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Guidelines Governing Membership of Selection Committees and Panels
The following criteria and guidelines govern the appointment of
members of NSERC selection committees and panels. These guidelines
were approved by the three program standing committees (Committee
on Scholarships and Fellowships, Committee on Research Grants and
Committee on Research Partnerships) and presented to NSERC's Council
at its June 2001 meeting.
Composition
In order to perform its task efficiently and equitably, each selection
committee or panel must represent diversified expertise in the areas
of research covered by the committee or panel and have good judgement
and a broad knowledge of the areas, including new and emerging ones
that are often at the frontier between disciplines, and an ability
to assess the potential contribution of the proposals against the
objectives of the program.
Selection committees and panels are peer based. Although the majority
of panel members are drawn from Canadian universities, committees
and panels should include research managers, experienced practitioners
(those with hands-on experience) and researchers from industry,
government laboratories and/or foreign institutions. Recently retired
individuals who remain very active in research are potential members.
Members from the private and public sectors provide an important
perspective in the assessment of applications. Their participation
in the review process can enhance awareness and appreciation of
the value of applied research and the potential for application
of basic concepts to technology transfer or, where appropriate,
commercialisation. Members from the private and public sectors can
offer an understanding of the potential exploitation of research
results in commercial operations.
Members from outside the Canadian university system provide valuable
contributions and help bring fresh ideas to the process. This is
particularly important in relatively small disciplines, or in areas
where Canadian expertise is concentrated in only a few institutions.
In addition to bringing an international perspective, foreign members
bring with them valuable experience with other peer review systems
and research communities.
Although each committee or panel should be representative of the
community it serves, members should not be considered representatives
of their university, industry or government department.
Potential members include accomplished researchers, new scientists
and engineers from all sectors and all universities, large or small.
Members need not be NSERC grantees. Scholarships selection committees
should also include postdoctoral fellows.
Because of the diversity of the population of Canada and of the
research community, other factors need to be taken into account
to ensure equitable representation of various groups. For example,
both women and men should participate in the selection process,
the various fields of research under the purview of a committee
must be adequately represented over time, the different regions
of Canada must participate fully in the selection process and each
committee must be able to assess applications in Canada's two official
languages.
Membership Dynamics
To maintain a certain stability in membership while providing a
mechanism for membership renewal, NSERC has established a rotation
pattern based on three-year terms for committee and panel members.
These terms represent an appropriate balance between giving members
time to become familiar with policies and procedures and time to
deal with the workload. Three-year terms also address the need for
renewal, so that it is not always the same people involved in the
review process. Inasmuch as possible, one third of the membership
should be replaced each year.
Roles and Responsibilities for Appointments
Selection committee and panel members are appointed by the Corporate
Secretary to Council, upon co-approved by the appropriate Director
and/or Vise-President. In developing recommendations, Program
Officers, in consultation with Team Leaders and/or the Director:
- review nominations from the universities, professional and learned
societies and the committees or panels themselves;
- consult the selection committees and panels (including the incoming
Chair) on their perceived needs for the short and medium term
and on the suitability of nominations received; and
- consult advisors, including the Chair of the Committee on Research
Partnerships, to seek references on the suitability of nominees.
The committee and panel chairs are appointed by NSERC, generally
from the continuing members of the committee or panel.
Guidelines for Nominators, Panels and NSERC Staff
It is essential that committees and panels examine trends in research
and lend special consideration to planning their expertise requirements
for the next three years, noting particular pressures, or changes
in direction of research; it is important to recommend the appointment
of new members to cover new or priority areas. One-for-one replacement
is not always appropriate.
Prime considerations in the renewal of membership are the nominees'
stature in the research community, their areas of expertise and
breadth of interest, their good judgement and their ability to work
on a committee or panel. In addition to the requirements of competency
and being representative of the community the committee or panel
serves, the following guidelines are taken into account in considering
nominees:
- Each committee or panel must have the capability to review
applications in Canada's two official languages. In addition to
recruiting a minimum of two members whose first official language
is French, committees should have as many bilingual members as
possible.
- Each committee or panel should reflect the gender balance of
the community it represents and, if possible, include a minimum
of two women and two men.
- The extension of a term for one additional year may be accepted
in exceptional circumstances, for example in situations where
a disproportionately high turnover of membership occurs.
- Individuals who have previously served on a selection committee
or panel may be re-appointed to that same committee or panel to
ensure the necessary stature or to satisfy other guidelines. However,
a minimum of four years should elapse before re-appointment.
- Consecutive representation from a given institution should
be avoided. Exceptions may occur if there is a concentration of
excellent researchers in a few large departments or if other guidelines
cannot otherwise be satisfied.
- Except in unusual circumstances (e.g. when a member moves or
areas of research are rearranged between panels), the simultaneous
membership of two persons from the same university on a committee
or panel is not permitted. Because of conflict of interest guidelines
that preclude members from being involved in the review of applications
from their own institution, the committee or panel would be short
two members when applications from that institution are reviewed.
- Individuals from the university sector whose duties include
fund-raising for research and co-ordination of research contracts
or the selection of PGS applications submitted to NSERC cannot
be considered for membership on a selection committee or panel,
as their functions put them in the position of a real or perceived
conflict of interest. These groups include Research Grants Officers,
Directors of Research Offices and Vice-Presidents (Research) for
grants selection committees and panels, and Scholarships Liaison
Officers and Deans of Graduate Studies for scholarships and fellowships
committees. Such individuals may, however, be considered for appointment
to NSERC standing committees, where the principal function is
policy development.
- Members should be drawn from the various regions of the country
and from large and small institutions.
- Representation from outside the Canadian academic community
is important. This includes the Canadian public and private sectors,
and also researchers from foreign institutions. Committees and
panels should have at least one person from an institution other
than a Canadian university. Canadians or ex-Canadians working
abroad are generally valuable participants in the NSERC peer review
system. The balance of university, private and public sector members
changes from committee to committee or panel to panel and reflects
the nature of the fields covered by each committee or panel, or
the need for consideration of the application of research results.
Some committees or panels will require a larger representation
from outside the academic sector than others.
Recommendations not consistent with the guidelines, as well as
recommendations for a change in the size of the committee or panel,
must be fully documented.
NOTE: Committee or panel members who find themselves in the
position of having to respond to formal allegations of financial
or professional impropriety will not participate in the work of
the committee while an investigation is under way.
NSERC
revised 2001-05
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