WPIC Research Committee

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. WPIC Research Committee Policy Statement
    
2. Review Within Research Clusters
    
3. Psychiatry Research Clusters and Members
    
4. Cover Sheet for Grant Proposals: 
   PDF Document Word Document
    
5. WPIC Research Committee Cluster Transmission Form: 
   PDF Document Word Document
    
6. WPIC Research Committee Rating Form: 
   PDF Document Word Document

If you have any questions please contact Sandy Piccolino - Research Committee - 412-246-5067; FAX: 412-246-5070

Policy Statement: The WPIC Research Committee

The Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, strives to enhance the scientific quality of research proposals, heighten the scholarship, and promote collegial spirit among faculty members. The major function of the Research Committee is to ensure that research proposals prepared by investigators affiliated with the department reflect rigorous adherence to high scientific and ethical standards. Prior to submission to funding agencies or initiation of internally supported research, the Committee reviews and evaluates the scientific and technical merits of all research proposals planned by faculty or staff of the department, collaborating faculty from outside the department, fellows, and students who have a major role in the study. In addition, the Committee serves as a preliminary screen for issues concerning potential risks and benefits to human subjects and the welfare of animal subjects. Reviews are accomplished either through direct submission to the Research Committee or through a Research Cluster if the faculty member is affiliated with a cluster.

To initiate a formal review by the Research Committee, the Principal Investigator (PI) submits electronically the detailed research or training proposal to Sandy Piccolino at piccolinosl@upmc.edu one month prior to the external agency submission due date.  A cover sheet is available on this web page and must accompany the proposal submitted to the Committee.  The cover sheet will allow the PI to name competent potential reviewers.   Three reviewers are selected by the Chairperson (J. Richard Jennings, Ph.D.) or Co-Chairperson (Lisa A. Morrow, Ph.D.) to evaluate a proposal.  The PI may also recruit reviewers him/herself and notify the Committee of this but the Committee will supervise the review and possibly add reviewers.   Reviewers are asked to return a substantive critique and a statement on the acceptability of the various components of the proposal to the Committee Chairperson within three to five working days.  Reviewers may also discuss their concerns and suggestions directly with the PI whenever possible.  Reviewers may, however, request to remain anonymous, and this request is respected.

If the proposal is a revision and an external review critique (pink sheets) is available, a copy of the critique must be included and the investigator must highlight in the revised application the specific changes that have been made. When major portions of the application are substantially altered, a re-review will be undertaken. Otherwise, an "expedited review" by the Committee Chairperson or one Committee member may suffice.

The Committee Chairperson reviews the comments and relays the outcome directly to the investigator. The Chairperson delivers an electronic statement on the "submission readiness" of the proposal to the WPIC Office of Grants and Contracts so that the budget may be released. When all necessary revisions have been made, the PI may go forward with submission to the external agency.

It should be noted that prior to review for the protection of human and animal subjects, the University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences IRB and the IACUC require written notification from the Chairperson of the Research Committee that the proposal to be reviewed by the IRB has been approved by the WPIC Research Committee regarding scientific merit. In other words, a copy of the WPIC Research Committee approval letter must accompany any submission to the IRB or IACUC.  This approval letter should be scanned and entered into OSIRIS for the IRB.

Review Within Research Clusters

The Department of Psychiatry has developed a system of Research Clusters to provide a collegial administrative unit for the purpose of facilitating collaborative research and optimizing resource use. A research review process within each cluster has been developed. Ideally, research ideas would grow out of interactions among cluster members. Research proposals would then be critiqued within the cluster at various stages of development, e.g., initial idea, protocol development, first draft, final draft. Cluster leaders are empowered to approve research proposals that have survived this critical process or some variant of this process. Proposals which do not go through a version of such a process are reviewed by the central Research Committee. Individual clusters are developing review procedures; each cluster has slightly different procedures that are still evolving. If you are interested in cluster review please see cluster list below for the cluster most relevant. You should contact the cluster leader about participation in the cluster and about cluster procedures.

A cluster review is completed when the Cluster Transmission Form (See #5) is sent to the Research Committee by a cluster leader. The Research Committee Chair upon receipt of the form executes a formal approval of the proposal (or if requested assists in further review of the proposal). An ongoing Cluster Review may be completed as late as one week prior to submission date. In cases which further review is requested, however, the Cluster Transmission Form should be received at least 3 weeks prior to the submission date permitting time for both further critique and response to that critique. The Cluster Transmission Form and proposal must be sent electronically to Sandy Piccolino at piccolinosl@upmc.edu.

Psychiatry Research Clusters and Members

J. Richard Jennings, Ph.D., Research Committee Chairman - 412-246-6220

Lisa A. Morrow, Ph.D., Research Committee Co-Chairman - 412-246-6378

Sandy Piccolino, Research Committee Secretary - 412-246-5067

Schizophrenia

David Lewis, M.D. - 412-624-3934; FAX: 412-624-9910

Vishwajit Nimgaonkar, M.D., Ph.D. - 412-246-6353

Behavioral Medicine

Karen Matthews, Ph.D. - 412-246-5964; FAX: 412-246-5333

Affective Disorders

Ellen Frank, Ph.D. - 412-246-5550; FAX: 412-246-5530

Gerontology

Charles F. Reynolds, M.D. - 412-246-6414; FAX: 412-246-5300

Child and Adolescent

David Brent, M.D. - 412-246-5596; FAX: 412-246-5344

Neal Ryan, M.D. - 412-246-5873; FAX: 412-246-5880

Substance Abuse

Nancy Day, Ph.D. - 412-681-3482; FAX: 412-246-6875

Pharmaceutical

Andrea Fagiolini, M.D. - 412-246-5588