Evaluating Panel Quality in Review (ENQUIRE)
Science changes rapidly. Making sure that study sections change with the science is an ongoing challenge. CSR ENQUIRE integrates data and input from multiple stakeholders to determine whether changes in study section focus or scope are needed to facilitate the identification of high impact science, with special consideration of emerging science.
- Clusters of study sections are formed based on scientific topics (instead of CSR managerial units) for review via ENQUIRE
- Systematic, data-driven, continuous process – ~20% of CSR study sections are evaluated each year, every study section evaluated every 5 years
- Stakeholder input and involvement – external scientific community, extramural programs at NIH, CSR staff
- Iterative approach - continuous refinement of the process based on experience
- Critical to success – matching referral of applications and reviewer expertise to redefined scientific scope of study sections
For an overview of how CSR arrived at this process and how ENQUIRE proceeds, watch a presentation by CSR Director Dr. Noni Byrnes at the January 2020 NICHD Advisory Council meeting.
Multiple Possible Actions Follow
- Change in scientific guidelines
- Merge study sections
- Create new study sections
- Redistribute areas across study sections
- Add emerging areas of science
- Eliminate study sections
Process Overview for Each Cluster of Study Sections
- Cluster Formation
How? Determined by science, not management structure - 9-12 study sections in each cluster
- External Scientific Evaluation Panel
Who? Scientifically broad, senior scientists provided with:
- current scientific guidelines
- sample abstracts & aims
- data on workload trends, bibliometric output, ESI submission and success rates
- Internal Process Evaluation Panel
Who? NIH extramural staff with broad perspective
- workload data
- scoring trends
- survey feedback from reviewers & program officers
- site-visit information on meeting function
- External Scientific Working Group’s report
- Approvals
- CSR Advisory Council
- NIH Office of the Director
- Implementation by CSR
- Test practicality of new guidelines through mock application referral
- Reassignment of standing study section members to fit guidelines of new study sections
- Publicize new study sections to the community
- Monitor referral & adherence to new guidelines
Clusters Evaluated via ENQUIRE in 2022
Drug Synthesis, Discovery, Disposition, and Xenobiotics
Study Sections Evaluated (14)
- Cancer Etiology (CE)
- Drug Discovery for the Nervous System (DDNS)
- Drug Discovery and Mechanisms of Antimicrobial Resistance (DDR)
- Drug Discovery and Molecular Pharmacology (DMP)
- Developmental Therapeutics (DT)
- Gene and Drug Delivery Systems (GDD)
- Nanotechnology (NANO)
- Synthetic and Biological Chemistry A (SBCA)
- Synthetic and Biological Chemistry B (SBCB)
- Systemic Injury by Environmental Exposure (SIEE)
- Xenobiotic and Nutrient Disposition and Action (XNDA)
- Topics in Bacterial Pathogenesis (ZRG1 AIDC (82))
- Eukaryotic Pathogen Drug Discovery and Resistance (ZRG1 AIDC (83))
- PAR Panel: High Throughput Screening (ZRG1 BST-F (55))
Resulting Study Sections (14)
- Anti-Infective Resistance and Targets (AIRT)
- Advancing Therapeutics A (ATA)
- Advancing Therapeutics (ZRG1 MCST (81))
- Chemical Biology & Probes (CBP)
- Chemical Synthesis & Biosynthesis (CSB)
- Drug and Biologic Disposition and Toxicity (DBDT)
- Drug and Biologic Therapeutic Delivery (DBTD)
- Drug Discovery and Molecular Pharmacology A (DMPA)
- Drug Discovery and Molecular Pharmacology (DCAI (81))
- Drug Discovery and Molecular Pharmacology C (DMPC)
- Drug Discovery and Molecular Pharmacology B (DMPB)
- Environmental Determinants of Disease (EDD)
- Innovations in Nanosystems and Nanotechnology (INN)
- Nucleic Acid Therapeutic Delivery (BBBT (81))
Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
Study Sections Evaluated (10)
- Bacterial Pathogenesis (BACP)
- Host Interactions with Bacterial Pathogens (HIBP)
- Immunity and Host Defense (IHD)
- Prokaryotic Cell and Molecular Biology (PCMB)
- Pathogenic Eukaryotes (PTHE)
- Vector Biology (VB)
- Vaccines Against Microbial Diseases (VID)
- Virology - A (VIRA)
- Virology - B (VIRB)
- Topics in Bacterial Pathogenesis (ZRG1 IIDA-B 80)
Resulting Study Sections (11)
- Bacterial-Host Interactions (BHI)
- Bacterial Virulence (BV)
- Immunity and Host Defense (IHD)
- Interspecies Microbial Interactions and Infections (IMII)
- Molecular and Cellular Biology of Virus Infection (MCV)
- Prokaryotic Cell and Molecular Biology (PCMB)
- Pathogenic Eukaryotes (PTHE)
- Transmission of Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases (TVZ)
- Viral Dynamics and Transmission (VDT)
- Vaccines Against Microbial Diseases (VID)
- Viral Pathogenesis and Immunity (VPI)
Epidemiology and Population Sciences
Study Sections Evaluated (9)
- Behavioral Genetics and Epidemiology (BGES)
- Biostatistical Methods and Research Design (BMRD)
- Cancer, Heart, and Sleep Epidemiology Panel A (CHSA)
- Cancer, Heart, and Sleep Epidemiology Panel B (CHSB)
- Clinical Research and Field Studies of Infectious Diseases (CRFS)
- Genetics of Health and Disease (GHD)
- Infectious Diseases, Reproductive Health, Asthma and Pulmonary Conditions (IRAP)
- Kidney, Nutrition, Obesity and Diabetes (KNOD)
- Neurological, Aging and Musculoskeletal Epidemiology (NAME)
Resulting Study Sections (13)
- Aging, Injury, Musculoskeletal, and Rheumatologic Disorders (AIMR)
- Analytics and Statistics for Population Research Panel A (ASPA)
- Analytics and Statistics for Population Research Panel B (ASPB)
- Cancer and Hematologic Disorders (CHD)
- Cardiovascular and Respiratory Diseases (CRD)
- Etiology, Diagnostic, Intervention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases (EDIT)
- Genetics of Health and Disease (GHD)
- Kidney, Endocrine, and Digestive Disorders (KEDD)
- Lifestyle and Health Behaviors (LHB)
- Neurological, Mental and Behavioral Health (NMBH)
- Population-based Research in Infectious Disease (PRID)
- Reproductive, Perinatal, and Pediatric Health (RPPH)
- Social and Environmental Determinants of Health (SEDH)
Oncology
Study Sections Evaluated (10)
- Cancer Molecular Pathobiology (CAMP)
- Cancer Biomarkers (CBSS)
- Cancer Immunopathology and Immunotherapy (CII)
- Clinical Oncology (CONC)
- Mechanisms of Cancer Therapeutics - 1 (MCT1)
- Mechanisms of Cancer Therapeutics - 2 (MCT2)
- Molecular Oncogenesis (MONC)
- Tumor Cell Biology (TCB)
- Tumor Microenvironment (TME)
- Tumor Progression and Metastasis (TPM)
Resulting Study Sections (13)
- Biochemical and Cellular Oncogenesis (BCO)
- Cancer Cell Biology (CCB)
- Cellular Immunotherapy of Cancer (CIC)
- Clinical Oncology (CONC)
- Gene Regulation in Cancer (GRIC)
- Molecular Cancer Diagnosis and Classification (MCDC)
- Mechanisms of Cancer Therapeutics A (MCTA)
- Mechanisms of Cancer Therapeutics B (MCTB)
- Mechanisms of Cancer Therapeutics C (MCTC)
- Tumor Evolution, Heterogeneity and Metastasis (TEHM)
- Tumor Host Interactions (THI)
- Translational Immuno-oncology (TIO)
- Therapeutic Immune Regulation (TIR)
Clusters Evaluated via ENQUIRE in 2021
Molecular and Cellular Basic Sciences
Study Sections Evaluated (16)
- Biochemistry and Biophysics of Membranes (BBM)
- Biophysics of Neural Systems (BPNS)
- Cellular Signaling and Regulatory Systems (CSRS)
- Membrane Biology and Protein Processing (MBPP)
- Molecular Genetics A (MGA)
- Molecular Genetics B (MGB)
- Molecular and Integrative Signal Transduction (MIST)
- Molecular Neuropharmacology and Signaling (MNPS)
- Macromolecular Structure and Function A (MSFA)
- Macromolecular Structure and Function B (MSFB)
- Macromolecular Structure and Function C (MSFC)
- Macromolecular Structure and Function D (MSFD)
- Nuclear and Cytoplasmic Structure/Function and Dynamics (NCSD)
- Neurotransporters, Receptors, and Calcium Signaling (NTRC)
- Prokaryotic Cell and Molecular Biology (PCMB)
- Synapses, Cytoskeleton and Trafficking (SYN)
Resulting Study Sections (12)
- Biochemistry and Biophysics of Membranes (BBM)
- Cell Structure and Function-1 (CSF-1)
- Cell Structure and Function-2 (CSF-2)
- Cellular Signaling and Regulatory Systems (CSRS)
- Molecular Cellular Neuropharmacology (MCNP)
- Molecular Genetics (MG)
- Macromolecular Structure and Function A (MSFA)
- Macromolecular Structure and Function B (MSFB)
- Macromolecular Structure and Function C (MSFC)
- Neuronal Communications (NC)
- Prokaryotic Cell and Molecular Biology (PCMB)
- Receptor Biology and Signal Transduction (RBST)
Clusters Evaluated via ENQUIRE in 2019
Healthcare Delivery/Patient Outcomes
Study Sections Evaluated (9)
- Biomedical Computing and Health Informatics (BCHI)
- Behavioral Medicine: Interventions and Outcomes (BMIO)
- Community-Level Health Promotion (CLHP)
- Clinical Management of Patients in Community-based Settings (CMPC)
- Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health (DIRH)
- Health Disparities and Equity Promotion (HDEP)
- Health Services Organization and Delivery (HSOD)
- Nursing and Related Clinical Sciences (NRCS)
- Psychosocial Risk and Disease Prevention (PRDP)
Resulting Study Sections (11)
- Biobehavioral Medicine and Health Outcomes (BMHO)
- Clinical Data Management and Analysis (CDMA)
- Clinical Informatics and Digital Health (CIDH)
- Clinical Management in General Health Care Settings (CMGC)
- Healthcare and Health Disparities (HHD)
- Health Promotion in Communities (HPC)
- Health Services: Quality and Effectiveness (HSQE)
- Interdisciplinary Clinical Care in Specialty Care Settings (ICSC)
- Lifestyle Change and Behavioral Health (LCBH)
- Organization and Delivery of Health Services (ODHS)
- Science of Implementation in Health and Healthcare (SIHH)
GI, Renal, Endocrine Systems
Study Sections Evaluated (11)
- Cellular Aspects of Diabetes and Obesity (CADO)
- Clinical and Integrative Diabetes and Obesity (CIDO)
- Clinical, Integrative and Molecular Gastroenterology (CIMG)
- Gastrointestinal Mucosal Pathobiology (GMPB)
- Hepatobiliary Pathophysiology (HBPP)
- Integrative Nutrition and Metabolic Processes (INMP)
- Integrative Physiology of Obesity and Diabetes (IPOD)
- Kidney Molecular Biology and Genitourinary Organ Development (KMBD)
- Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology (MCE)
- Pathobiology of Kidney Disease (PBKD)
- Urology and Urogynecology (ZRG1 DKUS 90)
Resulting Study Sections (10)
- Basic Mechanisms of Diabetes and Metabolism (BMDM)
- Cell Signaling and Molecular Endocrinology (CSME)
- Digestive System Host Defense, Microbial Interactions and Immune and Inflammatory Disease (DHMI)
- Digestive and Nutrient Physiology and Diseases (DNPD)
- Hepatobiliary Pathophysiology (HBPP)
- Human Studies of Diabetes and Obesity (HSDO)
- Kidney and Urological Systems Function and Dysfunction (KUFD)
- Nutrition and Metabolism in Health and Disease (NMHD)
- Pathobiology of Kidney Disease (PBKD)
- Pathophysiology of Obesity and Metabolic Disease (POMD)
Cardiac, Vascular and Hematologic Sciences
Study Sections Evaluated (10)
- Atherosclerosis and Inflammation of the Cardiovascular System Study Section (AICS)
- Cardiac Contractility, Hypertrophy, and Failure Study Section (CCHF)
- Clinical and Integrative Cardiovascular Sciences Study Section (CICS)
- Electrical Signaling, Ion Transport, and Arrhythmias Study Section (ESTA)
- Hemostasis and Thrombosis Study Section (HT)
- Hypertension and Microcirculation Study Section (HM)
- Molecular and Cellular Hematology Study Section (MCH)
- Myocardial Ischemia and Metabolism Study Section (MIM)
- Vascular Cell and Molecular Biology Study Section (VCMB)
- Transfusion Medicine Sep (ZRG1 VH-D 55)
Resulting Study Sections (8)
- Atherosclerosis and Vascular Inflammation (AVI)
- Basic Biology of Blood, Heart and Vasculature (BBHV)
- Clinical Integrative Cardiovascular and Hematological Sciences (CCHS)
- Hemostasis, Thrombosis, Blood Cells and Transfusion Study Section (HTBT)
- Integrative Vascular Physiology and Pathology (IVPP)
- Integrative Myocardial Physiology/Pathophysiology A (MPPA)
- Integrative Myocardial Physiology/Pathophysiology B (MPPB)
- Therapeutic Development and Preclinical Studies (TDPS)
Functional/Cognitive Neuroscience
Study Sections Evaluated (12)
- Auditory System (AUD)
- Biology of the Visual System (BVS)
- Cognition and Perception (CP)
- Chemosensory Systems (CSS)
- Diseases and Pathophysiology of the Visual System (DPVS)
- Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (LAM)
- Language and Communication (LCOM)
- Neuroendocrinology, Neuroimmunology, Rhythms and Sleep (NNRS)
- Sensory Motor Integration (SMI)
- Mechanisms of Sensory, Perceptual, and Cognitive Processes (SPC)
- Somatosensory and Pain Systems (SPS)
- Ocular Surface, Cornea, Anterior Segment Glaucoma, and Refractive Error Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1 BDCN-J 81)
Resulting Study Sections (11)
- Auditory Systems (AUD)
- Biology and Development of the Eye (BDE)
- Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, Neuroimmunology, Rhythms, and Sleep (BNRS)
- Human Complex Mental Function (HCMF)
- Language and Communication (LCOM)
- Learning, Memory and Decision Neuroscience (LMDN)
- Neuroscience of Basic Visual Processes Study Section (NBVP)
- Neuroscience of Interoception and Chemosensation (NIC)
- Neurobiology of Pain and Itch (NPI)
- Pathophysiology of Eye Disease 1 & 2 (PED)
- Sensory-Motor Neuroscience (SMN)
