Research Review Committee

To initiate a review, the Principal Investigator (PI) must submit the research or training proposal to the Research Review Committee (RRC) via email to psychiatryrrc@upmc.edu at least one month prior to the due date for the submission.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Policy Statement:  The Department of Psychiatry Research Committee
2. Cover Sheet for Grant Proposals: 
   Word Document
3. Research Committee Rating Form: 
   Word Document
4. Research Committee K Award Rating Form:
   Word Document
5. Research Committee T32 Rating Form:
   Word Document
6. Research Committee F Rating Form:
   Word Document
7. Leadership and Staff

The Department of Psychiatry strives to enhance the scientific quality of research proposals and to promote collaboration and peer review among faculty members. The major function of the Research Review Committee (RRC) is to ensure that research proposals prepared by investigators affiliated with the Department meet the highest scientific and ethical standards. Prior to submission to external funding agencies or initiation of internally supported research, the RRC evaluates the scientific and technical merits of all research proposals planned by faculty within the Department, collaborating faculty from outside the Department, fellows, students, and staff. In addition, the RRC provides a preliminary evaluation of potential risks and benefits to human participants and of the welfare of animal subjects.

Because only two iterations are allowed for NIH grant applications, our goal is to provide a first round of peer review that makes all proposals from the Department of Psychiatry as competitive as possible at NIH and elsewhere. To help us succeed at this task, we request that investigators submit proposals for review as early as possible and that they work proactively with us throughout the process, especially when questions or special circumstances arise.

Submission Guidelines

To initiate a review, the Principal Investigator (PI) submits electronically the research or training proposal to the RRC at psychiatryrrc@upmc.edu at least one month prior to the due date for the submission. If the proposal is a revised application and a prior external review (summary statement) is available, a copy of the prior review must be included and the PI must highlight in the introduction and throughout the revised application the specific changes that have been made.

A cover sheet for the application is available on this web page and must accompany the proposal. The cover sheet allows the PI to name competent potential reviewers. We ask that PI’s approach reviewers prior to submission to confirm their willingness to review. Three reviewers are selected by the Chair (David J. Kupfer, MD) or Co-Chairs (Judy L. Cameron, PhD and Paul A. Pilkonis, PhD) to evaluate a proposal.

Reviewers are asked to return a substantive critique to the RRC within 5 working days, using the appropriate rating form (also available on this web page). Reviewers may also discuss their concerns and suggestions directly with the PI as appropriate. After receiving the critiques, the PI is asked to provide a summary of his or her responses to the comments of the reviewers. The critiques and the PI’s response are then reviewed by the RRC. If the proposal is recommended for Departmental approval, the application and all related documentation (reviews and PI response) are forwarded to the Chair of the Department (David Lewis, MD) for review. Following approval by the Chair, the Department of Psychiatry Office of Grants and Contracts is notified so that the application may be released to the University of Pittsburgh Office of Research and the external funding agency. The PI also receives a formal letter of approval from the RRC. To provide feedback to reviewers, all reviews for each application and the PI’s response to the critiques are shared with reviewers.

Guidance for Special Circumstances

Members of the faculty in the Department of Psychiatry often participate as co-investigators for applications in which the PI works in another department at the University of Pittsburgh or at another university. These applications must be reviewed by the RRC if the level of effort by the co-investigator in Psychiatry exceeds 10%. We make this stipulation to ensure that investigators within Psychiatry receive the best possible advice about such collaborations. We also believe that our internal review process will help to improve the quality of outside applications. At times, we receive requests to expedite such reviews because colleagues in other departments or universities are not subject to internal review requirements.  We ask that you acquaint such colleagues with the Department of Psychiatry RRC process and point out the potential value added by the reviews that we can provide when given adequate time.

We encourage you to consult with us as early as possible if other special circumstances arise for any proposed application. For example, questions may occur if similar applications are being submitted to multiple funding agencies (“Do I have to have separate reviews for the ‘same’ application that I’m sending to NIH and to a private foundation?”). Questions may also arise when the PI is in a different venue (“I’m a co-investigator for 15% effort on an application being submitted through the Department of Medicine where they have their own internal review process; do I need to submit the application to the Psychiatry RRC?”). Please email or call one of the RRC Chairs or Coordinators as early as possible when such issues do come up so that we can make an informed decision based on your specific circumstances.

Compliance with IRB and IACUC Requirements

Please note that prior to review for the protection of human and animal subjects, the University of Pittsburgh IRB and IACUC require written notification from the RRC that the proposal to be reviewed has been approved regarding scientific merit. Therefore, a copy of the RRC approval letter must accompany any submission to the IRB or IACUC. The approval letter may be scanned and entered into the OSIRIS system for electronic submissions used by the IRB.

Leadership and Staff