Peer review is the process by which sponsors and publishers collect feedback from scientific experts, allowing them to objectively and thoroughly assess the merits of grant proposals and manuscripts. UConn faculty and researchers who participate in peer review are reminded that integrity and confidentiality within the peer review process is mandatory. If you have concerns about your responsibilities as a peer reviewer, or you become aware that the confidentiality of the peer review process has been breached, you should contact the funding agency or publisher that initiated the review.
Peer Review for Sponsored Programs
Peer review for sponsored research funding is a process used by funding organizations, such as the NIH and other federal agencies, to obtain feedback on grant proposals from scientific experts who are most qualified to evaluate the merits of the proposed research. This process is essential to the U.S. research funding system, ensuring that only the most promising projects receive funding.
NIH Peer Review
The NIH upholds eight core values in its peer review process to ensure the highest ethical standards in federal funding decisions: (1) expert evaluation, (2) transparency, (3) impartiality, (4) fairness, (5) confidentiality, (6) security, (7) integrity, and (8) efficiency. Together, these core values form the foundation for the policies, laws, and regulations that govern NIH’s peer review procedures.
NIH’s confidentiality rules for peer reviewers prohibit them from:
- Sharing applications, proposals, or meeting materials with anyone not officially authorized to participate in the peer review process. This includes sharing materials with lab members for training or educational purposes. Sharing confidential content with third parties, including colleagues or subject matter experts, is strictly prohibited, regardless of intent.
- Allowing access to any NIH secure computer system or advisory committee meeting for individuals not officially designated to participate in the peer review process.
- Disclosing, in any form, information related to committee deliberations, discussions, evaluations, or documents to anyone not authorized to participate in the review process or who has a conflict of interest.
- Using any information from an application or proposal for personal gain, or making it available for the benefit of others or organizations.
- Revealing procurement information before a contract is awarded.
- Participating in NIH peer review without signing a confidentiality certification.
For more information about NIH Peer Review Integrity and Confidentiality, visit: NIH Confidentiality Peer Review.
Peer Review for Publications
Peer review for publications is the process used by journals to gather evaluations from scientific experts on papers and manuscripts. This review process assesses the strength, rigor, and validity of the research being presented. The peer review process in scientific publishing is vital for fostering public and professional trust in science, offering constructive feedback to researchers to enhance their methodologies and manuscripts, and assisting publishers in identifying key research findings for publication.
While each journal or publisher may have its own specific expectations for peer reviewer conduct, many follow similar standards. It is always advisable to consult the guidelines provided by your journal or publisher. Two of the most widely adopted ethical principles for journals and publishers are the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and Committee on Publication ethics (COPE).