Manage the Information
Managing an independent and objective peer review program requires expert knowledge and meticulous planning. Timeliness is key and the experts of Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) work tirelessly from start to finish to meet your needs throughout the entire peer review process.
With the help of our award-winning review database, PeerNet (Proposal Evaluation and Electronic Review Network), we provide a solid, structured review process that facilitates immediate output when you need feedback on a strict time schedule.
Unique to ORAU, PeerNet is a Web-based system for entering peer review scores and comments. PeerNet can be used to collect and report any evaluation data from multiple reviewers using common criteria and scoring methods.
Meeting your needs efficiently and effectively is our top priority. PeerNet significantly streamlines collecting, tabulating, and reporting evaluative comments and/or scores for peer reviews. The system was created to expedite the process of collecting preliminary comments and funding recommendations from reviewers throughout the U.S. and other countries.
Winner of the Vice President's Hammer Award in 1997 for its contribution to automating the federal grants process, PeerNet provides a secure method to:
- Electronically distribute research proposals to reviewers.
- Collect reviewer comments and ratings on proposals.
- Report the evaluations assigned to proposals by reviewers.
Because we own the copyright to PeerNet, we are able to provide an in-house IT infrastructure that has allowed us to achieve a 99.88% up-time rate for the PeerNet system in FY06. To ensure PeerNet meets or exceeds the expectations of our customers, we also regularly seek ways to enhance the PeerNet system to allow optimum performance for reviewers and customers.
Key characteristics of PeerNet include:
- Security - PeerNet has a proven record of success meeting governmental cybersecurity requirements. Reviewers only access their own evaluations and access is automatically terminated when they have completed their final evaluations.
- Easy to Use - PeerNet is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week from any computer with Internet access. There are no hardware requirements for using the system and the program features a straightforward interface that enhances the positive experience of reviewers, allowing them to concentrate on providing a comprehensive technical evaluation. Customers can quickly and easily track review progress.
- Flexibility - PeerNet was designed to easily collect, tabulate, and report evaluative comments and/or scores from multiple reviewers with common criteria. PeerNet's flexibility ensures that the scoring for each review consistently meets each customer's policies.
- Produces Immediate Reports - PeerNet is a database. Any data in the system can be produced in a report, either on screen or in print. ORAU administrators routinely monitor the status of the review and troubleshoot as needed to ensure timely and comprehensive evaluations. Our experience with peer reviews has allowed us to develop standard reports for commonly used data.