Read the full SRI Evaluation Report

SRI Peer Reviewed Evaluation

The 2004 Special Research Initiatives represent CBCRP's first attempt to fund impactful program-driven research. In 2022, we embarked assessment of the short-, middle- and long-term outcomes that the initiatives have produced.

In 2022, CBCRP engaged the Rand Corporation to oversee an external peer review of the 2004 Special Research Initiatives. The peer reviewers were tasked with assessing the impact of the SRI, determining whether the overall aims were met, and assessing how information gained from SRI can be used to inform future initiatives. The peer reviewers were drawn from across the country and selected for their broad experience in the intiative topics.

Peer Review Committee Members:

Gwen Collman (chair), Senior Advisor, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Clement Adebamowo, Director for Global Health Cancer Research, University of Maryland School of Medicine
Dezheng Huo, Professor of Public Health and Medicine, University of Chicago
Sheila Johnson, Advocate, Young Survival Coalition
Lori Petitti, Advocate, Breast Cancer Care & Research Fund
Melissa Troester, Director - UNC Center for Environmental Health & Susceptibility, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health
Alexandra White, Environment and Cancer Epidemiology Group Head, National Institute of Enviromental Health Sciences

The committee drew their conclusions and recommendations based on their review of materials, two peer review committee meetings (see Attachments A and B for the slide decks from the two meetings), and discussion and feedback (see Attachment C for a slide deck with the discussion notes and other committee feedback).

They found that the goals and vision of the SRI program were met as demonstrated in three ways:

First, SRI nurtured and moved research and researchers in the direction of the topic areas.
Second, SRI-funded research projects continue to impact the scientific and other stakeholder communities.
Third, the volume of publications as well as the depth and breadth of the contributions cited show that the research findings, publications, and other products are timeless and still relevant years later in the current research environment.

They also found that SRI program-directed funding and structure allowed for leveraging targeted awards to fund research in the identified topic areas and that it is possible that this work wouldn’t have happened without the support of the SRI.

To view the data behind the report as well as all of the findings and conclusions, you can view a PowerPoint presentation of the panel's conclusions or read the full report.