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

ORAU can identify and recruit experts in any academic or professional discipline for peer reviews and program evaluations.

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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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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 human 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

Supporting pediatric cancer research in Florida through Bella’s gift

The Florida Department of Health turned to ORAU to help in quickly getting a new research grant initiative off the ground. Live Like Bella is now one of four biomedical peer review programs managed by ORAU, yet it stands as the only program that focuses on pediatric cancer research.

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Florida’s Zika crisis supported by ORAU's peer review experts

The Florida Department of Health asked ORAU to develop a peer review process to evaluate and recommend funding for additional Zika-related research projects. 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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