Center for Scientific Review Announcement of Requirements and Registration for Strategies To Strengthen Fairness and Impartiality in Peer Review, 25606-25608 [2014-10203]
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25606
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 86 / Monday, May 5, 2014 / Notices
Approach: Provide a detailed
description of your proposed methods
and procedures. Describe how you
might measure the effectiveness of your
plan in accomplishing your proposed
aims.
Implementation: Explain how your
method might be implemented as part of
NIH Peer Review. Include how your
proposed method might be tested and,
if effective, how it might be
disseminated across the NIH.
• As applicable, the signed Parental
Consent Document.
• Submissions not conforming to
these specifications will be disqualified.
References
Ginther DK et al. (2011). Race, ethnicity, and
NIH research awards. Science, 333
(1015–1019).
Ginther DK, Haak LL, Schaffer WT, &
Kington R. (2012). Are race, ethnicity,
and medical school affiliation associated
with NIH R01 type 1 award probability
for physician investigators? Academic
Medicine, 87 (11), 1516–1524.
Dated: April 29, 2014.
Richard Nakamura,
Director, Center for Scientific Review,
National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2014–10196 Filed 5–2–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
Center for Scientific Review
Announcement of Requirements and
Registration for Strategies To
Strengthen Fairness and Impartiality in
Peer Review
Authority: 15 U.S.C. 3719.
The National Institutes of
Health (NIH) Center for Scientific
Review (CSR) is issuing a challenge
titled ‘‘Strategies to Strengthen Fairness
and Impartiality in Peer Review.’’ This
notice provides information regarding
requirements and registration for the
challenge.
SUMMARY:
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with NOTICES
DATES:
Submission Period: May 5, 2014
through 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, June
30, 2014.
Judging Period: July 16, 2014 through
August 29, 2014.
Winners Announced: September 2,
2014.
Details on the NIH/CSR
Peer Review process and current
reviewer training materials can be found
on the Reviewer Resources tab at
www.csr.nih.gov (See NIH Peer Review
ADDRESSES:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
17:56 May 02, 2014
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Process Revealed and Resources for
Reviewers). For questions about this
challenge, please contact
CSRDiversityPeerRev@mail.nih.gov or
call at 301–300–3839.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Monica Basco, Center for Scientific
Review, phone: 301–300–3839 or email
at CSRDiversityPeerRev@mail.nih.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
mission of the NIH is to seek
fundamental knowledge about the
nature and behavior of living systems
and to apply that knowledge to enhance
health, lengthen life, and reduce the
burdens of illness and disability. NIH
has a longstanding and time tested
system of peer review to identify the
most promising biomedical research.
The core values of NIH Peer Review are
(1) expert assessment, (2) transparency,
(3) impartiality, (4) fairness, (5)
confidentiality, (6) integrity, and (7)
efficiency. These values drive NIH to
seek the highest level of ethical
standards and form the foundation for
the laws, regulations, and policies that
govern the NIH peer review process.
The NIH’s Center for Scientific
Review is issuing a challenge titled
‘‘Strategies to Strengthen Fairness and
Impartiality in Peer Review,’’ under and
consistent with sections 492 and 492A
of the Public Health Service Act and
federal regulations governing ‘‘Scientific
Peer Review of Research Grant
Applicants and Research and
Development Contract Projects’’ (42 CFR
Part 52h). The goal of this challenge is
to seek ideas for strengthening reviewer
training practices to enhance
impartiality and fairness in peer review
of grant applications. Research findings
(Ginther et al, 2011; 2012) suggest a
discrepancy in success rates for NIH
R01 grant funding between White
applicants and Black applicants,
suggesting possible bias in the peer
review process. This challenge aims to
address that discrepancy by soliciting
ideas for reviewer training methods to
enhance fairness and impartiality in
peer review. It directly supports the
mission of CSR to ensure that the best
and brightest minds have an equal
opportunity to contribute to the
realization of our national research
goals.
Subject of Challenge: The subject of
this challenge is to seek ideas for
reviewer training methods to enhance
fairness and impartiality in peer review.
The NIH Peer Review process is a
dual peer review system used by NIH to
award research funds. Under this
system, each application must undergo
two levels of NIH Peer Review. The first
level of review is carried out by a
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Scientific Review Group (SRG)
composed primarily of non-federal
scientists who have expertise in relevant
scientific disciplines and current
research areas. The second level of
review is performed by Institute and
Center National Advisory Councils or
Boards that make recommendations on
priority areas of research, pending
policy, and funding of particular
applications. Councils are composed of
both scientific and public
representatives chosen for their
expertise, interest, or activity in matters
related to health and disease. Only
applications that are recommended for
approval by both the SRG and the
Council may be recommended for
funding. Final funding decisions are
made by the director of the relevant NIH
Institute or Center.
NIH recognizes a unique and
compelling need to promote diversity in
the NIH-funded biomedical research
workforce. The NIH expects efforts that
diversify the workforce to lead to the
recruitment of the most talented
researchers from all groups, improve the
quality of the training environment,
balance and broaden the perspective in
setting research priorities, and improve
the Nation’s capacity to address and
eliminate health disparities. Yet, despite
longstanding efforts from the NIH and
other entities across the biomedical and
behavioral research landscape to
enhance the diversity of workforce,
more work remains to be done. Recent
studies (Ginther et al., 2011; 2012) have
shown that African American
researchers are less likely than White
researchers to receive NIH R01 grant
funding. These findings have raised
concerns regarding the degree to which
reviewers are demonstrating the core
values of impartiality and fairness.
This challenge seeks ideas for
reviewer training methods aimed at
enhancing fairness and impartiality in
peer review. Submissions need not
include fully developed training
materials (See complete submission
requirements below). However, ideas
should be provided in sufficient detail
to assess their ability to address and
promote fairness and impartiality in the
peer review of grant applications with
regards to: gender, race/ethnicity,
institutional affiliation, area of science,
and amount of research experience of
the applicant.
Eligibility Rules for Participating in
the Challenge: The challenge is open to
any individual, group of individuals, or
entity (each referred to in this notice as
a ‘‘participant’’) who meets the
eligibility criteria below. There is no
limit to the number of entries a
participant can submit.
E:\FR\FM\05MYN1.SGM
05MYN1
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 86 / Monday, May 5, 2014 / Notices
To be eligible to win a prize under
this challenge:
(1) The participant shall have
registered to participate in the
competition under the rules
promulgated by CSR as described in this
notice.
(2) The participant (including each
individual participating as a member of
group participant) shall have complied
with all the requirements under this
section.
(3) In the case of a private entity, the
entity shall be incorporated in and
maintain a primary place of business in
the United States, and in the case of an
individual, whether participating singly
or in a group, each shall be a citizen or
permanent resident of the United States.
(4) Individuals (whether competing
alone or as part of a group) who are
younger than 18 must have their parent
or legal guardian complete the Parental
Consent Form. The form can be found
on the Challenge Web page at
www.csr.nih.gov.
(5) The participant may not be a
Federal entity or Federal employee
acting within the scope of his or her
employment.
(6) The participant shall not be an
HHS employee working on their
applications or submissions during
assigned duty hours.
(7) The participant shall not be an
employee of the National Institutes of
Health, the Center for Scientific Review,
a member of the Subcommittee on Peer
Review or any other party involved with
the design, production, execution, or
distribution of the Challenge or their
immediate family (spouse, parents or
step-parents, siblings and step-siblings
and children and step-children).
(8) Federal grantees may not use
Federal funds to develop COMPETES
Act challenge applications unless
consistent with the purpose of their
grant award.
(9) Federal contractors may not use
Federal funds from a contract to develop
COMPETES Act challenge applications
or to fund efforts in support of a
COMPETES Act challenge submission.
(10) CSR reserves the right to cancel,
suspend, modify the challenge and/or
not award a prize if no submissions are
deemed worthy.
(11) CSR will claim no rights to
intellectual property. By participating in
this challenge, participant grants to CSR
an irrevocable, paid-up, royalty-free,
nonexclusive worldwide license to post,
link to, share, and display publicly the
submission on the Web, newsletters or
pamphlets, and other information
products such as a future Funding
Opportunity Announcement or other
study to develop the methodology. In
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17:56 May 02, 2014
Jkt 232001
addition, CSR may incorporate
proposed ideas into a future Request for
Applications (RFA), Request for
Proposals (RFP) or an implemented
study to develop the methodology, but
an award of a prize does not guarantee
the proposed idea will be implemented.
(12) By participating in this challenge,
participant agrees that the submission is
participant’s original work and that all
proposed ideas are participant’s original
effort. It is the responsibility of the
participant to obtain any rights
necessary to use, disclose, or reproduce
any intellectual property owned by
third parties and incorporated in the
entry for all anticipated uses of the
submission. Submissions must not
violate or infringe upon any copyright
or any other rights of other parties,
including, but not limited to, privacy,
publicity or intellectual property rights,
or material that constitutes copyright or
license infringement.
(13) By participating in this challenge,
each participant (including each
individual making up a group
participant) agrees to assume any and
all risks and waive claims against the
Federal Government and its related
entities, except in the case of willful
misconduct, for any injury, death,
damage, or loss of property, revenue, or
profits, whether direct, indirect, or
consequential, arising from
participation in this prize challenge,
whether the injury, death, damage, or
loss arises through negligence or
otherwise.
(14) Based on the subject matter of the
challenge, the type of work that it will
possibly require, as well as an analysis
of the likelihood of any claims for death,
bodily injury, or property damage, or
loss potentially resulting from challenge
participation, participants are not
required to obtain liability insurance or
demonstrate financial responsibility in
order to participate in this challenge.
(15) By participating in this challenge,
each participant agrees to indemnify the
Federal Government against third party
claims for damages arising from or
related to challenge activities.
(16) An individual shall not be
deemed ineligible because the
individual used Federal facilities or
consulted with Federal employees
during this challenge if the facilities and
employees are made available to all
individuals participating in the
challenge on an equitable basis.
(17) In the case of groups, a single,
individual group member will submit
the submission on behalf of the group
and certify that the submission meets all
challenge rules.
(18) The decision of the award
approving official is final and cannot be
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25607
contested. The award approving official
is the Director of the Center for
Scientific Review.
Submission Process for Participants:
Participants should submit all entry
materials to CSRDiversityPeerReview@
mail.nih.gov.
Amount of the Prize: CSR may award
up to two prizes. A First Prize in the
amount of $10,000 and a Second Prize
in the amount of $5,000 may be given.
Each submission is eligible for only one
prize (i.e., a single submission cannot
win more than one prize for this
challenge).
Prizes awarded under this challenge
will be paid by electronic funds transfer
and may be subject to Federal income
taxes. HHS will comply with the
Internal Revenue Service withholding
and reporting requirements, where
applicable. If a group or entity is
selected as a winner, CSR will pay the
prize to an individual representative of
the group designated in the cover letter
required as part of the submission. To
the extent applicable, it is this
individual’s responsibility to distribute
the prize to group (or entity) members.
Basis Upon Which Submissions Will
be Evaluated: After CSR receives and
de-identifies the submissions, the
submissions will be evaluated according
to a two-stage process: (1) Technical
merit will be evaluated for potential to
enhance fairness and impartiality in
peer review (High, Medium, Low
impact) by a panel of experts in fields
relevant to peer review, evaluation and
training methods, and bias in
assessment, and (2) High Impact
submissions will be evaluated and rank
ordered based on the judging criteria
(see judging criteria below) by a panel
of judges comprised of federal
employees who will recommend the
winning entries.
The final awards will be approved by
the Director of the Center for Scientific
Review; provided, however, that CSR
reserves the right to cancel, suspend,
modify the challenge and/or not award
a prize if no submissions are deemed
worthy.
The judging criteria for this challenge
are as follows.
• Demonstrates general knowledge of
peer review practices.
• Grounded in the empirical
literature.
• Feasible for implementation with
reviewers in the NIH Peer Review
system.
• The proposed methods could be
delivered to reviewers in a variety of
delivery formats, including an
electronic format.
E:\FR\FM\05MYN1.SGM
05MYN1
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25608
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 86 / Monday, May 5, 2014 / Notices
• Demonstrates an understanding of
the literature on principles of learning/
training.
• Effectively moves theory to
practice.
• Provides evidence that supports the
effectiveness of the approach in
promoting fair and unbiased peer
review.
Submission Requirements: This
challenge is for the solicitation of ideas
for reviewer training methods to
strengthen reviewer fairness and
impartiality in NIH Peer Review.
Submissions, therefore, need not
include fully developed training
materials. The following materials must
be emailed to CSRDiversityPeerRev@
mail.nih.gov or sent in hardcopy to the
Office of the Director, Attention: Denise
McGarrell, Center for Scientific Review,
6701 Rockledge Drive, Suite 3030,
Bethesda, Maryland 20892 by the
deadline. Incomplete submissions will
not be considered. All submissions must
be written in English.
• Cover sheet with title of the
submission and the participant’s name
or names of group members and contact
information. In the case of groups (and
entities), indicate one group member
responsible for corresponding with CSR.
Also indicate which group member will
be responsible for receiving the prize for
distribution, as applicable, among group
members.
• Challenge submission documents.
Note: The 2-page challenge idea should
be anonymous (i.e., not include
identifying information of the
participant). Submissions shall not
exceed 2 single-spaced pages (not to
include cover page, references or
parental consent document, if
applicable) and shall be constrained to
no less than one inch margins and 11 pt.
Ariel font. All submissions must be
submitted in .docx (Word) format.
Submissions should include the
following sections:
Aims: Describe the goals for your
proposed approach for reviewer training
to enhance fairness and impartiality in
peer review and the anticipated
outcomes.
Approach: Provide a detailed
description of your proposed methods
and procedures. Describe how you
might measure the effectiveness of your
plan in accomplishing your proposed
aims.
Implementation: Explain how your
methods might be implemented as part
of reviewer training. Include how your
proposed method might be tested and,
if effective, how it might be
disseminated across the NIH.
• As applicable, the signed Parental
Consent Document.
VerDate Mar<15>2010
17:56 May 02, 2014
Jkt 232001
• Submissions not conforming to
these specifications will be disqualified.
References
Ginther DK et al. (2011). Race, ethnicity, and
NIH research awards. Science, 333
(1015–1019).
Ginther DK, Haak LL, Schaffer WT, &
Kington R. (2012). Are race, ethnicity,
and medical school affiliation associated
with NIH R01 type 1 award probability
for physician investigators? Academic
Medicine, 87 (11), 1516–1524.
Dated: April 29, 2014.
Richard Nakamura,
Director, Center for Scientific Review,
National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2014–10203 Filed 5–2–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
[Docket No. USCBP–2014–0012]
Advisory Committee on Commercial
Operations of Customs and Border
Protection (COAC)
U.S. Customs and Border
Protection, Department of Homeland
Security (DHS).
ACTION: Committee management; Notice
of Federal advisory committee meeting.
AGENCY:
The Advisory Committee on
Commercial Operations of Customs and
Border Protection (COAC) will meet on
May 22, 2014, in Miami, FL. The
meeting will be open to the public.
DATES: COAC will meet on Thursday,
May 22, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
EST. Please note that the meeting may
close early if the committee has
completed its business.
Pre-Registration: Meeting participants
may attend either in person or via
webinar after pre-registering using a
method indicated below:
—For members of the public who plan
to attend the meeting in person,
please register either online at https://
apps.cbp.gov/te_reg/index.asp?w=17;
by email to tradeevents@dhs.gov; or
by fax to 202–325–4290 by 5:00 p.m.
EST on May 20, 2014.
—For members of the public who plan
to participate via webinar, please
register online at https://
apps.cbp.gov/te_reg/index.asp?w=18
by 5:00 p.m. EST on May 20, 2014.
Feel free to share this information with
other interested members of your
organization or association.
Members of the public who are preregistered and later require cancellation,
SUMMARY:
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please do so in advance of the meeting
by accessing one (1) of the following
links: https://apps.cbp.gov/te_reg/
cancel.asp?w=17 to cancel an in person
registration, or https://apps.cbp.gov/te_
reg/cancel.asp?w=18 to cancel a
webinar registration.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at
the Sofitel Miami at 5800 Blue Lagoon
Drive, Monte Carlo Room II & III, Miami,
FL 33126.
All visitors to the Sofitel Miami
should proceed through the main lobby
to Monte Carlo Room II & III. There will
be signage posted directing visitors to
the location of Monte Carlo Room II &
III.
For information on facilities or
services for individuals with disabilities
or to request special assistance at the
meeting, contact Ms. Wanda Tate, Office
of Trade Relations, U.S. Customs and
Border Protection at 202–344–1661 as
soon as possible.
To facilitate public participation, we
are inviting public comment on the
issues to be considered by the
committee prior to the formulation of
recommendations as listed in the
‘‘Agenda’’ section below.
Comments must be submitted in
writing no later than May 15, 2014, and
must be identified by Docket No.
USCBP–2014–0012, and may be
submitted by one of the following
methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
• Email: Tradeevents@dhs.gov.
Include the docket number in the
subject line of the message.
• Fax: 202–325–4290
• Mail: Ms. Wanda Tate, Office of
Trade Relations, U.S. Customs and
Border Protection, 1300 Pennsylvania
Avenue NW., Room 3.5A, Washington,
DC 20229.
Instructions: All submissions received
must include the words ‘‘Department of
Homeland Security’’ and the docket
number for this action. Comments
received will be posted without
alteration at https://www.regulations.gov,
including any personal information
provided. Do not submit personal
information to this docket.
Docket: For access to the docket to
read background documents or
comments, go to https://
www.regulations.gov and search for
Docket Number USCBP–2014–0012. To
submit a comment, see the link on the
Regulations.gov Web site for ‘‘How do I
submit a comment?’’ located on the
right hand side of the main site page.
There will be multiple public
comment periods held during the
E:\FR\FM\05MYN1.SGM
05MYN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 86 (Monday, May 5, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25606-25608]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-10203]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
Center for Scientific Review Announcement of Requirements and
Registration for Strategies To Strengthen Fairness and Impartiality in
Peer Review
Authority: 15 U.S.C. 3719.
SUMMARY: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Center for Scientific
Review (CSR) is issuing a challenge titled ``Strategies to Strengthen
Fairness and Impartiality in Peer Review.'' This notice provides
information regarding requirements and registration for the challenge.
DATES:
Submission Period: May 5, 2014 through 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time,
June 30, 2014.
Judging Period: July 16, 2014 through August 29, 2014.
Winners Announced: September 2, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Details on the NIH/CSR Peer Review process and current
reviewer training materials can be found on the Reviewer Resources tab
at www.csr.nih.gov (See NIH Peer Review Process Revealed and Resources
for Reviewers). For questions about this challenge, please contact
CSRDiversityPeerRev@mail.nih.gov or call at 301-300-3839.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Monica Basco, Center for Scientific
Review, phone: 301-300-3839 or email at
CSRDiversityPeerRev@mail.nih.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The mission of the NIH is to seek
fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems
and to apply that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and
reduce the burdens of illness and disability. NIH has a longstanding
and time tested system of peer review to identify the most promising
biomedical research. The core values of NIH Peer Review are (1) expert
assessment, (2) transparency, (3) impartiality, (4) fairness, (5)
confidentiality, (6) integrity, and (7) efficiency. These values drive
NIH to seek the highest level of ethical standards and form the
foundation for the laws, regulations, and policies that govern the NIH
peer review process.
The NIH's Center for Scientific Review is issuing a challenge
titled ``Strategies to Strengthen Fairness and Impartiality in Peer
Review,'' under and consistent with sections 492 and 492A of the Public
Health Service Act and federal regulations governing ``Scientific Peer
Review of Research Grant Applicants and Research and Development
Contract Projects'' (42 CFR Part 52h). The goal of this challenge is to
seek ideas for strengthening reviewer training practices to enhance
impartiality and fairness in peer review of grant applications.
Research findings (Ginther et al, 2011; 2012) suggest a discrepancy in
success rates for NIH R01 grant funding between White applicants and
Black applicants, suggesting possible bias in the peer review process.
This challenge aims to address that discrepancy by soliciting ideas for
reviewer training methods to enhance fairness and impartiality in peer
review. It directly supports the mission of CSR to ensure that the best
and brightest minds have an equal opportunity to contribute to the
realization of our national research goals.
Subject of Challenge: The subject of this challenge is to seek
ideas for reviewer training methods to enhance fairness and
impartiality in peer review.
The NIH Peer Review process is a dual peer review system used by
NIH to award research funds. Under this system, each application must
undergo two levels of NIH Peer Review. The first level of review is
carried out by a Scientific Review Group (SRG) composed primarily of
non-federal scientists who have expertise in relevant scientific
disciplines and current research areas. The second level of review is
performed by Institute and Center National Advisory Councils or Boards
that make recommendations on priority areas of research, pending
policy, and funding of particular applications. Councils are composed
of both scientific and public representatives chosen for their
expertise, interest, or activity in matters related to health and
disease. Only applications that are recommended for approval by both
the SRG and the Council may be recommended for funding. Final funding
decisions are made by the director of the relevant NIH Institute or
Center.
NIH recognizes a unique and compelling need to promote diversity in
the NIH-funded biomedical research workforce. The NIH expects efforts
that diversify the workforce to lead to the recruitment of the most
talented researchers from all groups, improve the quality of the
training environment, balance and broaden the perspective in setting
research priorities, and improve the Nation's capacity to address and
eliminate health disparities. Yet, despite longstanding efforts from
the NIH and other entities across the biomedical and behavioral
research landscape to enhance the diversity of workforce, more work
remains to be done. Recent studies (Ginther et al., 2011; 2012) have
shown that African American researchers are less likely than White
researchers to receive NIH R01 grant funding. These findings have
raised concerns regarding the degree to which reviewers are
demonstrating the core values of impartiality and fairness.
This challenge seeks ideas for reviewer training methods aimed at
enhancing fairness and impartiality in peer review. Submissions need
not include fully developed training materials (See complete submission
requirements below). However, ideas should be provided in sufficient
detail to assess their ability to address and promote fairness and
impartiality in the peer review of grant applications with regards to:
gender, race/ethnicity, institutional affiliation, area of science, and
amount of research experience of the applicant.
Eligibility Rules for Participating in the Challenge: The challenge
is open to any individual, group of individuals, or entity (each
referred to in this notice as a ``participant'') who meets the
eligibility criteria below. There is no limit to the number of entries
a participant can submit.
[[Page 25607]]
To be eligible to win a prize under this challenge:
(1) The participant shall have registered to participate in the
competition under the rules promulgated by CSR as described in this
notice.
(2) The participant (including each individual participating as a
member of group participant) shall have complied with all the
requirements under this section.
(3) In the case of a private entity, the entity shall be
incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United
States, and in the case of an individual, whether participating singly
or in a group, each shall be a citizen or permanent resident of the
United States.
(4) Individuals (whether competing alone or as part of a group) who
are younger than 18 must have their parent or legal guardian complete
the Parental Consent Form. The form can be found on the Challenge Web
page at www.csr.nih.gov.
(5) The participant may not be a Federal entity or Federal employee
acting within the scope of his or her employment.
(6) The participant shall not be an HHS employee working on their
applications or submissions during assigned duty hours.
(7) The participant shall not be an employee of the National
Institutes of Health, the Center for Scientific Review, a member of the
Subcommittee on Peer Review or any other party involved with the
design, production, execution, or distribution of the Challenge or
their immediate family (spouse, parents or step-parents, siblings and
step-siblings and children and step-children).
(8) Federal grantees may not use Federal funds to develop COMPETES
Act challenge applications unless consistent with the purpose of their
grant award.
(9) Federal contractors may not use Federal funds from a contract
to develop COMPETES Act challenge applications or to fund efforts in
support of a COMPETES Act challenge submission.
(10) CSR reserves the right to cancel, suspend, modify the
challenge and/or not award a prize if no submissions are deemed worthy.
(11) CSR will claim no rights to intellectual property. By
participating in this challenge, participant grants to CSR an
irrevocable, paid-up, royalty-free, nonexclusive worldwide license to
post, link to, share, and display publicly the submission on the Web,
newsletters or pamphlets, and other information products such as a
future Funding Opportunity Announcement or other study to develop the
methodology. In addition, CSR may incorporate proposed ideas into a
future Request for Applications (RFA), Request for Proposals (RFP) or
an implemented study to develop the methodology, but an award of a
prize does not guarantee the proposed idea will be implemented.
(12) By participating in this challenge, participant agrees that
the submission is participant's original work and that all proposed
ideas are participant's original effort. It is the responsibility of
the participant to obtain any rights necessary to use, disclose, or
reproduce any intellectual property owned by third parties and
incorporated in the entry for all anticipated uses of the submission.
Submissions must not violate or infringe upon any copyright or any
other rights of other parties, including, but not limited to, privacy,
publicity or intellectual property rights, or material that constitutes
copyright or license infringement.
(13) By participating in this challenge, each participant
(including each individual making up a group participant) agrees to
assume any and all risks and waive claims against the Federal
Government and its related entities, except in the case of willful
misconduct, for any injury, death, damage, or loss of property,
revenue, or profits, whether direct, indirect, or consequential,
arising from participation in this prize challenge, whether the injury,
death, damage, or loss arises through negligence or otherwise.
(14) Based on the subject matter of the challenge, the type of work
that it will possibly require, as well as an analysis of the likelihood
of any claims for death, bodily injury, or property damage, or loss
potentially resulting from challenge participation, participants are
not required to obtain liability insurance or demonstrate financial
responsibility in order to participate in this challenge.
(15) By participating in this challenge, each participant agrees to
indemnify the Federal Government against third party claims for damages
arising from or related to challenge activities.
(16) An individual shall not be deemed ineligible because the
individual used Federal facilities or consulted with Federal employees
during this challenge if the facilities and employees are made
available to all individuals participating in the challenge on an
equitable basis.
(17) In the case of groups, a single, individual group member will
submit the submission on behalf of the group and certify that the
submission meets all challenge rules.
(18) The decision of the award approving official is final and
cannot be contested. The award approving official is the Director of
the Center for Scientific Review.
Submission Process for Participants: Participants should submit all
entry materials to CSRDiversityPeerReview@mail.nih.gov.
Amount of the Prize: CSR may award up to two prizes. A First Prize
in the amount of $10,000 and a Second Prize in the amount of $5,000 may
be given. Each submission is eligible for only one prize (i.e., a
single submission cannot win more than one prize for this challenge).
Prizes awarded under this challenge will be paid by electronic
funds transfer and may be subject to Federal income taxes. HHS will
comply with the Internal Revenue Service withholding and reporting
requirements, where applicable. If a group or entity is selected as a
winner, CSR will pay the prize to an individual representative of the
group designated in the cover letter required as part of the
submission. To the extent applicable, it is this individual's
responsibility to distribute the prize to group (or entity) members.
Basis Upon Which Submissions Will be Evaluated: After CSR receives
and de-identifies the submissions, the submissions will be evaluated
according to a two-stage process: (1) Technical merit will be evaluated
for potential to enhance fairness and impartiality in peer review
(High, Medium, Low impact) by a panel of experts in fields relevant to
peer review, evaluation and training methods, and bias in assessment,
and (2) High Impact submissions will be evaluated and rank ordered
based on the judging criteria (see judging criteria below) by a panel
of judges comprised of federal employees who will recommend the winning
entries.
The final awards will be approved by the Director of the Center for
Scientific Review; provided, however, that CSR reserves the right to
cancel, suspend, modify the challenge and/or not award a prize if no
submissions are deemed worthy.
The judging criteria for this challenge are as follows.
Demonstrates general knowledge of peer review practices.
Grounded in the empirical literature.
Feasible for implementation with reviewers in the NIH Peer
Review system.
The proposed methods could be delivered to reviewers in a
variety of delivery formats, including an electronic format.
[[Page 25608]]
Demonstrates an understanding of the literature on
principles of learning/training.
Effectively moves theory to practice.
Provides evidence that supports the effectiveness of the
approach in promoting fair and unbiased peer review.
Submission Requirements: This challenge is for the solicitation of
ideas for reviewer training methods to strengthen reviewer fairness and
impartiality in NIH Peer Review. Submissions, therefore, need not
include fully developed training materials. The following materials
must be emailed to CSRDiversityPeerRev@mail.nih.gov or sent in hardcopy
to the Office of the Director, Attention: Denise McGarrell, Center for
Scientific Review, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Suite 3030, Bethesda, Maryland
20892 by the deadline. Incomplete submissions will not be considered.
All submissions must be written in English.
Cover sheet with title of the submission and the
participant's name or names of group members and contact information.
In the case of groups (and entities), indicate one group member
responsible for corresponding with CSR. Also indicate which group
member will be responsible for receiving the prize for distribution, as
applicable, among group members.
Challenge submission documents. Note: The 2-page challenge
idea should be anonymous (i.e., not include identifying information of
the participant). Submissions shall not exceed 2 single-spaced pages
(not to include cover page, references or parental consent document, if
applicable) and shall be constrained to no less than one inch margins
and 11 pt. Ariel font. All submissions must be submitted in .docx
(Word) format. Submissions should include the following sections:
Aims: Describe the goals for your proposed approach for reviewer
training to enhance fairness and impartiality in peer review and the
anticipated outcomes.
Approach: Provide a detailed description of your proposed methods
and procedures. Describe how you might measure the effectiveness of
your plan in accomplishing your proposed aims.
Implementation: Explain how your methods might be implemented as
part of reviewer training. Include how your proposed method might be
tested and, if effective, how it might be disseminated across the NIH.
As applicable, the signed Parental Consent Document.
Submissions not conforming to these specifications will be
disqualified.
References
Ginther DK et al. (2011). Race, ethnicity, and NIH research awards.
Science, 333 (1015-1019).
Ginther DK, Haak LL, Schaffer WT, & Kington R. (2012). Are race,
ethnicity, and medical school affiliation associated with NIH R01
type 1 award probability for physician investigators? Academic
Medicine, 87 (11), 1516-1524.
Dated: April 29, 2014.
Richard Nakamura,
Director, Center for Scientific Review, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2014-10203 Filed 5-2-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P