Research, Reviews & Evaluations

When a federal, state or private research funding organization disseminates scientific information or awards grants, it is critical that the proposed information be scientifically feasible and have verifiable technical merit. Through a customizable peer review process using an external network of industry-specific experts, ORAU is helping agencies and other organizations make informed decisions about the quality and value of the science they pursue.

Expert Network & Recruiting

We maintain a proprietary network of more than 18,000 global subject matter experts and access to numerous other expert databases. Contact us at peerreview@orau.org to connect to the right experts or for help recruiting subject matter experts.

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Peer Review

ORAU brings decades of experience in scientific peer review and merit review for agencies and organizations of all sizes.

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Program Assessment & Evaluation

ORAU has experience evaluating national and international, single-site and multi-site STEM-focused programs and focuses on evaluating federally-funded programs, processes and services at national laboratories and universities.

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Research Services

ORAU’s team of researchers and information scientists bring many decades of experience to your research problem, and can conduct research on your behalf that gets to the real need behind the request and compiles the right information from the right sources.

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STEM Evaluation Repository

The collaborative STEM Evaluation Repository is an interface for searching, sorting, filtering and displaying listings related to the evaluation of STEM education and workforce development initiatives.

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Peer Review Practice

Over the course of more than 30 years of planning, organizing and executing peer reviews, merit reviews and similar kinds of scholarly reviews, ORAU's team of peer review professionals have developed a deep understanding of the many facets of the peer review process. With Peer Review Practice we are putting the best of the lessons learned and insights gained into a collection of resources intended to help other peer review professionals benefit from our experience.

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What we offer

Plan and host in-person and virtual peer reviews
Manage peer reviews using ORAU’s PeerNetor customer’s online review or grants management system
Identify leading experts in any academic or professional discipline
Recruit the best-qualified experts to participate in peer reviews and program evaluations
Manage all travel, honoraria and other arrangements for the expert panel

Design and plan customized evaluations
Conduct research using databases, internet sources, publications and interviews
Conduct comprehensive formative and summative annual evaluations for STEM-related programs
Perform longitudinal evaluations of STEM workforce development programs
Collaborate to provide a repository for searching and displaying listings related to the evaluation of STEM education and workforce development initiatives

Peer Review Practice: A resource library for professionals involved in peer review

Over the course of more than 30 years of planning, organizing and executing peer reviews, merit reviews and similar kinds of scholarly reviews, ORAU's team of peer review professionals have developed a deep understanding of the many facets of the peer review process. Through Peer Review Practice, we are putting the best of the lessons learned and insights on peer review into a collection of resources intended to help other peer review professionals benefit from our experience.

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Peer review helps research funding agencies get the most value for their dollars

Peer review and evaluation is the unsung hero of the research funding and proposal evaluation process, yet it is critically important to ensuring available research dollars are spent wisely. Find out why maintaining integrity is critical part of the peer review process.

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Perspective: Integrity in Science

Avoiding conflict of interest, preventing plagiarism, ensuring diversity of thought and avoiding implicit bias are important issues that have to be addressed in every peer review. In the end, avoiding or preventing these issues not only makes for a better review, it makes for better science.

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Prompt peer review leads to funded research for Florida public health crisis

The Florida Department of Health asked ORAU to develop a peer review process on an accelerated timeline to evaluate and recommend funding for research projects to address the state’s Zika virus public health crisis. ORAU responded by providing the Department of Health with an efficient, virtual peer review process that included a system to accept proposals and an administrative review of proposals by international subject matter experts.

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