Expert Review Audit FAQs

Below you can find FAQs on:

Access
Completion
Funding processes
Long-term funding
Review and outcome

Access:

Q – Where can I go if I’m having trouble accessing the SurveyMonkey link or the PDF/Word document?

Please email [email protected] and the team will get back to you with the links.

Completion:

Q – What do I do if I’m unable to complete the audit in the given timeframe due to being on leave or competing priorities?

Completion of the Expert Review Audit is a requirement of AMRC membership, please arrange with colleagues who may be able to complete this on behalf of your organisation in your place, or delegate tasks where possible. In exceptional circumstances, please get in touch with us at [email protected] and we will provide assistance.

Q – The audit process is new to me and my team, where do we go for assistance?

As a first port of call we suggest that you watch our two webinars which provide further information on what to expect from the audit; please contact [email protected] for links to the recordings and slides. Secondly, we recommend that you read through the questions on the word or PDF versions of the survey before attempting to submit your answers. You can also check our Expert Review webpages and our summary of definitions. We also have definitions of different types of expert review. If you need further help, please contact us at [email protected]

Q – For open text box questions, do you have any sample responses that are acceptable or unacceptable so we can see the level of detail that you will need?

We haven’t given word limits or template answers as we are aware that every charity operates in a different way and processes may vary significantly. Questions are open ended to allow you to answer in your own manner, but we have provided prompts for each question to guide your response. Please use these prompts to give you an idea of what type of information and detail is expected.

Q – When is an open text box answer required when following on from a tick box question?

If a tick box answer requires further explanation via an open text box response, the question will have the wording “if yes…” or “if no…” On SurveyMonkey, the open text box will appear automatically depending on your answer.

Please note that the word and PDF copies of the survey mistakenly indicate that an open text answer is required for Section 3, Question 4 and Principle 6, Question 10. These questions do not require an open text answer.

We encourage you to provide extra information where you think your processes need further clarification, you would like feedback on the processes, or if you think it is an example of best practise that you’d like to highlight. Please make use of the questions at the end of each section which start with “Is there anything else you would like to tell us...” to provide information that you feel has not been captured elsewhere.

Q – A mandatory question is not applicable to my charity

If you have processes or policies in place that means a mandatory question is not applicable to you, please answer with how you would respond if the scenario were to arise. Then, provide further details in the questions at the end of each section which start with “Is there anything else you would like to tell us...” to provide information that you feel has not been captured elsewhere.

Funding processes:

Q – We don’t currently have any active grants and/ or haven’t funded any new research in the last year, what information do we provide?

The Expert Review Audit is designed to assess the current processes you have in place for when you do open a new grant call or fund new research. We are not reviewing your grant portfolio, rather how you award them. Please provide details on your existing grant making policies when responding to the Audit.

Q – We are currently updating our research funding processes, how do we answer questions relating to items that are in flux?

Please describe processes as they currently stand. If you are working on changing any elements of your process, please give details of the changes, and why and indicate when you anticipate they will be implemented.

Q – What if my processes are not in line with the AMRC requirements?

If the Expert Audit Review exercise finds that your processes are no longer compliant with our guidelines and principles, we will work with you to explain what changes are needed and will support you whilst you make the necessary alterations.

Do remember that all member processes are checked when a charity becomes an AMRC full member and AMRC has communicated the changes in our requirements on an ongoing basis since the guidance was reviewed and updated. The Expert Review Audit is designed to review and check compliance, ensure you are up to date with the latest practices in research funding and to offer an opportunity for you to showcase best practice.

Long-term funding:

Q- Who needs to complete the long-term review section

Member charities who award any research grant of any type with a duration longer than 5 years. Grants of 5 years duration or less are not included.

Q- We only fund over the long term, how should we answer the survey?

Please complete the whole survey and where necessary, provide extra detail in the question that starts with “Is there anything else you would like to tell us...”

Q- How long does a grant have to be for, to be classified as long term?

A grant has to be for a duration of more than 5 years. Grants of 5 years duration or less are not classified as long term. Please use our flow chart to self-assess your charity’s responsibilities under long-term review.

Q- We didn’t intend to have the grant go on for longer than 5 years, but due to unforeseen circumstance, it has done, does this count as long term funding?

If the grant was originally awarded for 5 or less years and an extension was provided which takes the duration of the grant to more than 5 years, where the extension provided is costed the long-term review section of the audit survey must be filled out. Where the extension was a no cost extension the long-term section does not need to be completed.

Review and outcome:

Q – How will the overall judgement be made about my charity’s compliance with AMRC requirements?

Applications will be checked for completeness by the AMRC team. Any missing or ambiguous information will be requested prior to submission to the Audit Committee.

The Audit Committee is made up of 20 panel members working in Senior Research Funding roles and an independent chair. The committee is made up of two representatives from external UK public funding organisations, and 18 representatives from AMRC member charities.

Each application will be reviewed in depth by two panel members, and all panel members will have access to all applications in line with conflict of interest and confidentiality policies.

Panel members carrying out in depth review are required to score the applications based on the responses given in the form. A summary of the scores, and any areas of divergence between the panel members will be shared with the full panel (in line with conflicts of interest and confidentiality policies) prior to an assessment panel meeting.

At the assessment panel meeting each submission will be discussed and the panel will agree their final recommendations.

Q – How do you plan to showcase the outcomes of the audit? Will it be segmented for case studies or showcases?

Answers received in the Expert Review Audit will be anonymised, grouped and general trends will be shared to help us to identify areas for AMRC activity and champion the vital role of charities in medical research. Identifiable reference to any charity in written outputs would be checked with the charity prior to publication. We may also contact specific individual contributors to ask you to share your examples via AMRC training courses and networks, or to feature in reports.