Resources for Members

November Research Workforce and Early Career Community Call – Mentoring [November 14, 2024]

The Research Workforce and Early Career Community hosted a special 90 minute discussion about mentorship on November 14th at 2-3:30PM eastern.  Sarvenaz Sarabipour, PhD, from the University of Connecticut and Natalie Niemi, PhD, from Washington University at St. Louis presented data from their survey of early career researchers which identifies…

Diversity in Registry and Biorepository Research To Advance Precision Medicine [November 4, 2024]

The Registry & Biorepository and DEI Learning Communities hosted a joint webinar on Diversity in Registry and Biorepository Research To Advance Precision Medicine. We heard from Janeth Sanchez, Acting Director of Health Equity for the All of Us Research Program about how their program engages populations underrepresented in biomedical research…

Using HRA Analyzer to understand non-profit funding for health research: Lessons from Doris Duke Foundation [October 30, 2024]

The Program Evaluation Community hosted a dynamic discussion on using HRA Analyzer to assess grant data by health research areas. Betsy Myers and Kevin Sia shared results of their data for HRA member organizations, followed by a discussion on opportunities for expanded support of health research based on these findings….

How do Foundations Successfully Implement or Manage DEI Grant Programs in Light of Anti-DEI Legislation? [Fall 2024 HRA Members Meeting; October 1, 2024]

In light of the recent Supreme Court decision on Affirmative Action, and other state anti-DEI  legislation, foundations are at a crossroads when it comes to managing DEI grant programs. This session explored how Foundations can remain compliant with current legislation while offering grant programs that institutions can accept that continue…

Meet the Members Meeting Sponsors [Fall 2024 HRA Members Meeting; October 1, 2024]

Learn more about the Health Research Alliance member organizations that generously sponsored the Fall 2024 Health Research Alliance Members Meeting. Presenters Amy Laster, PhD Senior Vice President, Science Strategy and Awards | Foundation Fighting Blindness Preeti Subramanian, PhD Director of Vision Science Programs | BrightFocus Foundation Joan Levy, PhD Chief…

Welcome [Fall 2024 HRA Members Meeting; October 1, 2024]

The Fall 2024 Health Research Alliance Members Meeting kicked off with remarks from Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation, and ASCO; the meeting hosts. Christine Riordan, HRA’s new Executive Director, welcomed attendees to the meeting. Presenters Nancy R. Daly, MS, MPH Chief Executive Officer | Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation Clifford…

Career Advancement: Aligning Passion with Prosperity [Fall 2024 HRA Members Meeting; October 2, 2024]

This interactive workshop explored how to align your passion with your goals to build a career that lights you up with purpose. No matter what stage you’re at in your career, the session covered actionable strategies for career growth that integrate your values and talents. Managers and leaders learned cutting-edge…

Partnerships: Two Sides of the Same Coin [Fall 2024 HRA Members Meeting; October 2, 2024]

Partnerships can be so much more than cofunding a research program. From partnering with corporations, to engaging with industry partners, to collaborating with other nonprofits and consortia, diversity in partnership is beneficial to furthering the goals of HRA member organizations. This session explored how our member organizations can partner with…

Unlocking Cures: Navigating the Therapeutics Frontier in Collaboration with the Federal Government [Fall 2024 HRA Members Meeting; October 1, 2024]

As non-profits, we want to make sure any investments we make in potential new therapeutics are as impactful as possible. In this session, we explored how we can complement what federal agencies support in this space, and make sure we catalyze the therapeutics development ecosystem. We heard from NIH and…

AI in Grant Application and Management: Strategies, Risks and Considerations [Fall 2024 HRA Members Meeting; October 1, 2024]

Artificial intelligence tools are becoming widespread and more robust across various disciplines. This session focused on the promises and perils of AI for funders to integrate AI for efficient grant making process. What funder workstreams could be made easier, faster, or more insightful with artificial intelligence? What are the concerns…

Generative AI for Tracking and Communicating Research Impact [Fall 2024 HRA Members Meeting, October 1, 2024]

The recent emergence of generative AI has many in the non-profit sector scrambling to keep up. This is especially true in terms of leveraging AI to measure, track and communicate the impact that research grant funding and its outcomes have on science and society. In this session, we heard use…

Open Science 102: Breaking Down Open Science Policy Template Language [September 26, 2024]

During this Open Science Learning Community call, open science experts Erin McKiernan and Greg Tananbaum of the Open Research Community Accelerator (ORCA) presented on simple strategies for aligning your open science policies with emerging NIH and other federal requirements. Erin and Greg shared template language that HRA members can easily…

Open Science Policy Template Language [September 26, 2024]

HRA has partnered with the Open Research Community Accelerator (ORCA) to develop and distribute open science policy template language for HRA members. The documents linked here were developed by Erin McKiernan and Greg Tananbaum from ORCA. There are two template documents available: Full Open Science Policy Template and Guidelines: This…

September Grants Administration Community Open Mic – Patient Advocates in Peer Review [September 25, 2024]

This Grants Administration Community open mic featured a discussion about using patient advocates in the review process! We had pre-planned speakers and a lively discussion in which attendees shared their thoughts, questions, pain points, and pro tips. This webinar was a follow up to a question posted to the HRA…

Getting the Most Out of Your HRA Membership [September 11, 2024]

Health Research Alliance (HRA) staff presented a short webinar to inform attendees about the activities and resources available to HRA members. Check out the recording and linked slide deck for more information about HRA’s events, activities, and resources.

September AI/LLM Community Call [September 10, 2024]

HRA’s Artificial Intelligence and Large Language Models Learning Community hosted Dr. Michael Pencina, a respected leader in AI, and Vice Dean for Data Science at Duke University School of Medicine. Dr. Pencina spoke about where AI is heading in the medical and science fields and also discussed CHAI, Coalition for…

Listserv Responses: Childcare Costs for Awardees Attending Scientific Conferences [August 2024]

Thanks to Belinda Orland from the American Heart Association for starting a discussion about policies and practices for childcare costs incurred by awardees attending a scientific research conference. The document linked above summarizes HRA members contributions (available to HRA members only; you must be logged into the website to download…

August Registry and Biorepository Community Call – Best Practices Open Mic [August 6, 2024]

During this community discussion, attendees utilized their collective expertise to share their lessons learned around biobank clinical site partnerships (compensation, sample and data collection). They also briefly discussed sustainability models, longitudinal data collection strategies, and topics for upcoming webinars.

Program Evaluation Community Call: CSET Map of Science Demonstration [June 27, 2024]

The Program Evaluation Community hosted an overview of the Map of Science tool developed by the Emerging Technology Observatory at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). This free online tool collects and organizes the world’s research literature, revealing key trends, hotspots, and concepts in global science and…

June Grants Administration Community Open Mic – Grants Management Systems [June 26, 2024]

This Grants Administration Community open mic was a discussion of the recent Grants Management System Survey. Four HRA community members spoke about their experiences with their respective grants management systems: Joan New, Autism Speaks: Transitioning from an in-house system to Fluxx Kristin McGowan, OCRA: SmartSimple Kim Peters, ALS Association: ProposalCentral Sonia…

Follow-Up Discussion: Promoting Diversity in Clinical Trials [June 5, 2024]

The DEI Learning Community hosted a working session on June 5 (1-2PM ET) to reflect and discuss further the call from May 1 on “Promoting Diversity in Clinical Trials”. The recording, slides, and related resources from the May 1 webinar are available on the HRA website (https://www.healthra.org/resources/promoting-diversity-in-clinical-trials-may-1-2024/). The goal of…

Therapeutic Development Learning Community Re-Launch [May 30, 2024]

In this community call, the new co-chair team (Mary O’Reilly, Maaike Everts, Raeka Aiyar) facilitated an open discussion to reboot the Therapeutic Development (formerly known as Drugs and Other Therapy Development) Learning Community. This was an informal meeting to reconnect, hear from community members about their interests for future meetings,…

Open Science 101: First Steps to Implementing an Open Science Policy [May 29, 2024]

The Open Science Learning Community is thrilled to announce a new initiative in collaboration with Greg Tananbaum and Erin McKiernan of the Open Research Community Accelerator (ORCA). We heard loud and clear in our recent survey and at the spring member’s meeting open science session that many of our member organizations are grappling with…

Open Science Community Survey [February 2024]

The Spring 2024 Virtual Health Research Alliance Members Meeting included a session on “The Open Science Landscape: Context & Opportunities for Nonprofit Funders“. Ahead of that session, the Open Science Learning Community co-chairs surveyed HRA members on: Open or public access publishing policies Data management or data sharing policies Alignment…

2024 Grants Management System Survey Summary

The Health Research Alliance (HRA) Grants Administration Learning Community administered a grants management system (GMS) survey via the HRA email listserv in Spring 2024 to collect information about member usage of and experience with grants management systems. 36 responses were received from 35 identified organizations (and one with no organization…

Measures of Success Survey [February 2024]

The Spring 2024 Virtual Health Research Alliance Members Meeting included a session on “Measures of Success“. Ahead of that session, the organizers surveyed HRA members on: Tools or resources they leverage to measure success, and how How they define programmatic success in their organization Means of measurement that align with…

HRA Clinical Trials Membership Survey Results [March 2024]

A survey was sent to the Health Research Alliance (HRA) membership (100+ nonprofit funders of biomedical and health research) via the HRA Info email listserv in March 2024 to gather information about member organizations’ activities and interest related to clinical trials. This information is intended to be used to inform…

Promoting Diversity in Clinical Trials [May 1, 2024]

Historically, clinical trials did not always recruit participants who represented the individuals most affected by a particular disease, condition, or behavior. This has created gaps in our understanding of disease and can impede the quality of health care. Clinicians and researchers should carefully consider the inclusion or exclusion criteria for…

April Misconduct and Ethics Community Call [April 29, 2024]

On this Misconduct & Ethics community call, we reviewed key takeaways from the February meeting held at Doris Duke with outside stakeholders on this topic. Using feedback from this community and the February convening, we have developed a draft logic model to guide next steps of this community (see image…

April Grants Administration Community Open Mic [April 17, 2024]

This Grants Administration Community open mic focused on sharing tools and tricks (including AI and considerations around LLMs) to make our grants admin lives easier. Participants discussed tools like grants administration system features for automation and post-award management, Smartsheet for project management, and various AI tools for use by both funders…

Benefits of ORCiD for Funders [March 25, 2024]

The ORCID US Community team for presented on the benefits of ORCID consortium membership for funders. For example, linking your awards with your awardees’ and reviewers’ ORCID records enables you to: Improve your ability to track the impact of your awards and your awardees, even after the end of the…

March Grants Administration Open Mic: Peer Review [March 21, 2024]

This Grants Administration Community open mic discussion was a discussion around PEER REVIEW! We’ve had a lot of pre-and-post-award topic recently and are delighted to revisit one of our favorite and most frequently questioned topics. This can include reducing bias in peer review, best practices for scientific review, the review…

March Research Workforce and Early Career Development Community Call [March 20, 2024]

In the past, biomedical research grants were often fiscal activities to advance the science in a specific field or area, acting more as simply a funding source than as a program that engages its grantees. Funders have realized that their impact can be enhanced by creating a holistic approach to…

March AI & LLM Community Call: Patient-Facing AI [March 19, 2024]

The March AI & LLM Learning Community discussion centered around AI & LLMs in a clinical context. Jen Hall (American Heart Association) and Craig Giroux (PCORI) lead a discussion around the challenges and responsibilities of funders in clinical trials, patient perceptions of AI, biases in clinical algorithms, the role of…

The Open Science Landscape: Context & Opportunities for Nonprofit Funders – Spring 2024 Members Meeting [March 14, 2024]

Open Science is the principle and practice of making research products and processes available to all, which fosters collaborations, reproducibility, and equity. This session will explore the ways in which funders can implement open policies that complement those of federal agencies. The session opened with an overview of current federal…

Innovative Methods for Choosing Among Competing Grant Applications – Spring 2024 Members Meeting [March 14, 2024]

Most HRA members fund grants through competitive applications processes.  We must sort through the proposals and make decisions on how best to spend our available dollars to achieve the strategic goals of our organization.  Most of us use some variation on the process of peer reviews to rank the meritorious…

Measures of Success – Spring 2024 Members Meeting [March 12, 2024]

This session offers an interactive exploration of the multifaceted nature of success in the context of biomedical and health research funding. Recognizing that the definition of success is not one-size-fits-all, the session will delve into how various funders, ranging from disease-specific organizations to disease-agnostic entities and spanning the spectrum from…

Awardees Choosing a Career in Industry: Can it Advance Funders’ Missions? Spring 2024 Members Meeting [March 12, 2024]

This session discussed the potential benefits of researchers choosing a career in industry over an academic career. Do funders consider this career choice a successful outcome, and recognize that it can be another equally valuable career path?  If so, are there ways funders can facilitate this transition to more effectively…

Partnering with Other Funders – Spring 2024 Members Meeting [March 11, 2024]

This session explored the intricacies of supporting research through effective partnerships. Through speakers and breakout discussion, we showcased effective models–from ongoing funder collaboratives to one-off partnerships–and identify best practices and challenges. Attendees left the session with insights and tips for exploring opportunities for collaboration. Panelists presented real-life examples of successful…

February Grants Administration Community Call [February 15, 2024]

The February Grants Administration Community open mic discussion was on Thursday, February 15th, and was an open discussion starting with (1) how to capture the outcomes (publications, further funding, IP, tools, career progress, etc.; including progress report templates) of the research we fund, and then (2) how to report these…

Health Research Alliance Convening on Bullying and Harassment [February 26, 2024]

This convening was generously hosted by the Doris Duke Foundation Bullying, harassment, and toxic research environments can impact all members of the scientific community, including graduate students, early career researchers, and established tenured faculty. Biomedical researchers are more likely than the general population to experience depression and anxiety, in part…

Bias Mitigation in Peer Review Training for Reviewers

Bias in peer review of grants and fellowships can affect funding decisions and lead to inequitable outcomes. To reduce the impact of bias during peer review, the Health Research Alliance (HRA) has developed a Bias Mitigation in Peer Review Training for Reviewers as part of our Inclusive Grantmaking Initiative. This…

Getting the Most out of Your HRA Membership [February 14, 2024]

Maryrose Franko, HRA’s Executive Director, hosted a “Getting the Most Out of Your HRA Membership” webinar. These session was for: new member organizations new staff at existing members ANYONE who wants to learn about HRA’s many activities Check out the recording to learn more about how HRA can help your…

January DEI Community Call [January 29, 2024]

In this community call, DEI Community Co-Chairs on gave a recap of the community activities from 2023, and lead a discussion of priorities and new topics to discuss in 2024.

February AI & LLM Community Call [February 13, 2024]

This was the first Open Mic call hosted by the AI and LLM Learning Community in 2024! Discussion topics included funder policies related to AI/LLMs, and a discussion of the results from a survey sent to HRA members.

January 2024 Grants Administration Community Call [January 25, 2024]

The Grants Administration Community hosted a kick-off call for 2024 to look at the year ahead. Co-chairs and attendees discussed continuing monthly open mic webinars, potential topics for future discussions, the Grants Administration Handbook, and new opportunities for leadership in the Grants Administration Learning Community.  Pending continued member interest, the Grants…

Listserv Responses: Grant Management and Financial Software [October 2023]

Thanks to Ryan Godfrey from the Cancer Research Institute for starting a discussion about grants management and financial software systems, particularly financial systems that pair well with ProposalCentral. The document linked above summarizes the discussion (available to HRA members only; you must be logged into the website to download the…

December Registry and Biorepository Community Call [December 7, 2023]

In the December Registry and Biorepository community call, we shared details from two programs on prioritizing research questions and use cases of Registry data. IBD Plexus talked about their process of aligning programmatic support with the research questions they hope to solve. The PKD Foundation shared details of a recent…

Interactive AI/LLM Learning Session [December 7, 2023]

The AI and LLM Learning Community hosted an interactive session on using Large Language Model (LLM) platforms.  The session began with a short presentation from Al Towers (Alzheimer’s Association) discussing “the art of the prompt.”  Kevin Sia (DDF) showed us how he has used these platforms and shared some cautionary…

HRA Grants Administration Handbook

In alignment with HRA’s Strategic Plan, the main priority for the Grants Administration Community has been to spearhead the creation of a grantmaking handbook specifically targeted for use by HRA members—health research funders. Along with leveraging the resources already on HRA’s website and listserv, the Grants Administration Community relies on…

Program Evaluation Community Call: Utilizing Visualization for Program Evaluation Part 2 – Practical strategies for effectively communicating evaluation findings [December 4, 2023]

As discussed in our September 2022 Program Evaluation Community webinar, the use of effective data visualization as a component of program evaluation can be a powerful asset in an evaluation toolkit for both internal and external stakeholders. In this webinar, we continued building on this skillset through an interactive and engaging…

DEI Community Call: Grantee Selection Strategies and the SCOTUS Race-Conscious Admissions Decision [November 29, 2023]

Many nonprofit funding organizations have been observing the United States Supreme Court’s Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College decision regarding race-conscious admissions, and wondering about the ways in which this decision could impact similar processes outside of higher ed, like grantee selection. While the…

AI and LLM News Articles (2023)

Here are some recent articles about Artificial Intelligence and Large Language Models that may be of interest to the HRA community: SUPPORTING RESEARCH ChatGPT and generative AI: 25 applications to support research (October 2023; Final installation of the Times Higher Education series looking at 100 ways to use ChatGPT in…

Evaluation Tools for HRA Members (2023)

The Program Evaluation Learning Community has compiled a list of tools available for various purposes, including measuring outcomes, visualizing data, and bibliographic management. Check out the Google Sheet on the Members Only Documents page under the Program Evaluation Learning Community section (must be logged into the HRA website to view).

Grants Administration Community Call [November 16, 2023]

This Grants Admin Community Call was an open discussion about handling change requests. This includesd NCEs, institution transfers, change of scope, re-budget requests, etc.—how organizations receive, review, and approve such requests, and similar considerations.  As a reminder, the Grants Admin Community will hold recurring webinars on the second or third Thursday…

HRA Guide to Collecting Demographic Data

Collecting demographic data consistently, accurately, and respectfully allows funders to monitor the diversity of their applicants, awardees, and reviewers, and assess ways in which their processes and practices may be creating barriers or inequities for certain demographic groups. This guide, developed as part of the Health Research Alliance Inclusive Grantmaking…

Trial Finder Tools: Increasing Access to Clinical Trial Information [November 7, 2023]

The Health Research Alliance (HRA) Clinical Trials Interest Group hosted a presentation from the Alzheimer’s Association about TrialMatch, an online tool that helps users find information about clinical trials for which they may qualify. We learned about how the TrialMatch tool fits into other patient engagement efforts, how the tool…

Strategies for Communicating Your Organization’s Impact [October 24, 2023]

In this webinar, attendees learned effective practices for how to communicate their organization’s impact to 5 key stakeholder groups, each of which requires a different strategy: (1) Organizational Leadership, (2) Policymakers, (3) Practitioners, (4) Researchers, and (5) the General Community. Publication Academy, Inc. introduced their custom online curricula that has…

Approaches to Track and Highlight the Successes of Our Grantees [HRA Members Meeting, Chicago, Fall 2023]

Tuesday October 17, 12:45pm-1:45pm CT This session discussed the use of alternative measures to track success in evaluating and highlighting the impact of grant funding – both during the grant term and post award. During this session we learned strategies for collecting data from grantees and alumni to tracking research…

AI and LLM Learning Community Session [HRA Members Meeting, Chicago, Fall 2023]

Tuesday October 17, 3:15pm-4:30pm CT Attendees to the AI and LLMs Learning Community session participated in an open mic discussion on the impact of newly established policy topics around AI and LLM (e.g. what is needed in policies to address using AI effectively, fairly, safely, in grantmaking and patient engagement…

How the Research Landscape is Changing [HRA Members Meeting, Chicago, Fall 2023]

Tuesday October 17, 2:00pm-3:45pm CT This session will discuss how biomedical research funding trends and priorities have evolved and continue to adapt. This session will discuss how the rising costs of research impacts what funders are doing, how funders have changed who they are funding in terms of career stage,…

Research Workforce and Early Career Development Learning Community [HRA Members Meeting, Chicago, Fall 2023]

Monday October 16, 11:00am-12:00pm CT Session Description This session showcased resources that support Early Career researchers in areas such as mental health, leadership and management, financial planning, and dependent care. These areas have been highlighted recently as being critical to recruitment, retention and well-being during the early career stage. Funders…

How to move from strategic planning through exploration to implementation and new program development [HRA Members Meeting, Chicago, Fall 2023]

Tuesday October 17, 9:00am-10:00am CT When a funding organization has a strategic plan, that plan is expressed through the execution of its funding program(s). When an organization develops new strategic directions or objectives, then it is often necessary to design and implement new funding programs to pursue them. This session…

New Opportunities to Bridge the Research to Practice Gap [HRA Members Meeting, Chicago, Fall 2023]

Monday October 16, 1:30pm-2:45pm CT How can funders move more of their funded research towards clinical relevance? This session explored specific things philanthropic funders can do to increase the likelihood of improving patient outcomes. It included a contextual update on how the research, regulatory, and commercial landscapes are changing, and…

Managing Conflict and Challenging Conversations at Work [HRA Members Meeting, Chicago, Fall 2023]

Monday October 16, 9:00am-10:45am CT As part of HRA’s Professional Development Program we offered this pre-meeting workshop for staff of HRA members.  The work environment is filled with conflict, often as a result of differences in work and communication styles. Minimizing or resolving conflict often requires engaging in difficult conversations,…

Collecting and Leveraging Real-World Data [HRA Members Meeting, Chicago, Fall 2023]

Monday October 16, 4:15pm-5:30pm CT The FDA defines real-world data (RWD) as that which relates to patient health status and/or the delivery of healthcare, often collected from a variety of sources, including the electronic health record (EHR), medical claims, disease registry data, direct input from patients, and digital health technologies….

Program Evaluation Learning Community: Using HRA Analyzer [HRA Members Meeting, Chicago, Fall 2023]

Monday October 16, 2:45pm-4:00pm CT The Program Evaluation Learning Community hosted a hands-on walk through of HRA Analyzer at the Fall 2023 HRA Members Meeting. In this session, attendees learned how they can leverage this members-only resource and improve their research portfolio evaluation efforts. Diane Saunders kicked off the session…

How Funders Can Work with Universities to Support Early Career Scientists [HRA Members Meeting, Chicago, Fall 2023]

Tuesday October 17, 10:10am-11:20am CT Being an early career researcher poses numerous challenges. These individuals require substantial support to nurture their innovative ideas and progress to the next phase of their professional journey. Both nonprofit funders and universities have a vested interest in supporting their scientists to develop their innovative…

HRA’s “State of the Alliance” [October 2, 2023]

In this second annual “State of the Alliance” presentation, Maryrose updated the membership on the progress we have made in implementing the strategies set out in the 2021 Strategic Plan.

Grants Administration Community: Standing Monthly Open Mic [September 21, 2023]

The September Open Mic call for the Grants Administration Learning Community focused around the massive topic of grant agreements.

Listserv Responses: Randomized Grant Order for Panel Review [September 2023]

Thanks to Mara Lennard Richard from the Lupus Research Alliance for starting such a productive discussion about ways in which grants are ordered for discussion during grant review! Mara’s question is copied below. Hi all, I recently took the HRA Bias Mitigation Training. One of the recommendations to avoid confirmation…

DEI Community Call: How Minority Serving Institutions Advance Antiracism & DEI [September 14, 2023]

This DEI Community Call explored the recent NASEM report on Advancing Antiracism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in STEMM Organizations by highlighting information and recommendations related to how Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) support antiracism and DEI, and how funders can successfully work with these institutions to achieve their goals. The short…

AI and Learning Language Models (LLM) Learning Community Open Mic [September 13, 2023]

In the second Open Mic meeting of the AI & LLM Learning Community, the group discussed updates regarding policy changes for AI in peer review and at their organizations, as well began a discussion regarding AI in patient-facing settings. The following articles were sent ahead of the call or shared…

HRA Members’ Open Science Policies [Members Only Resource]

As part of the EVO program, we are collecting HRA members’ policies to encourage or require various aspect of open science such as data sharing, publishing open access, or using preprints.  To view or contribute to the Google Sheet cataloguing HRA members’ open science policies, visit the Members Only Documents…

Data Sharing: Best Practices and Measuring Impact [September 7, 2023]

For data sharing to work, we need workflows, tools, and services to work in a seamless and interconnected way. This webinar began to identify the components and envision how we can assemble them into reliable, end-to-end solutions for funders. We heard from Jennifer Kemp, Stratos, about the broad landscape of…

Launch Webinar: HRA Bias Mitigation in Peer Review Training for Program Staff [September 6, 2023]

Bias in peer review of grants and fellowships can affect funding decisions and lead to inequitable outcomes. To reduce the impact of bias during peer review, the Health Research Alliance (HRA) has developed a Bias Mitigation in Peer Review Training for Program Staff as part of our Inclusive Grantmaking Initiative. This training is…

Registry and Biorepository Learning Community Call [August 24, 2023]

In the August meeting of the Registry and Biorepository learning community, we heard from an expert on considerations for international research for patient registries, including approaches to handle regional differences in data privacy regulations. Josh Lounsberry has designed, built, and operated patient registries as both an academic researcher and the…

Bias Mitigation in Peer Review Training for Program Staff

Bias in peer review of grants and fellowships can affect funding decisions and lead to inequitable outcomes. To reduce the impact of bias during peer review, the Health Research Alliance (HRA) has developed a Bias Mitigation in Peer Review Training for Program Staff as part of our Inclusive Grantmaking Initiative….

Clinical Trials Interest Group Open Discussion [July 11, 2023]

This session was the first meeting of the new Health Research Alliance Clinical Trials Interest Group! Initially, this group is focusing on the benefits, challenges, and strategies for enhancing the diversity of clinical trial participant populations, and will explore topics such as guidelines for inclusion and equity in research, participant…

AI and Learning Language Models (LLM) Learning Community Open Mic [June 28, 2023]

The first call of the newly formed AI and LLMs Learning Community was a discussion around policy development, implementation, and compliance, as well future events, including a possible breakout session at the Fall 2023 HRA Members Meeting (Chicago, Il). The policy discussion focused on the new NIH peer review and…

DEI Community Call: Open Mic – International Diversity [May 24, 2023]

Health research is an international pursuit, with research being done across the world by scientists from every country. International scientists undoubtedly bring diverse perspectives to the health research field. However, diversity-focused initiatives within the United States vary in their inclusion of international scientists under definitions of ‘diversity.’ In this Open…

HRA Analyzer Lunch & Learn [June 21, 2023]

Diane Saunders led an HRA Analyzer Lunch & Learn session where she (re-)introduced HRA Analyzer, the grants database exclusively for HRA members, including: how to link and/or upload your organization’s data; ways you can use Analyzer for program evaluations; and methods to identify funding trends and/or gaps.    

KEY IDEAS: NASEM Toolkit

This “Key Ideas” document concisely presents important elements of the NASEM Toolkit for Fostering Open Science Practices. The Toolkit was created by members of the NASEM Roundtable on Aligning Incentives for Open Science, and was designed to help funders, universities and others accelerate the pace of discovery by promoting open…

DEI Community Call: Discussion of NASEM report on Advancing Antiracism and DEI [June 20, 2023]

In this DEI Community Call, the DEI learning community co-chairs presented highlights from the recent NASEM report on Advancing Antiracism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in STEMM Organizations. After the presentation, the DEI learning community co-chairs facilitated a discussion of the report amongst attendees. Link to the full report: https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26803/advancing-antiracism-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-stemm-organizations-beyond HRA…

Listserv Responses: Hybrid/Remote post pandemic survey responses [June 2023]

Thanks to Margaret Flowers from BCRF for posting and compiling the responses to her question shown below (posted to the listserv on June 8, 2023).  Many member organizations responded and the responses are available here (to access the responses you need to be logged in.) Dear HRA Colleagues, Like many…

Grants Administration Community: Standing Monthly Open Mic [June 8, 2023]

The June open mic webinar Grants Administration Community was an open discussion starting with (1) international grantmaking/handling payments, (2) support for working parents—caregiving expenses, family leave considerations, and (3) handling rising postdoc salary and other inflation-related concerns.  

EVO Program Webinar Data Sharing and Policy Landscape [June 6, 2023]

The Explore the Value of Open (EVO) Program hosted a webinar on the topics listed below: Reviewed expanded policy worksheet(Kristen Ratan added columns for OSTP Nelson member guidance, NIH Guidance and added examples/comments) Steps towards a data sharing strategy Developing your policies Policy worksheet and decision matrix (updated)  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1z7zUPcAcCe8t7342PPta8DFZChtOA57urbp6axizWZ0/edit#gid=0 Alzheimer’s…

Leading Edge Symposium [May 17, 2023]

Empowering early career scientists and improving gender diversity of life sciences faculty at the highest levels What is Leading Edge? Leading Edge is an initiative to improve the gender diversity of life sciences faculty in the United States by providing women and non-binary postdocs with 1) a platform to present…

Grants Administration Community: Standing Monthly Open Mic [May 11, 2023]

The May open mic webinar Grants Administration Community was an open discussion starting with (1) handling awardee institution transfers, (2) awardee as a party to the grant agreement, and (3) allowing applicants to “fix” applications after submission, grace periods, and other application submission considerations.  

KEY IDEAS: Increasing Diversity – Astronomy Postdocs

Key Ideas resources are created by the Health Research Alliance to summarize important take home points and action items from speaker presentations, listserv posts, or other mechanisms. This Key Ideas resource was created by the Inclusive Grantmaking Initiative. The resource is available for download as a PDF or a plain…

KEY IDEAS: Introduction to the Disability & Philanthropy Forum

Key Ideas resources are created by the Health Research Alliance to summarize important take home points and action items from speaker presentations, listserv posts, or other mechanisms. This Key Ideas resource was created by the Inclusive Grantmaking Initiative. The resource is viewable as a PDF or a plain text Word…

Registry and Biorepository Learning Community call [April 27, 2023]

FDA RWD & RWE Draft Guidance Discussion In recent years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released several draft guidance documents related to real-world data and evidence, including one on registries. The Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA will present on important definitions, potential regulatory applications of registry data, and…

Intro to “Health Open Research” (an F1000 platform) [April 25, 2023]

On this webinar HRA Members learned about Health Open Research  (launched by F1000 in November 2022*)  which is built on an existing collaboration with the AMRC, and welcomes submissions from all researchers (including those funded by HRA member organizations!) in health, medical and social care research. Utilizing F1000’s unique open research…

Grants Administration Community: Standing Monthly Open Mic [April 20, 2023]

The first open mic webinar Grants Administration Community was an open discussion starting with marketing/disseminating RFP/RFAs and questions around grants management systems (always a standing topic for discussion!)  

Research Workforce and Early Career Community Call [April 19, 2023]

The Research Workforce and Early Career Community has identified several potential subgroups of activities or “workstreams”, driven by past interest and the evolving landscape of early career researchers in the biomedical workforce.  On this call we started by focusing on ALUMNI NETWORKS as a mechanism of mentoring and retaining scientists….

HRA DEI Community Call: Inclusive Grantmaking Initiative Open Discussion [April 12, 2023]

This DEI Community Call featured the Health Research Alliance Inclusive Grantmaking Initiative (IGI). Jenna Hicks, IGI Project Lead, reviewed the background of the IGI, outlined the proposed approach for the IGI, and solicited HRA member input on the IGI via open discussion using a Jamboard (see pictures below). Attendees shared…

Processes and metrics used in the review to identify and select outstanding candidates [HRA Members Meeting, Irvine, Spring 2023]

Wednesday March 22, 10:00am-11:15am PT In this session we explored how funders assess and evaluate competing proposals to maximize the eventual impact and advance funders’ missions. In addition, when it’s all done (X-years later), how do funders measure that impact and test if our prognostic methods actually work? This session…

Evidence-based strategies that lead to a diverse awardee portfolio [HRA Members Meeting, Irvine, Spring 2023]

Wednesday March 22, 8:00am-9:30am PT Organizations have used a variety of strategies to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion of their supported researchers. These include but are not limited to direct outreach to minority serving groups/organizations/institutions, changes to RFAs and changes to the review process. While many of these strategies have…

Open Mic: Developing strategic approaches to communicating the value of your research [HRA Members Meeting, Irvine, Spring 2023]

Tuesday March 21, 1:45pm-3:00pm PT In this Open Mic session, HRA members shared their strategies for communicating the impact of their funding to a wide variety of stakeholders. We heard what platforms (podcasts, newsletters, social media, print media, etc) were most effective for the various target audiences (boards, donors, patients,…

Recent Innovations in Research Funding Mechanisms[HRA Members Meeting, Irvine, Spring 2023]

Tuesday March 21, 11:15am-12:30pm PT While traditional research funding methods are still the predominate method used by HRA members, a growing number of members use non-traditional models. In this session we heard from funders who have developed new ways to address gaps and needs in the research funding landscape, and…

Discussion of the changing biomedical workforce – supporting ECIs to foster careers that support funders’ missions [HRA Members Meeting, Irvine, Spring 2023]

Tuesday March 21, 9:15am-10:45am PT This was a solutions-oriented session to learn about how funders can support either retention in and/or transition to careers outside of academia (depending on the funders’ mission) of early career investigators (ECI) that could serve as models for the broader biomedical funding community. The vision…

Strategies for collecting demographic data [March 13, 2023]

Many HRA members want to collect demographic data consistently and equitably, in order to measure the impact of any strategies that are implemented. However, although HRA members are poised to collect data, some may be reticent to do so because of the recent affirmative action cases in the news and…

Registry and Biorepository Learning Community call [March 9, 2023]

Topic: Advocating for your Registry/Biorepository with your Board Description: We all have (or may have to in the future) needed to justify the cost and strategy involved in our registry/biorepository programs to a governing Board or other leadership. Durghis session members came prepared to hear about examples in the following…

Explore the Value of Open (EVO) “Birds of a Feather” Series: Data Sharing [March 7, 2023]

As part of the EVO Program, HRA is hosting a series of working sessions for organizations with similar challenges to work together to explore and implement open science policies, practices, and compliance monitoring that is appropriate for your organization. In these “Birds of a Feather” sessions (BOFs), facilitated by Kristen…

Misconduct and Ethics Community call [March 2, 2023]

The March 2, 2023 call for the Misconduct and Ethics community focused on learning more about the role of the ombuds in fostering a healthy research environment in a university setting. For this moderated discussion we learned: What is an ombuds? What does an ombuds do? What does an ombuds…

State of the Alliance Presentation: Strategic Plan Progress Report [February 22, 2023]

On behalf of HRA’s Board of Directors, the Strategic Planning Committee, and the Strategic Planning Evaluation Committee, Maryrose Franko, gave a “State of the Alliance” presentation. She updated the membership on the progress we have made in implementing the strategies set out in the 2021 Strategic Plan.  We also hope…

Listserv Responses: Return of Clinical Research Results [February 2023]

Thank you to Erik Lontok, PhD, Director of Research, at the Barth Syndrome Foundation for compiling the responses to his listserv post on 2/13/2023.  ADDITIONAL SHARED RESORUCES ARE WELCOME! Original Post for which Erik compiled responses in the “Return of Clinical Research Results” document: BSF is revising our clinical study…

Grants Administration Community: Planning for 2023 and Topics of Interest [February 9, 2023]

The Grants Administration Community addresses a wide range of operational issues of concern to funders of health research and training. The group curates resources for the HRA grants administration handbook, offers webinars, and hosts roundtable discussions on the vast topic area that is grants administration. In the year ahead, the…

Going beyond bibliometrics: A system to track the progress and impact of biomedical research funded by Susan G. Komen [February 8, 2023]

The HRA Program Evaluation Community co-chairs were excited to have Amy Dworkin and Kari Wojtanik from Susan G. Komen present on learnings from the launch of their Komen Product Tracking System to HRA members. Attendees heard about the development of this tracker, findings since launching it, lessons learned, and were…

EVO Webinar: “The 2023 Federal Year of Open Science Initiative” with NIH, NSF and NASA [January 18, 2023]

HRA members had the opportunity to hear and ask questions about the policies that three federal agencies (NIH, NSF and NASA) will be implementing in response to the Nelson (OSTP) Memo and the 2023 Federal Year of Open Science Initiative. Speakers: NASA – Chelle Genteman, Program Scientist, NASA Transform to…

The Perils Facing Postdocs Today [December 14, 2022]

The research workforce and early career community hosted a presentation and discussion with Tom Kimbis, the Executive Director and CEO of the National Postdoc Association (NPA) about challenges facing postdocs and how funders can address these challenges to improve retention in science. Today’s postdocs face an array of challenges, some…

Value of ORCID for funders – HRA (EVO) Program [September 13, 2022]

We followed the launch webinar with a webinar to discuss the “Value of ORCID for funders,” led by a team from the ORCID US Community consortium. We also heard a brief presentation from open researcher, Gary McDowell who will discuss using ORCID to track awardees.  

EVO Program Launch – HRA (EVO) Program [September 8, 2022]

The EVO Program launch webinar covered the “what” of open science – open access publishing, the “FAIR” principles, data sharing, etc. Subsequent webinars will cover the “how.” How to develop and implement policies, but also tools to track compliance and measure impact.  

Data Sharing: Why, How, and Measuring Impact – HRA (EVO) Program [November 10, 2022]

The NIH has issued a Data Management and Sharing (DMS) policy effective January 25, 2023, to promote the sharing of scientific data. One of the ultimate benefits of sharing scientific data, is to facilitate the development of treatments and products that improve human health. If you are interested in implementing your own data…

From Policy into Practice – HRA (EVO) Program [October 13, 2022]

Momentum for open access has been growing and it’s spreading to open data and other research outputs. The recent guidance from the White House OSTP has added to the international call for open research over the past few years. Policies are becoming more ambitious. Now is the time to learn…

HRA Analyzer Onboarding [November 2, 2022]

This HRA Analyzer On-Boarding session led by Diane Saunders briefly introduced HRA Analyzer, the grants database exclusively for HRA members, and then focused on how to link and/or upload your organization’s grant data, which is strongly encouraged for HRA membership. We discussed the types of data collected, options for data…

Registry and Biorepository Community Call [October 26, 2022]

Dear Registry and Biorepository Working Group members, This group has truly grown over the past few years. To mark the end of 2022, we had an open mic discussion around the issues you face in designing, implementing, managing or growing your registry programs. This was a lively discussion, and we…

Strategies to Increase Diversity and Representation in Research and Medical Careers [HRA Members Meeting, New York, Fall 2022]

The DEI session at the Spring 2022 HRA members meeting focused on programs that organizations and institutions have used to promote mentoring and career development of minority scholars in academia, government, and nonprofit organizations. We are following this up by looking at institutions that have implemented programs that have trained…

Can Redacting Grant Applicant Identifiers (“Blinding”) Reduce Bias in Peer Review? [HRA Members Meeting, New York, Fall 2022]

As funding agencies, we have a responsibility to reduce bias in the peer review process to allow for equitable and inclusive allocation of grant funding. One potential mechanism for reducing institutional, gender, racial/ethnic, and career stage biases is the redaction of identifying personal information (blinding) during peer review. This session…

A Behind the Scenes View on Strategic Planning and Program Development [HRA Members Meeting, New York, Fall 2022]

HRA members are a wealth of information about developing innovative and strategic funding programs to advance biomedical sciences. This session will highlight the behind the scenes of the strategic planning / development process for innovative new programs. Our speaker and panelists will explain how the need for new programs was…

Host Session: Best Practices in Implementing a Grants Management System [HRA Members Meeting, New York, Fall 2022]

Grants management systems have evolved from platforms that simply manage, store and report on grant making data to solutions that grant management professionals and program staff can use to streamline workflows, analyze processes, and shed light on bottlenecks, gaps in funding and more. In this session, the Simons Foundation will…

Approaches to Streamline Research Impact Evaluation Through Online Tools [HRA Members Meeting, New York, Fall 2022]

How can organizations measure and understand the impact of their research programs? What can online tools offer to automate or streamline evaluation processes to provide insights into research investments? In this session, we hope to fill HRA Members’ toolboxes with options (including free and subscription-based tools) for nimble research impact…

HRA Open Relaunch – ORCID replaces Gmail login! [September 29, 2022]

HRA Open is a platform that enables HRA member awardees to upload and share publications into PubMed Central (PMC) via the NIH Manuscript Submission system (NIHMS) – just as if they were funded by the NIH! Awardees are also encouraged to share ALL research outputs via Figshare.  The HRA Open…

Venture Philanthropy: Is it for Me? [September 28, 2022]

We held a one hour session where Mark Roithmayr, CEO Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (a pure Venture Philanthropy nonprofit), interviewed John Walter, CEO Food Allergy Science Initiative, who has helped launch three separate venture philanthropy initiatives in his career. Mark picked John’s brain on the thinking behind the launch at…

From Thankless to Springboard: Rethinking Annual Reports [September 21, 2022]

From Thankless to Springboard: Rethinking Annual Reports A thankless task? A never-ending grind? A boring waste of time? Perhaps, when done poorly. However, annual reports can also be a great way for your organization and community to reflect on the progress made in achieving your mission and the numerous challenges…

Nonprofits’ Role in Inclusion of People with Disabilities in the Biomedical Workforce [September 14, 2022]

For its September meeting, the DEI working group invited a panel of three distinguished researchers to share their stories and help HRA members learn what actions biomedical research funders can take to reduce barriers and advance both the careers and scientific discoveries made by those who identify as having a…

Utilizing Visualization for Program Evaluation: Techniques and Strategies [September 22, 2022]

The Program Evaluation community learned more about Utilizing Visualization for Program Evaluation: Techniques and Strategies at its September meeting. Speaker: Dr. Katy Börner, Indiana University in Bloomington, Professor of Engineering and Information Science Summary: Program evaluation is an important aspect of the program life cycle for funders. While many program evaluations…

HRA’s Exploring the Value of “Open” (EVO) Program Resources

Is “Open Science” just the latest fad or is it really an important tool to advance discovery? If you are unsure, OR if you sincerely believe open science can advance discovery but need help implementing policies to facilitate open science, the EVO program is for you. HRA’s Open Science Community…

Improving LGBTQ+ retention in STEM: A transatlantic perspective on current barriers and best practices [July 13, 2022]

For its July meeting, the DEI Community learned more about increasing LGBTQ+ retention in STEM: Speakers: Dr. Colbie Chinowsky and Shane Coffield Summary: Increasing LGBTQ+ retention is a key part of improving the diversity of perspectives and experiences necessary to drive high-quality scientific innovation. The issue of LGBTQ+ attrition has become more clear…

Registry and Biorepository Community Call [June 9, 2022]

Registries serve many purposes to meet the needs of patient advocacy organizations. The first half of the call featured an invited speaker to discuss an Across Healthcare registry platform, Matrix (https://acrossmatrix.com/) .The Matrix platform relies upon emergent data technology to enable direct-to-participant and multi-stakeholder portals, applicable both for research and…

Storytelling as a sensemaking strategy [June 22, 2022]

The Communications Community hosted a session on how to think about storytelling as an opportunity to inspire interest and create change. We heard from Liz Neeley, CEO of Liminal, who drew from literature on uncertainty and risk communication, misinformation, psychology, narrative identity, and sensemaking to explore storytelling strategies for communities,…

Venture Philanthropy: Is it for Everybody?[June 13, 2022]

Building on past presentations where we spotlighted the individual efforts of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Foundation Fighting Blindness, and JDRF, in another of our Venture Philanthropy series we heard from Mark Roithmayr, CEO of the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF). Mark gave a brief presentation on the ADDF’s venture…

Scientists from Minority-Serving Institutions and Their Participation in Grant Peer Review Webinar [June 8, 2022]

For its June meeting, the DEI Community learned more about how peer review may contribute to funding disparities across racial groups and between minority-serving institutions (MSIs) and traditionally White institutions (TWIs). We heard from two of the authors of the publication  “Scientists from Minority-Serving Institutions and Their Participation in Grant…

Using Logic Models – to develop programs and measure impact [May 26, 2022]

The Program Evaluation Community held a call to learn more about the value of logic models in both designing programs and measuring impact. Attendees came prepared to share their own challenges and success and used this opportunity to pose questions to HRA colleagues. Questions addressed: What are the metrics you…

Open Mic: Training and Mentorship for Early Career Scientists from Traditionally Underrepresented Groups [May 12, 2022]

This conversation was a continuation from the HRA Spring Meeting session “How to Build Mentoring and Community Support Platforms To Support Diversity, Equity and Inclusion In Your Scientific Network”. The objective of this discussion was to share organizational programs and strategies that have been implemented by HRA members with the…

AHA Precision Medicine Platform: Cloud-enabled Workspaces to Research Webinar [May 10, 2022]

The process of research has evolved. Researchers around the globe are collaborating in real time, sharing data, and using the power of cloud-computing to analyze data. The federal government, industry and many organizations have enabled cloud-based work environments for their awardees. This presentation introduced attendees to American Heart Association’s Precision…

Enhancing Program Performance Using Logic Models [HRA Members Meeting, Virtual, Spring 2022]

This session briefly reviewed the concept of a logic model. It focused on how logic models can be used in practice to develop a new program or modify an existing program, and to create an evaluation plan which can inform ongoing learning and planning to increase program effectiveness. After the…

Innovative Models to Expedite Research Funding [HRA Members Meeting, Virtual, Spring 2022]

Is the current process of scientific funding too slow? Implementing innovative processes to decrease time between announcement to award is one way organizations are changing the status quo. This session explored rapid funding – how various organizations have worked to streamline their application and review processes to accelerate research funding,…

How to Build Mentoring and Community Support Platforms To Support Diversity, Equity and Inclusion In Your Scientific Network [HRA Members Meeting, Virtual, Spring 2022]

Early-career investigators (ECI) require mentoring to succeed to their fullest potential and make it over the ‘career valley of death.’ Since diversity increases the strength of innovation, nonprofit funders may be considering setting up specifically-focused mentoring/training/support programs forblack, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) or other marginalized early-career investigator (ECI)….

Open Science:  Tortoise and the Hare [HRA Members Meeting, Virtual, Spring 2022]

Is your org moving so slowly in implementing open science policies that you may forgo even a participant ribbon? Is your org moving so quickly that you have taken some wrong turns? Open science (including data sharing) was crucial to mitigating the effects of COVID-19. Sharing results and data helped…

Achieve More Inclusivity, Trust, and Patient Engagement in Clinical Trials Webinar [April 13, 2022]

In this webinar HRA members learned about Acclinate. Acclinate integrates culture and technology to achieve more inclusive clinical research. This presentation explored how Acclinate uses digital engagement to influence health knowledge, clinical trial hesitancy, intention to engage in studies, and actual participation among various groups. “#NOWINCLUDED community” is Acclinate’s method…

Logic Models

Listed below are some of the resources provided during the April 21, 2022 “Enhancing Program Performance Using Logic Models”  session during the spring virtual members meeting. Resources for “intro to logic models”: Logic Model definitions NSF Logic Model Template W.K. Kellogg Foundation Logic Model Summary of W.K. Kellogg Foundation Logic…

Misconduct and Ethics Community call [March 15, 2022]

The March 15, 2022 call for the Misconduct and Ethics community focused on the intersection of funders and academia in mitigating  toxic workplace environments and unethical researcher behavior such as harassment (research misconduct is not the focus of this discussion). The webinar was a panel of outside speakers including Frazier…

Inventory of HRA Members Professional Development Strategies for awardees/alumni

Many HRA members provide mentoring, networking and other professional development opportunities and keep their awardees and alumni engaged with the mission of the organization. The google sheet found on the Members Only Documents page is an inventory of those strategies. If your opportunities aren’t listed please add them!  It is…

Funder’s Role in ECI’s Professional Development [Webinar, March 10, 2022]

The Research Workforce and Early Career Development Community held an Open Mic session on the Funder’s role in Professional Development for Early Career Investigators (ECIs). The Open Mic session started with brief presentations about BWF’s and Simon’s Career Development strategies which are detailed on this google sheet. We then heard…

Guide to Increasing Disability Inclusion by Tracking Participation

DEI Community Webinar with Disability & Philanthropy Forum [March 9, 2022]

In this webinar, Emily Harris (ED of the Disability & Philanthropy Forum) expanded our understanding of “disability” by citing examples. Physical and mobility (polio, limb difference) Sensory (Deaf/hard of hearing, blind/low vision) Intellectual and Developmental (IDD) (Down’s Syndrome, Autism, CP) Psychosocial/Mental Health (depression, bi-polar, ADHD) Learning (dyslexia, auditory processing disorder)…

Program Evaluation Community Open Mic [March 2, 2022]

The first meeting of 2022 was an Open Mic session on the challenges members are facing in evaluating their programs as well as some solutions to these challenges. The Program Evaluation Community has moved from exploring tools to collect and analyze outcome data, to learning more about how to measure…

Hosting Meetings in 2022 Open Mic [Webinar – 2/16/2022]

Hosting meetings in 2022 brings a myriad of challenges. HRA members shared experiences with hosting in-person, hybrid and virtual meetings in 2021 and some lessons learned for 2022. Listen to this recording to hear answers to some of these questions: Do you require vaccines and masks? How do you check…

Social Media: Never One Size Fits All [Webinar – 2/15/2022]

Whether you love it or hate it, social media is more important than ever for organizations of all sizes. When done well, social media can give you and your organization an invaluable platform to raise your voice, highlight your mission, and can give you a fresh perspective on your community’s…

Open and Equitable Funding Program Webinar [February 10, 2022]

At its February call, the DEI Community learned about the Open & Equitable Model Funding Program. This program is a collaboration between the Open Research Funders Group (ORFG) and the HRA.  The ORFG is a network of philanthropies committed to the open sharing of research outputs. Given their remit, they…

DDCF logic model

This is a logic model for a hypothetical diseased-focused grants program developed several years ago by Sindy Escobar Alvarez at the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Logic Model definitions

Logic Models facilitate effective program planning, implementation, and evaluation. A program logic model is a picture of how your program works – the theory and assumptions underlying the program.  The W.K. Kellogg Foundation uses Logic Models as a learning and management tool throughout a program’s life.  They have created this…

NIH K award logic model

This is a logic model for the NIH K award career development programs, showing the expected theory of change. It is from a report prepared by WESTAT for NIH entitled “Feasibility, Design and Planning Study for Evaluating the NIH Career Development Awards.

Career Development Award Logic Model Template

Several years ago, HRA members collaborated with a consultant to create this Logic Model Template for developing and evaluating a program targeted toward Early Career Investigators. Included as a part of this logic model are suggestions for measures of both mid and long-term outcomes as well as impact. The logic…

UKRI Policy and Guidelines on Governance of Good Research Conduct

UKRI Policy and Guidelines on Governance of Good Research Conduct and an FAQ  on expectations for handling misconduct. This policy document sets out UKRI’s approach to the establishment and maintenance of good research conduct and specifies the Research Councils’ expectations. In particular this document: Sets standards of good research practice,…

Good research resource hub – UKRI

Good research resource hub – UKRI is a hub that the UK Research and Innovation group uses to post support material and guidance. For example, the Preventing Harm page has guidance on safeguarding and preventing bullying and harassment. You can also find: policies, standards and guidance relevant to preventing harm…

The Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education

The Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/action-collaborative-on-preventing- sexual-harassment-in-higher-education The Action Collaborative was launched as a result of the 2018 NASEM Consensus Study Report – Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. It brings together leaders from academic and research institutions…

Sexual Harassment of Women: NASEM Consensus Study Report – June 2018

Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine https://www.nap.edu/catalog/24994/sexual-harassment-of-women-climate-culture-and-consequences-in-academic Sexual Harassment of Women explores the influence of sexual harassment in academia on the career advancement of women in the scientific, technical, and medical workforce. This report reviews the research on the extent to which women in the fields of…

Presumed Incompetent II: Race, Class, Power, and Resistance of Women in Academia [August 11, 2021]

In hosting this book discussion, the DEI working group offered an opportunity to engage in learning about race in academia, and to tackle the dangerous and faulty notion that diversity initiatives put scientific excellence at risk. Breakout groups focused their discussions on short essays from specific sections of the book…

Asset-Framing Workshops by BMe [April, June and July of 2021]

HRA hosted 3 workshops led by Trabian Shorters from the BMe Community where we learned how to use Asset Framing across all parts of the grantmaking lifecycle. Asset framing focuses on a person’s strengths and assets  

Listserv Responses: Peer Review & Conflict of Interest non-disclosure agreements [November 2021]

Good afternoon HRA, Thank you very much to the members that responded and shared their NDA/COI agreements (attached). Of note, the majority involved a reviewer’s signature, some an acknowledgement via a check box, and one that only states policy. The many ways we define conflict was also fascinating. Kindest regards,…

Listserv Responses: Incentives for External Reviewers for Grant Proposals Inquiry [October 2021]

Dear HRA Organizations: The Fanconi Anemia Research Fund (FARF) is looking into the possibility of incentives (monetary and non-monetary) for our external reviewers for our grant proposals. FARF research grant awards two-year, up to $250,000 grants to investigators studying topics relevant to Fanconi anemia. Proposals contain a research strategy limited…

NASEM Toolkit for Fostering Open Science Practices

This Toolkit for Fostering Open Science Practices (created by members of the NASEM Roundtable on Aligning Incentives for Open Science) was designed to help funders, universities and others accelerate the pace of discovery by promoting open science.  The six chapters in Appendix C of the toolkit are the six specific…

DEI Community Survey Analyses

Survey Methodology:  Members of each of the three DEI Community subgroups (demographic data collection and use, strategies to increase diversity in applicant and awardee pools, and reducing bias in peer review were asked to identify survey questions in order to better understand current HRA member DEI policies and practices and…

Reimagine Biomedical Research for a Healthier Future Symposium [September 2021]

Symposium Agenda: Welcome and Intro to the Essay Challenge (Maryrose Franko, Executive Director, HRA) Introduction of Honorable Mentions Building a Diverse and Equitable Biomedical Research Ecosystem Naira Abou-Ghali, Jenny Bratburd, Peter Myers, Megan Schroeder, Pawan Upadhyay Closing the Great Divide: Bridging Research and Community Sue-Ling Chang Decolonizing STEMM Training for a…

Engaging Awardees [HRA Members Meeting, Virtual, Fall 2021]

Attend this session to learn from HRA colleagues about strategies they use to engage awardees and alumni beyond funding and reporting. The session will be split into 2 segments with a few very brief “lightning” presentations in each segment, followed by Q&A. Segment 1: Talks will highlight strategies to engage…

Science and Social Media [HRA Members Meeting, Virtual, Fall 2021]

Attend a session led by Kyle Marian Viterbo, Engagement Producer at Science Friday, to learn how the scientific community engages with social media and the myriad ways you can become an effective professional user as an individual and organization—whether you’re a program officer, grants administrator, member of the communications team,…

Unpacking Systemic Racism – A Workshop to Help Funders Foster Equity [HRA Members Meeting, Virtual, Fall 2021]

In the latest effort to advance equitable practices across HRA member organizations, Unpacking founder, Kristina Ashley Williams, will be the host of this interactive workshop. As the Unpacking mission states, “Unpacking is on a mission to educate, entrust and equip people today in the collective responsibility for a more equitable tomorrow.” In this…

Environmental Impact [HRA Members Meeting, Virtual, Fall 2021]

What is the carbon footprint of an HRA member organization and what activities contribute most? What steps can an organization take to reduce its footprint?  What is the impact on budgets, external relationships, and employee engagement/productivity? Climate change has an enormous effect on the health and lives of everyone, so…

Staying ahead of the game: Strategic and proactive communications [Webinar – 9/17/2021]

Staying ahead of the game: Strategic and proactive communications Mark Dessauer, VP of Learning, Spitfire Strategies Communications is ever present in most organizations.  No matter what the mission, communications are the means to accomplish it – internally and externally.  Having a successful communications plan and position takes more than the…

Inventory of Open Science Resources

This document lists resources created by HRA and others to help (1) understand the benefits of open science policies, (2) craft open science policies that are appropriate for your specific organization, and (3) implement that policy with as little added work for staff and awardees as possible. If you see…

ORFG Preprints Primer

The Open Research Funders Group (ORFG) has developed a Preprints Primer for the American Heart Association.  Feel free to use this guidance in setting your own policy around the use of preprints.

Holistic Review by Amy Addams webinar [July 14, 2021]

The DEI working group hosted a session on Holistic Review by Amy Addams, Director of Student Affairs Alignment and Holistic Review at Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC.)  Her slide deck and discussion guide can be found above.  

Listserv Responses: Program Evaluation Indicators [July 2021]

Dear HRA members, We recently completed an evaluation of a program supporting innovations in a specific disease area, sickle cell disease. However, we are having trouble finding comparisons against which to benchmark our portfolio’s outcomes such as follow on funding, number of publications, and return on our dollars. Have you…

Listserv Responses: Diverse recruitment for registry or natural history study [July 2021]

Hi all, DTRF is trying to increase the diversity within our natural history study. I’m interested if anyone has any ideas on improving diversity in an NHS or if anyone has had successful campaigns to do so. Would love all perspectives, but particularly interested if it’s been in a rare…

DOIs for Grants – the Whys and the Hows

Several HRA members (as well as other funders) are now assigning DOIs (Digital Object Identifiers) to grants. In this webinar our speakers showed why they have put in the effort to do this, and the benefits this brings to their workflows.  Also, Crossref representatives addressed about next steps, workflows and…

HRA COVID-19 Impact Survey Presentation

In March, HRA hired evaluators to conduct a broad landscape analysis on the impact the pandemic had on HRA member organizations. In advance of the release of the report, the evaluators will be presenting the results of the COVID-19 Impact Survey to HRA members. The presentation will include not only…

Research Ethics Review Board

The Registry and Biorepository Working Group hosted a presentation by Dr. Stephen Rosenfeld on a new model of ethical review. The “Research Ethics Review Board” is a system of nonprofit, independent, Institutional Review Boards (IRBs). Research requires public trust in the scientific enterprise. Such trust is necessary both to support…

2021 DRAFT Strategic Plan

I am pleased to share with you the most up-to-date strategic plan document.  Thank you to HRA’s Strategic Planning Committee for their significant efforts in bringing us to this point.  We are looking to you, HRA Members, to review and share your comments about the plan before the final adoption by our Board. We encourage HRA…

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Working Group call [May 12, 2021]

The May meeting of the DEI working group agenda: Book Reading Selection (10 min) Two versions available for “Presumed Incompetent” book reading for the June call (see next page). II. Holistic Review Introduction (10 min)  Concept introduction  Discussion and questions. What do you want to learn from an AAMC Holistic…

NASEM report on The Impact of COVID-19 on the Careers of Women [Webinar, April 28, 2021]

This Zoom call hosted by the Research Workforce and Early Career Development Working Group welcomed guest speaker Dr. Reshma Jagsi, the Newman Family Professor and Deputy Chair in the Department of Radiation Oncology and Director of the Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine at the University of Michigan…

Building stronger drug and other therapy development innovation ecosystems – A Case Study [Webinar March 9, 2021]

The Flinn Foundation launched the bioscience Entrepreneurship Program in 2014 to foster entrepreneurship and help bioscience founders/CEOs develop their early-stage companies into successful and sustainable businesses bringing new therapies, medical devices, and medical technologies to the market . 8 years on, with over 40 investments in companies such as GT…

Data Sharing and Data Management Plans [HRA Members Meeting, Virtual, Spring 2021]

Per a recent survey to HRA membership, several organizations have a data-sharing/management policy in place or are considering developing one. This session will highlight the experiences of a few organizations currently implementing these policies. We will hear about specific aspects of their policies and implementation practices including: definition of a…

The Future Workplace: Post-pandemic Workforce and the Disruption in the Workplace; Remote, In-person, and Hybrid Models [HRA Members Meeting, Virtual, Spring 2021]

For many organizations, the 2020 COVID pandemic forced a shift in workplace operations from in-person, to fully remote, or to a hybrid model. Many offices will not be able to open and operate at full capacity for a long time. At the same time, some people don’t want to go…

Fostering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness Within the Research Workforce [HRA Members Meeting, Virtual, Spring 2021]

The session will focus on racial disparities and opportunities to foster and support diversity, equity, and inclusiveness within the research workforce, specifically at the postdoc and early career faculty level. Candidates from underrepresented backgrounds may lack the social structures and networks to sustain career development in research, so the role…

NASEM Toolkit for Fostering Open Science Practices [HRA Members Meeting, Virtual, Spring 2021]

This session will focus on informing HRA members about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Roundtable on Aligning Incentives for Open Science and what funders can do to promote and incentivize open science practices. Some concepts that are addressed by the toolkit include: ·   Open access of…

Hosting Virtual Events [HRA Members Meeting, Virtual, Spring 2021]

As we all have experienced, 2020 was the year of hosting virtual events. Have you spent hours researching the how-to’s of managing virtual meetings? This session will discuss the nuts and bolts of organizing and facilitating online events and will showcase studies of best practices in hosting your event. Dr….

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Working Group call [March 10, 2021]

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Working Group presented a discussion with the authors: “Fund Black Scientists” (Published in Cell, Feb 2021) Moderated by: Kelly Chavez Rose, PhD Program Officer, Burroughs Wellcome Fund, DEI Working Group Co-chair Speakers: Kelly R. Stevens, PhD Assistant Professor, Bioengineering and Pathology Depts, University of Washington Hana El-Samad,…

How to Return to the Workplace Safely (from Safety.com)

The current COVID-19 pandemic is uncharted territory for all of us. Currently, many employees are working from home but many others are beginning to return to their workplace at the request of their employers. This can be a stressful situation for all involved. A team from Safety.com has published a…

Federal Policy for Data Sharing Webinar [February 23, 2021]

Attendees heard the details of the NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing from Dr. Lyric Jorgenson, Deputy Director, Office of Science Policy at the NIH.  Then  Dr. Naba Bora, Biomedical Research Program Manager at the Office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs spoke about the CDMRP policy and how…

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Working Group call [December 16, 2020]

The December meeting of the DEI working group agenda: I. Welcome and co-chair Introduction Patricia Frustace – Working Group Co-Chair Senior Director of Awards and Diversity American Society for Hematology II. Mission Statement and Goals Kelly Chavez Rose – Working Group Co-Chair Program Officer Burroughs Wellcome Fund III. Overview of…

A Consumers Guide to Grants Management Systems (2020 Edition)

A Consumers Guide to Grants Management Systems (2020 Edition) This fifth edition reviews 14 of the most widely used grants management systems against hundreds of requirements criteria developed with the expertise of consultants, vendors, foundation program officers, and system administrators. For the first time, the guide also includes an interactive…

Post COVID-19 Recommendations for Early Career Research Support Mechanisms

During the Fall 2020 Members Meeting, Dr. Erin Gibson listed many recommendations for funders to provide financial and nonfinancial support for their early career researchers to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on their research and their careers.  Those recommendations as well as others suggested in the Cell Commentary “How Support…

Bias in Peer Review [Webinar, October 6, 2020]

On Tuesday, October 6th, 2020, the HRA Grants Administration Working Group hosted a Zoom webinar around bias in peer review and potential interventions for bias reduction. With diversity and equity being at the forefront of national discussion, ensuring a fair and equitable peer review process is more important and timely…

Open Mic: Innovation in Philanthropy [HRA Members Meeting, Virtual, Fall 2020]

Recent events have forced member organizations to examine the gaps in the current biomedical research system – exposing areas of weakness, while also highlighting areas of immense opportunity. This ‘open mic’ session will explore innovative concepts and actions have the potential to revolutionize all aspects of the work of funders…

Resiliency and Sustainability: Exploring Best Practices in Development and Fundraising [HRA Members Meeting, Virtual, Fall 2020]

For the first time, the members’ meeting planning committee is organizing a session dedicated exclusively to development and fundraising. In this interactive session, we will discuss best practices and proven strategies for fundraising and navigating through challenging periods. The panel will address questions like: • What kinds of strategies can…

Balancing Stakeholder Expectations [HRA Members Meeting, Virtual, Fall 2020]

This session will discuss successful strategies used within an organization’s governance structure to manage expectations of key stakeholders, specifically donors and foundation leadership. Using presentations of case studies from member organizations, we will learn strategies and processes employed to ensure stakeholder satisfaction while retaining mission alignment and integrity of the…

Opportunities to Achieve Diversity and Inclusion in Biomedical Research [HRA Members Meeting, Virtual, Fall 2020]

Dr. Hannah Valantine, NIH’s first Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity, will present NIH’s plans to support scientific workforce diversity and inclusion efforts in the face of COVID-19. NIH’s plans include supporting inclusive excellence, which features messages about cognitive bias and institutional culture change. Dr. Valantine will discuss a number…

How are funders best supporting the biomedical enterprise by their response to the COVID-19 crisis? [HRA Members Meeting, Virtual, Fall 2020]

This unprecedented and continuously evolving COVID-19 pandemic has caused turbulence in the lives of the global public. Organizations worldwide are doing their best to learn and understand the impact of this novel coronavirus in order to adequately respond to this crisis and become better positioned for subsequent threats. In this…

Using Social Media to Advance Your Mission [HRA Members Meeting, Virtual, Fall 2020]

Social media can be an important tool for nonprofits to build strong communities online and further their reach. Are you using your social media channels effectively? In this session, we will discuss how to integrate social media into your communication strategy to expand your Mission work. Join our panelists as…

Grants Program Analysis Working Group [Call, September 15, 2020]

The Grants Program Analysis Working Group recently held its bimonthly call to discuss the status of current projects and upcoming goals. The document above gives a recap of what was discussed, if you need a login to access the summary please email Annette.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Working Group call [September 10, 2020]

Sharing DEI challenges and progress among HRA Members The September meeting of the DEI working group focused on increasing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in our grant portfolios.  Discussion topics: Do you prioritize DEI in your grantee portfolio and if so why? What is the racial/ethnic representation of your applicants and…

HRA COVID Assessment Survey Questions

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations assessed the status/needs of their awardees in various ways (online surveys, focus groups, etc.) The Research Workforce and Early Career Development Working Group compiled a list of questions that members asked awardees or other researchers. These questions can be used by funders…

Registry and Biorepository Working Group August 26, 2020 meeting

Agenda items covered during the August meeting of the Working Group: Snapshot of Registry and Biorepository Status and Capabilities Survey Results Business Plan Development Purpose and Role of Business Plan Components of Business Plan Operational Structure and Governance Model Examples and Discussion Focus on Governance and Data Sharing Components of…

Early COVID Financial Impact Survey

In June, the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation led an effort (with the help of the Children’s Tumor Foundation and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation) to identify ways to help raise awareness about the short- and long-term impacts of reductions in funding from non-profit grant funders.  The C&CF staff developed a…

Registry and Biorepository Working Group Kickoff meeting

The cochairs presented the results of a precall survey to gauge topic interest and get a sense of where HRA members are with respect to registries and biorepositories. The powerpoint presents those data including interest in learning more about business development, recruitment/retention and more.  Many attendees on the call and…

Registry and Biorepository Working Group Interest Survey Data

Patient Registries: The Good, the Bad and the Opportunities [HRA Members Meeting, Fall 2019]

Breakout Session: A Natural History of HRA & Patient Registries Informed by member and non-member experiences, challenges, questions, and accomplishments, this session will present and discuss organizations’ patient registries efforts. Challenges abound in available technology platforms, recruitment, data types, standardization, access and sharing, and of course, cost. Yet survey respondents…

Building Back Better: Re-envisioning the biomedical research ecosystem [Town hall webinar, July 22 2020]

In an effort to capitalize on the unanticipated disruption of the “normal” way of doing science, HRA invites you to think creatively about how things could be different during a town hall meeting entitled “Building Back Better: Re-envisioning the biomedical research ecosystem.”  Think about the questions below and come prepared…

Aligning incentives for open science

The “Sending Signals” subgroup of the NASEM’s Roundtable on Aligning Incentives for Open Science developed language that funders and universities are beginning to use to send a clear signal to researchers that we value their “open” behavior. Open behavior includes (but is not limited to) publishing in Open Access journals,…

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Working Group call [July 9, 2020]

Dear colleagues, In recognizing the clear interest of HRA members on effective Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) work within their mission, we are excited to share about the launch of a new working group that we have agreed to co-chair. Our thanks to Annette and Maryrose for creating a home…

National Institute on Minority Health & Health Disparities Director’s Update

Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable, MD, Director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), gave an update to the AAMC community on key NIMHD issues for the extramural research and research training community. Dr. Pérez-Stable addressed: Current funding opportunities targeting inequities related to COVID-19 and minority health and…

HRA Member Diversity Program Inventory

Many HRA Member organizations’ portfolios include programs and efforts to increase diversity in the sciences.  This July 2020 spreadsheet is intended as an inventory of those efforts, as well as efforts from nonmember funders. This list should help us learn from each other’s experiences. If you have information that is…

Registered Reports: From the Funders’ and Publisher’s Perspectives [Webinar, March 4, 2020]

By conducting peer review prior to data collection, Registered Reports publications emphasize the importance of the research question and the quality of methodology rather than the results of a study. Funders have adopted the Registered Reports format to increase the quality of funded studies to a ‘publication-ready’ peer review journal…

DEI Training Providers (from HRA Members)

We have compiled the responses to a listserv post looking for recommendations for companies or people who do DEI education.  The query specifically did not want an online course,  but rather recommendations for companies which provides in-person (now probably Zoom) training in DEI for staff.

What Can We Do to Combat Anti-Black Racism in the Biomedical Research Enterprise?

NIGMS Feedback Loop Blog – National Institute of General Medical Sciences Article by Dr. Jon Lorsch, Dr. Kenneth Gibbs, and Dr. Alison Gammi

2020 NIH OITE Inclusion, Anti-Racism, and Wellness Resources

NIH peer review: Criterion scores completely account for racial disparities in overall impact scores [Science Advances, June 2020]

An updated look at the funding gaps between white and black applicants for NIH’s R01 awards.

The context of diversity [Science, November 2019]

Written by Dr. Cato T. Laurencin who is chairing the Academies’ Roundtable on Black Men and Black Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine.

Topic choice contributes to the lower rate of NIH awards to African-American/black scientists [Sceince Advances, October 2019]

Despite efforts to promote diversity there remains a lower rate of funding of R01 applications submitted by African-American/black scientists relative to white scientists.

COGR Webinar on University Compensation Policies

In April the Council on Government Relations (COGR) hosted a webinar title “A Focus on Compensation Polices Amidst the COVID-19 Crisis” to learn from universities about their policies relating to supporting faculty and research.

Transforming to Virtual Scientific Conferences

Many HRA members are shifting their scientific conferences to virtual. This document compiles tips, benefits, and lessons learned for those planning to switch conferences or meetings to virtual in the future.  The information comes from HRA members’ posts to the listserv, as well as information from and links to published…

Summary of Select Reopening Guidelines

This summary is in response to a question posted to the listserv asking if members had reopening guidelines.  HRA staff reviewed existing guidelines from the CDC and other places,  and summarized them in the attached document. Some of  the most helpful documents from which guidance was taken are listed below….

AFP Virtual Meeting Case Study 2020

Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP)annual conference: AFP’s annual meeting, originally scheduled for the end of March, had to quickly transition to a virtual event. Nearly 1000 attendees heard from speakers, engaged with sponsors and exhibitors, and networked with fellow attendees over the same three days of the original in-person conference….

Open Science Landscape [Webinar, April 14, 2020]

HRA has consolidated the Open Science Task Force and the Data Sharing Working Group since the group objectives are overlapping. This webinar will be of interest whether your organization would like to get up to speed on basic, current information related to Open Science or already has policies in place….

Introduction to the ORCID US Community Consortium [Webinar, May 13, 2020]

HRA members now have the opportunity to join a well-established ORCID consortium led by LYRASIS called the ORCID US Community.  This webinar described the many benefits to belonging to this consortium including help with GMS integration and many valuable community resources that help with logistics, but also help funders convince stakeholders of…

HRA Analyzer Webinar Series

This series is designed as an introduction to HRA Analyzer, our members-only online awards database.  If you have never worked with Analyzer before, we strongly encourage you to view the kickoff webinar recording from April 30. 4/30 • Kickoff Webinar This first webinar in the HRA Analyzer series presented an…

COVID-19 Funder Responses

HRA members shared how their organizations are preparing for or responding to COVID-19 via our listserv.  We added that data to a broader set of responses compiled by a team at the Simons Foundation. The resulting spreadsheet has responses for a wide variety of funders.  If you would like your organization added…

COGR’s FAQs and Resources on COVID-19’s Impact to Federal Awards

The Council on Governmental Relations (HRA’s partner in the NFRI initiative) is compiling guidance and actions by specific agencies and offices within the federal government.  You can see agency-specific (e.g. NIH, OMB or NSF) guidance.  You can also view COGR’s Federal Agency Guidance Matrix (Updated) as well as many other…

Running a Successful Virtual Peer Review [Webinar, April 16, 2020]

Staff from three HRA member organizations shared their experience running virtual peer reviews from coordinating reviewers and managing conflicts virtually, to fostering productive discussion and making the most various technologies available. Jessica, Jennifer and Andrew also shared best practices to ensure a fair and thorough review as well as tips…

COVID-19 Resources for NIH Applicants & Recipients

NIH is continuing to add new resources to their COVID-19: Information for NIH Applicants and Recipients of NIH Funding webpage. We hope they are helpful in helping you navigate this unprecedented situation.  

Funders of Health Research and Training Respond to Continuing Economic Challenges (May 2009)

In 2009, HRA put together a report in response to the 2008 downturn.  We took a series of actions to collect data and surface activities members were taking to mitigate the situation.  These are listed in the attached report. HRA is again ready to do what we can to help…

Patient Engagement [HRA Members Meeting, Virtual, Spring 2020]

This session focused on the strengthening trend of incorporating the patient voice and values into funded research efforts. Patients are invited to be involved in various steps along the project-funding continuum: from engaging in setting research priorities, evaluating research proposals, participating in the research team, and receiving updates and feedback…

RFA Development and Marketing [HRA Members Meeting, Virtual, Spring 2020]

In this session, we explored best practices for RFA development for new scientific areas, and marketing existing and new RFAs. In particular, speakers discussed how to get input from innovators in a field new to the funder for a new RFA, key elements of a well-written RFA, and novel ideas…

Venture Philanthropy: Untapped Potential or Unintended Consequences? Exploring Venture Capital Approaches in the Philanthropic Space [HRA Members Meeting, Virtual, Spring 2020]

Venture philanthropy does not come without its fair share of controversy. It remains a challenge for nonprofits, philanthropists, patients, start-ups and the general public to determine how – and if – we should combine philanthropy and for-profit strategies, even if the goal is to advance an organization’s mission as quickly…

Using Platform-Based Tools to Measure Impact [HRA Members Meeting, Virtual, Spring 2020]

As grantmakers, we often grapple with how to specifically demonstrate the impact of our research investment. Effectively explaining the return-on-investment from funding research is critical to our mission, as donors become increasingly interested in realizing the importance of their donations. This session explored how platform-based tools can be used to…

Grants Program Analysis Working Group [Call, January 21, 2020]

The Grants Program Analysis Working Group recently held its bimonthly call to discuss the status of current projects and upcoming goals. We had a very productive call, and wanted to take a moment to share with you a brief recap, for your interest (and to encourage you to get involved,…

Beyond Borders: Go International Act Locally/Think Globally

Philanthropy is growing and gaining visibility around the world. Increasingly, donors are expanding their portfolios to include local and global giving as strategies to address issues that are important to them. However, making grants to institutions outside the United States is complex.  There are various requirements that funders need to…

Comparison of Platform-based Evaluation software

To access the detailed survey report click the link above. If you have edits to your organization’s info, or if you did not submit any documents and would like to now, please email Annette and we will make edits to this document. This document is for use by HRA members only.  

Grants Management Systems Survey Results

Members often ask HRA which Grants Management System other organizations use.  This page show the data gathered from a survey of the membership in 2019. To access the detailed survey report click the link above. If you have edits to your organization’s info, or if you did not submit any documents…

Discussion of the recent National Academies report on the Science of Effective Mentoring in STEMM [Webinar, December 18, 2019]

This webinar featured a read-out and discussion of the recent National Academies report on the Science of Effective Mentoring in STEMM (PDF above).

Collaboration Workshop [in-person meeting, November 12-13, 2019]

We live in a world of problems so complex that they cannot be effectively addressed by any one organization or even by any one sector. There is a growing understanding among social, private, and public sector leaders that lasting change and the resolution of these systemic issues is going to…

Protocols.io: How an open access platform to share the methods behind the data can enhance the impact of your grantees’ research and your funding. [Webinar, November 20, 2019]

The open access protocols.io platform makes it easy to share research recipes and to collaborate on method development, both publicly and privately. This free platform addresses lack of reproducibility due to less than helpful materials and methods sections containing instructions like “we used a modified version of a protocol reported previously” or “contact author for details”….

Fact vs. Fiction [HRA Members Meeting, Fall 2019]

Public opinion shapes attitudes about science, research funding, and health policy. In a crowded media environment where objectivity and trust cannot be presumed, how can funders and scientists leverage media to improve public health? This panel features two experts working at the intersection of science and communication. Sarah Gollust, PhD,…

The Role of the Funder in Providing Mentoring Experiences for Grantees [HRA Members Meeting, Fall 2019]

During this session, we will explore how funders can provide support for mentoring within their programs as a part of workforce development. We will review a summary of current mentoring practices by HRA members. This will be followed by a talk from Dr. Chris Pfund from the University of Wisconsin-Madison….

Creating Networking and Partnering Opportunities [HRA Members Meeting, Fall 2019]

Strategic partnering is becoming an increasingly valuable approach for nonprofits to advance their missions. This session will present three different types of strategic partnerships: partnering with FDA to accelerate approval of new therapies for rare diseases; advocacy partnering to increase support for a mission-related NIH center; and pharmaceutical partnering related…

Translating the Microbiome: Past, Present, and Future [HRA Members Meeting, Fall 2019]

Research over the last decade has revealed the enormous diversity of the human microbiome and the myriad of ways that it impacts health and disease. Dr. Lita Proctor, PhD, the former Coordinator of the Human Microbiome Project (HMP), will present some of the findings of the HMP, and its second…

Effective Approaches to Increase Diversity and Inclusion in the Biomedical Research Workforce [HRA Members Meeting, Fall 2019]

The research workforce does not reflect the diversity of the U.S. population and individuals from specific groups remain underrepresented in the biomedical research workforce. According to the National Science Foundation, 8% of U.S. residing doctoral scientists and engineers are African American or Black, American Indian, Alaska Natives, or Hispanic Latinos….

The case for a nonprofit independent IRB; improving the ethical review of research. [Webinar, October 8, 2019]

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) play a hidden but critical role in the common project to advance knowledge and improve life experience. They ensure that the imperatives of science are balanced by the obligation to treat human research subjects with respect, to avoid exploitation and to protect such subjects from unnecessary…

Analyzing Reviewer Scores

In response to a listserv post in June 2019, several organizations sent responses regarding their organizations’ analyses of concordance among reviewers’ scores.  Those responses are collected in the linked document. If you have edits to your organization’s info, or if you did not submit any documents and would like to…

Grant Agreement Language

In response to a listserv post and a request by the Grants Administration Working group in July 2019, around reporting requirements and payment schedule, several organizations sent language used in their Grant Agreements.  These are compiled in the linked document. This document is for use by HRA members only.  

HRA Member Progress & Financial Report Templates

Thank you to the MANY organizations who contributed progress report and financial report templates.  These are compiled in the linked document. If you have edits to your organization’s information or if you did not submit documents and would like to now, please email Maryrose and we will insert them in…

HRA Analyzer/Reporter/Open update [Webinar, June 19, 2019]

Our colleagues from Digital Science (Ashlea, Monika, Jonathan, and Alex) gave an update on three of the HRA Platforms: HRA Analyzer, HRA Reporter, and HRA Open. We talked about what they are and how they work along with how you can participate.  

ORCID ROI for Funders – What Do We Gain With ORCID? [Webinar, May 14, 2019]

Many HRA members have asked what the ROI is for requiring their awardees to use ORCID in the application compared with what funders get from becoming members of the HRA-ORCID Consortium (allowing funders to integrate ORCID). Jamie McKee from proposalCENTRAL gave us a webinar to make it all clear! See…

Staff Scientist Panel [Webinar, May 20, 2019]

Panelists: Shirley Tilghman (president emerita, Princeton University), Lida Beninson (Program Officer, NASEM), and Laura Contreras-Ruiz (staff scientist, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.) The changing landscape of biological research has changed the day-to-day tasks of the typical research lab so that PIs are more involved in grant writing and lab management, creating a…

Evolving Intellectual Property Policy: Overview and Implementation [HRA Members Meeting, Spring 2019]

The research supported by non-profit funders may result in new products, inventions, new technology and new concepts – called intellectual property (IP). These deliverables may provide an unforeseen and potentially significant return on investment for non-profits whose funds helped to support the research from which the IP was derived. Whether…

Supporting the Next Generation of Biomedical Researchers [HRA Members Meeting, Spring 2019]

Changes to policy and practice to attract and retain a vibrant biomedical research workforce have been recently suggested. In this session, HRA members will learn about the NAS Report, Breaking Through, which provides specific recommendations to overcome barriers facing the next generation of biomedical researchers. Additionally, we will hear about…

Cost of Research: Are Current Fellowship Models Still “Current”? [HRA Members Meeting, Spring 2019]

As new discoveries and technological advancements continue to enhance our scientific knowledge, the question arises as to whether current funding models are keeping pace in this rapidly changing environment. Indeed, the advent of sophisticated approaches to solve scientific questions, as well as policies around sharing this information with other researchers…

A Funder’s Role: Advancing Science Through Effective Communication [HRA Members Meeting, Spring 2019]

Science communication is part of a scientist’s everyday life, and in order to be an effective scientist, one must be an effective communicator. Scientists must give talks, write papers and proposals, communicate with a variety of audiences, and educate others. In this session, we will explore the goals and objectives…

Beyond Co-Funding: Stronger Together Part II [HRA Members Meeting, Spring 2019]

Collaboration can be critical to advancing scientific discoveries; likewise, forging strong relationships with other biomedical research grant makers can elevate the work accomplished by each organization, advancing their respective missions. Building on the momentum from the previous Members’ Meeting in Durham, this session will continue the collaboration discussion, bringing new…

Creating a Data Sharing Policy: A Road Map

Is your organization considering adopting a data sharing policy (DSP), but you’re not sure where to begin? During a breakout session of the Data Sharing Working Group at the Spring 2019 Members Meeting, HRA members worked to develop this guide. This “road map” provide an overview of the process, and…

HRA Members present Community Force and Foundant [Webinar, January 16, 2019]

The Grants Administration Working Group held a webinar that featured presentations from fellow HRA members on their respective grants management databases. • Catrina Bryant from the Beckman Foundation spoke about Community Force • Richard Ha from NYSCF spoke on Foundant  

HRA Reporter goes Public [Webinar, January 24, 2019]

HRA Reporter* goes Public!  We are excited to announce that a public version of HRA Reporter is coming soon! Digital Science will be connecting with the designated contact for each organization to determine your organization’s desired level of participation, and is also developing a useful set of FAQs.  We look forward to…

Mentoring in the Research Workforce [Webinar, January 22, 2019]

This webinar featured a presentation by Christine Pfund, PhD, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who studies the science of mentoring in STEMM. Dr. Pfund is currently a PI on the NIH National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) and is the director of the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in…

Grants Program Analysis Working Group [Call, November 29, 2018]

The Grants Program Analysis Working Group hosted a very productive call on November 29. We’d like to provide you with a few highlights from the call, to keep you updated on what the group is up to. We also encourage anyone interested in this group to join us! If you…

NFRI Workshop [May 16, 2018]

In 2017, a formal working group began conducting monthly calls to advance discussions on IP and technology transfer, reimbursement of research operating costs, and how to streamline administrative requirements. These discussions led to a May 16, 2018 meeting supported by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine’s (NASEM) Government…

HRA Regional Meeting: NYC Tri State Area [January 31, 2018]

The inaugural Tri-State Regional Meeting (co-hosted by NYSCF and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation) was held in the NYSCF’s office January 31, 2018. With over 15 member organization represented, this meeting was a huge success! The meeting had plenty of networking time as well as presentations focused on “Translational Science…

Preregistration: Improve Research, Rigor, Reduce Bias [Webinar, December 10, 2018]

Preregistration is the act of submitting a research plan (often with a detailed analysis plan) to a registry prior to conducting a study. It adds credibility to all research by ensuring that the most rigorous, confirmatory findings are distinct from exploratory research discoveries. Preregistration improves research by addressing: • Selective…

BEST (Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training) [Webinar, December 6, 2017]

BEST (Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training) is an effort by 17 institutions to explore ways of improving biomedical career development. A fraction of biomedical PhDs will take a tenure-track faculty position, so training programs are developing innovated approaches to prepare students and postdocs for a range of career options. BEST…

National Center for Advancing the Career Development of Scientists [Webinar, January 10, 2018]

There has been a large movement to broaden the career development of Ph.D. trainees for a variety of career paths, including those outside of academia but still in research-related positions. Although many such programs exist, and best practices are often shared, there has not yet been a structured, central effort…

RWJF Report and Data Sharing Policies [Webinar, May 10, 2018]

The HRA Data Sharing Working Group hosted a webinar where participants learned about the RWJF-funded report including many funder data-sharing policies/practices, and recommendations to funders as they consider their own policies. The report and webinar  were aimed to be informative to organizations with minimal data sharing policy framework to organizations…

NIH’s RFI on Proposed Provisions for a Future Draft Data Management and Sharing Policy

The NIH is soliciting public input on proposed key provisions that could serve as the foundation for a future NIH policy for data management and sharing.  Comments using the process described in the document above will be accepted until December 10, 2018. The American Heart Association has drafted a very…

Stronger Together: How Collaboration Can Lead to Greater Impact [HRA Members Meeting, Fall 2018]

Collaboration is often the key to scientific success, bringing together individuals with different expertise and skills to advance the field. This type of teamwork can also elevate and improve the efforts of biomedical research grant makers, bringing organizations together toward a common mission. This session will begin with an introduction…

Implementing New Ways to Model Human Disease for More Effective Drug Discovery [HRA Members Meeting, Fall 2018]

The cost of drug R&D makes up the bulk of the cost of prescription drugs because consumers not only pay for the medicines they are prescribed, but also for all the ostensibly promising agents emerging for the laboratory only to fail in clinical trials. The preclinical drug discovery and testing…

FIRST Group Update [HRA Members Meeting, Fall 2018]

This session will provide context for and discuss recent activities aimed at building effective working relationships between funders and universities. We will report on topics addressed at both the May 16th and November 7th Nonprofit Funder – Research Institution Partnership Workshops. We will discuss next steps for the effort in…

Peer Review Under the Microscope: From Best Practices to Current Challenges [HRA Members Meeting, Fall 2018]

Scientific peer review has long been the gold standard for evaluating grant applications, but different organizations implement peer review in different ways. In addition, issues like unconscious bias and data reproducibility has brought these processes under greater scrutiny. This session will focus on peer review best practices that are informed…

Measuring Funding Impact Through Grantee Outputs [HRA Members Meeting, Fall 2018]

Measuring the impact of a non-profit organization’s grants program can be a difficult, and sometimes ambiguous, process. For example, answering a seemingly simple question like, “how successful are we at accomplishing our mission?”, typically results in more questions than definitive or tangible answers.  One approach to gauging organizational success is…

NFRI Workshop [November 7, 2018]

The Nonprofit Funder -Research Institution (NFRI) partnership hosted its second workshop to advance discussions on IP and technology transfer, reimbursement of research operating costs and how to streamline administrative requirements. Like the first meeting, the second meeting was also supported by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine’s (NASEM)…

HRA Regional Meeting: Metro DC [October 16, 2018]

The theme of the October 2018 Regional Members Meeting (hosted by HHMI) was Diversity and Inclusion.  After an active networking breakfast, Dr, Hannah Valantine, NIH’s first Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity, kicked off the meeting.  Dr. Valantine presented compelling data as to why diversity matters.  For instance, her data…

Understanding Visual Intelligence & Data Visualization [Webinar, October 24, 2018]

The Donaghue Foundation and the Health Research Alliance joined with HealthDataViz, a Boston firm that specializes in helping healthcare organizations design and present visual displays of data, and offered this webinar on the fundamentals of data visualization. The webinar: Offered guidance on best practices for creating and distributing visualizations Provided…

Listserv Responses: Culling LOIs [October 2018]

What is your process of LOI review for a program or mechanism?  What is the count of LOIs you get and what number do you allow to submit full applications?

Intro to Datavant: Technology to link patient-level healthcare data without sharing personally-identifiable information [Webinar, October 2, 2018]

Vera Mucaj introduced Datavant, a San-Francisco based healthcare startup that helps build the pipes for healthcare data sharing at the patient level. Datavant enables linking of patient-level healthcare data across institutions without the need to share personally-identifiable information (PII). Datavant customers use the technology to assemble a more holistic view…

How NCI is Leading on Data Sharing [Webinar, October 9, 2018]

The Data Sharing Working Group hosted a webinar featuring Jaime Guidry Auvil, the Director of NCI’s Office of Data Sharing. Jaime shared the efforts that are in motion at NCI and NIH that aim to promote the data sharing ecosystem. Importantly, she reported on the impressive steps that NCI is…

Finding, Evaluating, and Promoting the Impact of your Research for Nonprofit Funders – how to use the new Dimensions functionality (led by Dimensions). [Webinar, September 18, 2018]

To identify and showcase how organization’s resources have made an impact attendees learned how to answer questions such as: Did your funding keep researchers in the field? Has your research impacted policy? Are there links between patents and your funding or publications? Did publications from your research become prominent, widely…

ORFG “Open 101” Tip Sheets for Research Stakeholders

ORFG has made available a suite of resources designed to help specific audiences understand the benefits of open science. Comprised of a mix-and-match set of tip sheets designed for grantees, program officers and staff, and foundation leadership, the materials can help research funders build effective campaigns for the adoption of…

European Funders Announce “Plan S” for Open Access

Indirect Costs (aka “F&A”): There are more to IDC’s than you think [Webinar, September 6, 2018]

In this webinar, we continued the productive dialogue between Universities and Funding Organizations.  We discussed what are “indirect costs” – what are behind these expenses, how may some of these be research project-specific costs, what does this all mean. Be informed and understand the nuances of this discussion as we…

FIRST Group Survey on Funder Institution Relations

Nonprofit Funding Models

The philanthropic sector in general and the membership of the Health Research Alliance in particular, is composed of a diverse set of organizations who have contributed to advancing biomedical research by developing human capital; building knowledge and expanding scientific disciplines; supporting institutions; stimulating innovation; translating discoveries into cures, therapeutics and…

How Funders Can Diversify the Healthcare Workforce [HRA Members Meeting, Spring 2018]

Evidence has shown that a diverse healthcare workforce not only improves patient care outcomes, it also allows organizations to be more productive, creative and innovative. Still, minorities face slower promotion rates and are significantly less represented in leadership and academic career positions. At the Spring 2018 Health Research Alliance Members…

Drug and Other Therapy Development Toolkit of Toolkits [Work in Progress]

Under development by the Drug and Other Therapy Development working group, this “toolkit of toolkits” will enable member organizations to more easily identify and access existing and up-to-date resources relevant to DOTD working group goals. Drug and Other Therapy Development References U.S. Food and Drug Administration – for the latest developments…

University-Foundation Relations – BIO Session Summary [FasterCures, June 2015)

In recent years, the nonprofit and academic communities have acknowledged that relationships between nonprofit disease foundations and research institutions are evolving. Although in many ways this evolution presents new and exciting opportunities, these changes have also brought about new conflicts. To advance the discussion around these relationships and brainstorm new paths forward, FasterCures…

University-Foundation Relations: From Transactional to Transformative Partnerships [FasterCures, September 2014]

University-Foundation Relations Session on Indirect Costs [FasterCures, November 2016]

FasterCures invited a small group of stakeholders to participate in a private session focused on indirect costs, during the 2016 Partnering for Cures conference in New York, NY.

Calculating Overall Facilities and Administrative Costs

Breaking Down the Costs of Federal Research at Universities [Association of American Universities, March 2017]

Keeping the Lights On [Nature, November 2014]

Every year, the US government gives research institutions billions of dollars towards infrastructure and administrative support. A Nature investigation reveals who is benefiting most.

Listserv responses: HRA Members’ Evaluation Platforms [May 2018]

Use of HRA Analyzer (formerly Reporter) and Researchfish to Evaluate Your Grants Portfolio [Webinar, August 30, 2018]

Arun Karpar from Autism Speaks highlighted the use of HRA Analyzer (formerly Reporter) data; while Suzanne Rix from the Association of Medical Research Charities demonstrated the utility of Researchfish.

Spring 2018 Members Meeting Session: ORCID Reducing Burden and Improving Transparency (ORBIT) Project

ORBIT is a strategy to reduce investigator burden and improve funder efficiency through the use of persistent identifiers. ORBIT is a partnership between the NIH and ORCID that expands the ORCID data model to collect faculty profile information. The presentation described efforts to assign Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) to grants…

Open Research Funders Group Resources

The Open Research Funders Group (ORFG) is a membership-based partnership of funding organizations committed to the open sharing of research outputs.

Implementing a System to Enable Credit for Data Sharing

April 9, 2018 The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the Multi-Regional Clinical Trials Center of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard (MRCT Center), and the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) launched the Credit for Data Sharing initiative to describe and implement a system to appropriately credit researchers for sharing data.

Board on Research Data and Information/US CODATA

November 1-2, 2017 National Academy of Sciences The mission of the Board on Research Data and Information (BRDI) is to improve the stewardship, policy, and use of digital data and information for science and the broader society.

Data Sharing Goals for Nonprofit Funders of Clinical Trials

November 30, 2017 Sharing Clinical Trial Data Action Collaborative: Data Sharing Goals for Nonprofit Funders of Clinical Trials National Academy of Sciences

Big Data Sharing Meeting [September 19, 2017]

Intro to Sharing Big Data [Webinar #2, August 10, 2017]

Intro to Data Sharing [Webinar #1, July 11, 2017]

This one-hour webinar was the first of two sessions that introduced participants to the various types of data and data sharing platforms currently available. JOURNAL RESOURCES REFERENCED DURING THE WEBINAR PLOS Data Sharing References PLOS Policy PLOS Recommended repositories A Registry of Research Data Repositories Data policy FAQs Preparing clinical…

Funder Data Sharing Policies: Overview and Recommendations [RWJF Report]

A report funded by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and written by Stephanie Wykstra. Research transparency – sharing data and other materials for further research and re-analysis – is on the rise. Many people and institutions in the research ecosystem have pointed to potential benefits of transparency, from accelerating scientific progress to increasing reliability…

HRA Member Data Sharing Policies

The HRA member data sharing policies that Heather McCartney, HRA’s Data Sharing Intern, has collected can be found above. (To submit your data sharing policies email Maryrose [at] healthra [dot] org)

US Food and Drug Administration (link)

NINDS

QB3

QB3 includes five incubators, two seed-stage venture capital firms, and a special initiative in medical devices called the Rosenman Institute. QB3 supports University of California researchers and empowers Bay Area entrepreneurs to launch startup companies and partner with industry.

AlzPED database

AlzPED is a database for preclinical studies of Alzheimer’s disease. It includes information on animal models, biomarkers, therapeutic agents/targets, patents, etc

JLABS: part of Johnson & Johnson Innovation

JLABS is a part of Johnson & Johnson Innovation. It is a life science incubator with an aim towards developing healthcare products from current scientific discoveries through a “capital-efficient, resource-rich environment.”

Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative

NCATS: “Toolkit for Patient-Focused Therapy Development”

FasterCures “Issues” and “Tools you can use”

FasterCures also has a tab of “Issues” along with links to “Tools you can use” on those topics, a few of which are listed above.  Other Issues with links are Collaborations, IP, Management and Accountability, R and D System, Value and Coverage, and Venture Philanthropy.  There are also case studies available….

FasterCures Toolkit on the TRAIN website

Link to the a toolkit on the TRAIN website which is broken down by different types of partnerships.   On each of the above sites they have links to “Tools you can use.” These include various PDFs or word docs for checklists or agreement templates, informational websites, etc.

Rescuing U.S. Biomedical Research from Its Systemic Flaws [Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, April 2014]

In a Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences publication by Bruce Alberts, Marc Kirschner, Shirley Tilghman and Harold Varmus (2014). Leading academics in biomedical research described a series of issues they felt were leading to a hyper-competitive environment in the US academic system, negatively affecting young researchers, and potentially…

Shaping the Future of Research:  A Perspective from Junior Scientists [Webinar, September 2015]

Jessica Polka, PhD, and Kristin Krukenberg, PhD, both of Harvard Medical School,  organized of the Future of Research Symposium. In a webinar, they presented the primary issues they were seeking to address.

Early Career Awards [2011 HRA Compilation – Excel file direct download]

HRA Workforce Development Survey 2018 [Findings Report – Direct Download]

The Report Card for Gender Equality [New York Stem Cell Foundation, 2017]

NYSCF’s Institutional Report Card for Gender Equality helps to incorporate the Seven Actionable Strategies for Advancing Women in Science, Medicine, and Engineering into its own programs and encourage others to do the same.

Seven Actionable Strategies for Advancing Women in Science, Medicine, and Engineering [Cell Stem Cell, March 2015]

Achieving gender equality in science will require devising and implementing strategies to overcome the political, administrative, financial, and cultural challenges that exist in the current environment. This forum proposes an initial shortlist of recommendations to promote gender equality in science and stimulate future efforts to level the field.

Approaches to Achieve Gender Equity in STEM Faculty: Successes, Hurdles and Opportunities for Collaboration [HRA Members Meeting. Spring 2016]

This session presented data on gender inequities in STEM faculty and on the new interventions that academia and funders have implemented to promote retention and advancement of female faculty conducting research on human health. Stephanie Abbuhl, MD, Professor & Vice Chair Faculty Affairs, Department of Emergency Medicine and Executive Director,…

Strategies for Increasing Diversity in the Workforce [HRA Members Meeting, Spring 2018]

This session focused on the challenges and opportunities of diversity and unconscious bias that women and minorities face in peer review in academic science. Anna Kaatz, PhD is the Director of Computational Sciences at the UW-Madison Center for Women’s Health Research. Shirley Malcom, PhD is the head of Education and…

The Next Generation of Biomedical and Behavioral Sciences Researchers

HRA members and their Career Development Awards [2016 Compilation – Excel Direct Download

Introduction to Health Services Research Resources: HSRProj and NICHSR [Webinar, August 21, 2018]

On this webinar, attendees were given a tour of the HSRProj database and insights on how to use it. Examples of analytic products and additional AcademyHealth and NLM resources, including HSRR (Health Services and Sciences Research Resources), Health Services Research Information Central (HSRIC), and NICHSR ONESearch, will also be highlighted.

Perceptions of Risk Evaluation in Grant Peer Review by Applicants and Reviewers [American Institute of Biological Sciences, February 2018]

The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) published findings from research it conducted on reviewer and applicant perceptions of criteria usage and risk evaluation in grant peer review. The manuscript, entitled “Risk evaluation in peer review of grant applications” was published online in late February 2018 in the journal Environment Systems…

Validity of Peer Review Examined by American Institute of Biological Sciences [Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics, August 2018]

The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) published in August 2018, a literature review summarizing results of empirical tests on the validity of peer review decisions using impact measures of investigator output. These results were published as part of a research topic for the journal Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics.

Entrepreneurial Review Scorecard [Chron’s and Colitis Foundation, January 2018]

At the Tristate Area Regional Members Meeting in January 2018, attendees heard about the Entrepreneurial Investing Initiative to fund the development of products with the potential to benefit patients. Applicants are expected to propose exceptional scientific research combined with commercial merit. Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation staff and advisors have developed…

Listserv Responses: Evaluation Platforms [May 2018]

Listserv Responses: Childcare Expenses Allowable [July 2018]

Listserv Responses: Scoring System [March 2016]

American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) Council of Member Societies and Organizations

American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) Council of Member Societies and Organizations 2016 Meeting AIBS hosted a meeting Titled “The Role of Peer Review in Informed Decision-making.”  The meeting tackled questions: Do we know what we need to know about peer review? Does peer review meet the needs of the modern…

Transparency, Recognition and Innovation in Peer Review in the Life Sciences [ASAPBio Meeting Summary, February 2018]

ASAPbio, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the Wellcome Trust held a meeting to discuss the merits of transparent peer review. If it is desirable, how can it be implemented and what might be barriers to adoption?  The agenda and links to the slides and talks can be found on the ASAPBio site. Recommendations…

Grants Management Software [HRA Compilation]

Unlocking IP: Principles for Responsible Negotiation [FasterCures, 2012]

HRA member data sharing policies

The FAIR Guiding Principles for Scientific Data Management and Stewardship (External Resource)

One of the most valuable resources for HRA and others in the community has been the FAIR Guiding Principles for Scientific Data Management and Stewardship published in Nature.  This article describes four foundational principles—Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability.  These principles should apply not only to ‘data’ but also to the…

Strategy in Action (Fall 2017 HRA Members’ Meeting)

At the Fall 2017 HRA Members’ Meeting in Chicago, Melissa Stevens of the Center for Strategic Philanthropy at the Milken Institute provided  in-depth perspective on the “how to” regarding framing the strategy and next steps for either organizational or programmatic planning. According to Stevens, philanthropic investment in medical research has an…

Making Science Open via Preprints (Fall 2016 HRA Members’ Meeting)

In addition to learning about the COS Preprints service, HRA explored the risks and benefits of encouraging our awardees to use preprints to publish their research.  At a session at the Fall 2016 HRA Members’ Meeting entitled “Understanding preprints, an emerging model for publication in biology” we heard from 3…

Good Practices for University Open-Access Policies (External Resource)

Good Practices for University Open-Access Policies is a valuable resource for universities and funding organizations that want to implement open access policies. Especially of use to funders would be the sections on Drafting a Policy and Filling the Repository, which covers incentives for authors to deposit their work themselves, as well…

Open Science Pre-Registration: Approaches to Ensuring Reproducibility and Transparency (Fall 2017 HRA Members Meeting)

HRA members learned about preregistering research at the Fall 2017 HRA Members Meeting in Chicago in a session entitled “Open Science – Pre-registration: Approaches to ensuring reproducibility and transparency.” Reproducibility and transparency are critical elements to advancing biomedical research while providing scientists a tool for the future to better understand…

The Challenges to Reproducibility in Biomedical Research (Brian Nosek, Fall 2015 HRA Members Meeting)

Dr. Brian Nosek, Executive Director, Center for Open Science Fall 2015 HRA Members Meeting, Cleveland, OH An academic scientist’s professional success depends on publishing. Publishing norms emphasize novel, positive results. Therefore, disciplinary incentives encourage design, analysis, and reporting decisions that elicit positive results and ignore negative results. These incentives can…

Tracking Funding, Reducing Burden and Increasing Transparency

HRA Members Meeting Spring 2018 Given the fragmented system of funding and employing researchers, it is difficult to directly and clearly measure the impact of funding. Some government and non-governmental funders are piloting strategies to reduce the burden placed on investigators by providing information in tedious entering mechanisms and to…

Strategic Planning

More and more stakeholders (boards, donors, patients) are asking for evidence of impact and outcomes. Strategic planning can be valuable to an organization because it provides a sense of direction and outlines measurable goals to demonstrate impact. Strategic planning is the process of determining the goals your organization intends to…

Breaking the mold: New models in research funding

HRA Members Meeting Spring 2018 Traditional research funding mechanisms usually require a regimen of standard documents and peer review processes. At the Health Research Alliance Member Meeting in New York in March 2018, three leading organizations presented their new approaches to accelerate innovation by using novel funding mechanisms. Partnership with…

Implementation of Funder Data Sharing Policies

HRA Members Meeting Spring 2018 At the March 2018 Members Meeting, HRA members and clinicians shared their processes, considerations, and implementation of data sharing policies. Encourage and facilitate reagent and data sharing The St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a not-for-profit organization with the aim of raising funds to help find cures for…

How Funders can Diversify the Workforce

HRA Members Meeting Spring 2018 Evidence suggests that an increased diversity not only improves patient care outcomes, but makes groups also more productive, creative and innovative. Still, minorities face slower promotion rates and are significantly less represented in leadership and academic career positions. At the Spring 2018 Health Research Alliance…

Funding Health Services Research

HRA Members Meeting Spring 2018 The multidisciplinary field of Health Service Research (HSR) focuses on the factors affecting research outcomes including its costs, quality, accessibility, delivery, organization, and financing, with the goal to optimize health services for individuals and populations. At the Spring 2018 Members Meeting in New York, three…

Breaking the mold: New models in research funding [HRA Members Meeting, Spring 2018]

Research funding mechanisms usually require a number of standard documents (i.e., research proposal, biographical sketches, and budget) and go through a peer review process. A number of groups however, are trying new approaches to accelerate innovation and solve tough problems through novel funding mechanisms. In this session, we will hear…