Evaluation Process

The selection procedure follows the highest international standards in terms of fairness, transparency, impartiality, consistency, and independence to identify the best research project irrespective of gender, age, beliefs or nationality of the PI.

 Evaluation Process 
 
The selection is based on a two-step evaluation procedure performed by an International Panel of experts.

The Panel is composed of international high-level experts working outside Belgium with different profiles to ensure a broad coverage of the scientific spectrum pertaining to human neurological disorders.

The Panel is gender-balanced, independent and composed of 7 members with broad geographical coverage. Its composition will be disclosed after the Award ceremony.

Each Panel member will sign a non-disclosure and a data protection agreement as well as a non-conflict of interest form. Their evaluation will be anonymised.

Panel members will be acting as:

Prior to the Panel meeting, each application will be remotely scored and commented by 2 rapporteurs and read by the 5 other members.

The remote evaluation is performed in a simple blind mode (i.e., the experts will know the identity of applicants but not the other Panel members’ identity).

The FNRS administration will merge all scores and comments in a consolidated scores sheet.

During the Panel meeting each application will be introduced by their rapporteurs and collegially discussed during a tour de table with a double objective of identifying a laureate and drafting Evaluation Summary Reports.

The Panel takes its decision preferably via consensus or, if it cannot be reached, via a simple majority vote of attending members, each experts having one vote.

An observer from the “Simone & Pierre Clerdent Foundation” with no voting rights may attend the Panel meeting.

All applicants will receive feedback on the evaluation of their application under the format of an Evaluation Summary Report (ESR).

The ESRs will be drafted by the rapporteurs on basis of their comments and the Panel discussions. All ESR will be anonymised and validated by the Chair of the Panel. They will contain comments on the strengths and weaknesses of the research project as well as a global comment with no reference to score nor ranking.

No redress procedure is foreseen.

The laureate will be contacted by the “Simone & Pierre Clerdent Foundation”, but his/her identity will remain confidential until the Award ceremony.

 Evaluation Criteria
 

The evaluation of applications will be made using the following evaluation criteria:

The scoring will be made using the following scale ranging from A+ to C:

A+: exceptional, A: excellent. A-: very good, B+: good, B: average, B-: weak, C: insufficient.

These scores may be translated into percentages and will range from 100% to 70%.

The Award will be granted by the Steering Committee of the “Simone & Pierre Clerdent Foundation” on basis of the recommendation of the international Panel.

Research integrity is of utmost importance. All experts involved in the evaluation process will be notified and asked to pay specific attention to scientific misconduct such as fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, or misrepresentation of data. The evaluation of the mid-term report will also be an opportunity to check on it.

Funded researchers are expected to strictly comply to all institutional rules and regulations that apply in terms of research integrity. In case of integrity breach suspicion or allegation, the “Simone & Pierre Clerdent Foundation” will take appropriate measures.

The scientific outputs stemming from research supported by the Scientific Award in Human Neurological Disorders should be valorised to maximise societal benefits. 

To this end the “Simone & Pierre Clerdent Foundation” supports the publication in Open Access, with a preference for the deposit requirement of publications resulting from the funded project (Green Open access).  

The facilitation of the free access to these research outputs not only aims at the benefit of the scientific community but is also meant to increase both national and international visibility of the researchers.

Research projects may require prior consideration of ethical problems that might arise or that are inherent to the submitted research project. The possible ethical problems may relate to the use and storage of private data, the handling of substances that may cause environmental or biodiversity damage and the research on animals or human beings (non-exhaustive list).

It will be the responsibility of the laureate of the Award to submit an ethical clearance provided by their local ethics committee to the “Simone & Pierre Clerdent Foundation” (if the project raises any ethical issues). This process is aimed at ensuring that all the research and innovation activities under this Award comply with ethics principles and relevant national and international legislation.