Taking Action – Case Studies in NIH Peer Review Integrity

A series to raise awareness and inspire creative problem solving of the challenges in maintaining integrity in peer review

The NIH defines a breach of review integrity as any violation of a core value of NIH peer review. Review integrity concerns not only compromise our NIH peer review process but also raise other questions and potential concerns, including about an individual's authority and responsibility as a designated PI on NIH applications and awards. Moreover, review integrity concerns lead to concerns that  the relevant institution(s) may not be fully cognizant of their responsibilities and of the potential consequences  of integrity breaches, which are leading to violations of the terms and conditions of their NIH awards.  When the core values of peer review are compromised, funding decisions may be based on improper or inaccurate information; proprietary information may be compromised; the public may lose trust in science; and patients in clinical studies may be harmed. 

Learn more about Integrity and Confidentiality in Peer Review (including this NIH Guide Notice).

Case Studies

The following cases are anonymized, but based on real events.

Case Study in Review Integrity – The Seminar Trip

Case Study in peer Review - The Stealth Grant Writer

An NIH peer reviewer was approached by a well-known professional grant writing service to assist a client in preparing an NIH grant application. The service advertised phenomenal success in securing NIH funding for its clients. What would you do?

Case Study: Sharing an Application Being Reviewed

Sharing an application with anyone who has not been officially designated to participate in the peer review process is a big no-no. And it is specifically prohibitedby NIH peer review policy.

Review Integrity - Abuse of Power: A Case Study

What would you do if, as the Dean of Research at a major university, a group of students, postdocs, and junior faculty reported that they hadbeen pressured into writing reviewer critiques for a senior faculty member?

Embellished Credentials in a Grant Application: A Case Study

What happens when the NIH discovers that an investigator has embellished his or her credentials in an NIH grant application? Or even fabricated credentials?

Undisclosed Conflict of Interest: A Case Study

What happens when it is discovered that one of the reviewers currently set to review an application, had been listed as one of the key personnel on an application with the same PI in another, recent study section?

Asking for Favorable Treatment: A Case Study

What happens when a former colleague contacts you, a reviewer, out of the blue to ask if the application on which he is a principal investigator could be treated favorably at the review meeting? Do you brush off the investigator and figure you will not let the contact influence your review of that application? Or do you instead immediately notify NIH?