigid.Consider blending background and approach for each section.
- “Consensus” First parts (summary, need for research, objectives…need to present the whole picture.
The Message…
By page 7 (Need for Research) reviewers should know:
The subject of your researchWhy it is importantWhat it will produceHow you are going to get there
The rest of the document will “flesh out” this but if the reviewers don’t know it by this point, they probably won’t get it easily from the rest of the document.
Review Products
• Action Class Score
• Consensus review comments
Project Review CriteriaAdequacy of Approach and
Procedures
Probability of Successfully Accomplishing the Project’s Objectives
Merit and Significance
Title and Investigators..………….page 1Signature Page……………...........page 2Table of Contents……….………….page 3Project summary (250 words)...page 4Objectives...…………..................page 5 Need for research (1-2 p)Scientific Background (5-7 p)Approach & Procedures (6-15 p)Prior Accomplishments (2 p)Literature CitedMilestone Table (1-3 p)Past Accomplishments of Project Team MembersIssues of Concern statementsAppendices (letters plus other material)
15 - 30 pages
Document Outline
These are not boxes…they are guides to your narrative flow.
Project Plan Components
Write this in active voice…And plain English!
What are you doing? Why is it important? What have you done before (1-2 sentences)?What will you do next?So what!?
This is where you capture the interest of the reviewer. Make it compelling!
Project Summary – 250 words
Project Plan Components
Express need scientifically AND in the context of NP Action Plan.
Be concise in statement of research purpose.Discuss potential benefits and anticipated
products.Who benefits?Briefly note the overall approach (e.g., …using
microarray technologies we will elucidate…”
Build upon, don’t repeat, the overview!
NEED FOR RESEARCH: 1-2 pagesWhere are you going?
Project Plan Components
Why are all these pieces here? How do they relate?Are there other similar projects?A figure can help! Should reflect your plan and be a
guide.- Objectives and sub-objectives- Personnel- Outcomes- Related projects
Plans can include 4 total pages of figures. Use them!
“What is the use of a book,” thought Alice, “without pictures…”
Objectives: 1-2 pagesHow does all this fit?
Project Plan Components
Highlight knowledge gaps.Literature demonstrates understanding and gaps. Not an exhaustive. Show a rationale for the objectives.How will this fill knowledge gaps?Limit to 1/3 of project plan lengthNote similar projects within and outside ARS and how your past work prepares for or leads to this (provide details in the Prior Accomplishments section…but say enough to convince reviewers you know the area).
Cite preliminary data from your projects, if available
Scientific Background: 5-7 pagesWhy are you going there?
Project Plan ComponentsPrior Accomplishments: 1-2 pages
What have you done before?
Highlighted briefly in the Background.
Prior project terminated within two yearsMajor objectives and accomplishments Prior project investigatorsImpact of prior work (science, technology, users)Pertinent publicationsA table or chart of past data can be very helpful.
Project Plan Components Approaches & Procedures: 6-12 pages
How are you going to get there?Set out your Experimental design. Formulate REAL, testable, hypotheses!
Describe approaches and methods any why they are appropriate. Discuss advantages and limitations (important if “risky”).Illustrate how objectives can be achieved. Who will do what, how, when (including collaborators and SCAs!)Describe nature and extent of collaborations, including SCAs Letters in Appendix need to confirm what you say! For SCAs, a copy of the agreement is sufficient. Include management, evaluation and contingencies. What is your path to success? How will you monitor it?
MILESTONES AND OUTCOMES Project Plan Components
Summarizes the project
Dynamic over the project lifecycle
Goal or Hypothesis
Goal or Hypothesis
Project Title
Project No.
National Program (Number: Name)
Objective
NP Action Plan Component
NP Action Plan Problem Statement
Subobjective
Goal/Hypothesis
SYTeam Months Milestone Anticipated Product Progress/Changes
12
24
36
48
60
Goal/Hypothesis
SYTeam Months Milestone Anticipated Product
Progress/Changes
12
24
36
48
60
See the OSQR Handbook for this new format for Milestones Table
• Readability and narrative flow• Connection between parts (a diagram)• Appropriate roles for all • Appropriate expertise on team or from
collaborators• Grammar/spelling/proofreading• Appropriate detail in Approach• Clear, proper, milestones• Real contingencies
Does the plan instill confidence in this team’s abilities?
Project Plan Checklist
Real Hypotheses—Are they testable? NOT REQUIRED but don’t use a general goal where a hypothesis is better!
Lack of connection--How/why do the parts of your plan relate? Or if part does not, why is it there?
Uneven presentation—If different people wrote different parts, it will show!
Context of plan—How does this fit with other similar work within and outside ARS?
Statistically sound—Are replicates sufficient? How will you analyze…don’t just throw out jargon (“Data will be analyzed using ANOVA.”)…are replicates sufficient? When you’re done, will you be able to know if you arrived? “But we’ve always done it this way” is not sufficient.
Some Frequent Criticisms
How will it get done?—Who does what? What other resources are there? (postdocs, technicians, students…include in human and physical resources)
Vagueness that prevents real analysis—If the information is confidential say why you can’t tell them but say enough to allow some level of analysis.
Risk without justification--Risk can be good but ONLY if it’s apparent you are aware of the challenge and have justified it.
Data accumulation without analysis—It’s not enough to gather data, what will you do with it?
Vacancies—These can be a challenge. Guidance on web
Publishing prior work--If you have the data already the panel will want to see HOW you got it!
…More
To keep in mind…The reviewers need to see the logical
“thread” through your work.
Don’t make readers “search” for what you are doing!
Be clear, accurate, and correct.
Don’t assume reviewers know you and your work…(a poor plan may not be saved even if they do!)
Some hints to success…Proofread Your Plan
Ask a nontechnical person to read your plan
Ask someone who hasn’t seen it to read and proofread your plan
Ask a highly critical colleague to read it thoroughly.
Are collaborations documented appropriately?
Check hypotheses…
Treat this the same care you would a competitive proposal. The reviewers will!
Hypotheses1. Don’t avoid them if appropriate but don’t force
them if they are not.2. Must be falsifiable and testable.3. Not restatements of objectives. 4. May not be appropriate for work like breeding
or germplasm characterization…but explain that!
5. If you don’t hypothesis then a clearly-stated goal is essential.
6. Seek review by a statistician.
What Happens After Review?
No, Minor or Moderate RevisionLead Scientist responds to comments. Scientific Quality Review Officer certifies compliance with recommendations.
Major Revision or Not Feasible Lead Scientist revises and responds to comments. Panel performs a second review assessing response to their comments and assigns a new Action Class Score. If still Major or Not Feasible, project is returned for administrative action. No further review.
Projects are reviewed no more than two times
(There are no page limits for revised plans)
The Impact of Vertically Striped Voles (VSV) on Wheat, Rye, and Egg Production
R. U. Kidding 1321-38000-123-00D 1/5/2006
Frontiers of Vole Biology and Relativity Theory
What Happens After Review?
Can I disagree with the panel?This is a dialogueIf you really disagree…put it away for a few days!Then…Honestly consider panel opinions. Be polite but if you disagree say whyDON’T skip changes to planDON’T insult or impugn panelistsDO provide justification for your alternative
view
Panels are NOT perfect…they are fellow scientists
How not to disagreeQ: The panel does not see any [expertise] in this plan.
A: “I disagree.” [no explanation]Q: Can you provide some preliminary data to support this idea.
A: “Yes, we have preliminary data but can’t/won’t show it to you.”Q: The panel suggests you try this approach.
A: But that’s just too difficult.A: We’re not allowed to alter this project in any way. [not true!]A: We’ve done it our way for [x] years and see no reason to change.
Q: This is not a hypothesis. Fix it or change to a goal statement.A: I looked at Tom’s plan and Bill’s and their panel didn’t make them do this so I don’t think I should have to do it.
Q: Did you do a power analysis?A: No we did not, but we’ve always done it this way before.A. Yes. It said we needed more so we ignored it.
Good to know…• A final copy of your responses is sent to the panel (for their information)
after it is certified.
• For plans scoring Moderate or higher, OSQR reviews the responses to assure they are thorough and appropriate; and may return them for additional work before certification if needed.
• The Officer can decline certification if, after several attempts, it is judged that the researchers have not or cannot adequately address reviewer comments (i.e., your plan does not “pass” until it is certified).
• For plans scoring Major Revision or below, while OSQR may briefly check to see if the responses are thorough and respectful…this is not a detailed review and does not assure panel re-review success.
Last Words
ProofreadSeek Review
thenproofread and seek more review
And lastlyProofread and Seek Review
However…
…Correct Grammar and Spelling are Important -- but not enough
`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe.
Lewis Carroll
Be thoughtful, clear, and thorough
…and beware of overconfidence…
Questions?