Grant Review Criteria

 

The ICRG funds high-impact research destined for the world’s leading scientific journals and conferences. To ensure excellence, our independent peer-review panels evaluate every proposal using rigorous criteria adapted from the National Institutes of Health (NIH):

1. Strategic Impact: We prioritize research that breaks new, innovative ground.

• Does it matter? We look for projects that tackle critical barriers or solve significant problems in the field.
• Will it move the needle? Successful proposals must demonstrably advance scientific knowledge, clinical practice, or preventive interventions.
• Is it forward-thinking? We value innovative concepts that refine or replace outdated methodologies.

2. Rigor and Feasibility: Brilliant ideas must be backed by a flawless execution plan.

• Scientific Integrity: Is the methodology robust enough to yield reproducible results?
• Problem Solving: Are potential pitfalls identified and alternative strategies in place?
• Ethics: For clinical research, are human subject protections appropriate and justified?

3. Expertise and Environment: We invest in the people as much as the project.

• The Team: Are the investigators uniquely qualified, with clear leadership and complementary skills?
• The Infrastructure: Does the institutional environment provide the necessary equipment, resources, and collaborative support to guarantee success?

Peer Reviewers

The following scientists reviewed grants applications for the ICRG in 2024:

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Brian Borsari, PhD

Professor of Psychiatry

University of California-San Francisco Weill Institute for Neurosciences

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Bethany Bray, PhD

Associate Professor

Department of Medicine

University of Illinois at Chicago

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Luke Clark, PhD

Professor of Psychology

Director of the Centre for Gambling Research

University of British Columbia

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Heather Gray, PhD

Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School

Director of Academic Affairs at the Division on Addiction

Cambridge Health Alliance

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Joshua Grubbs, PhD

 Associate Professor

Bowling Green State University

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‍Scott Huettel, PhD

Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience

Bass Fellow

Professor of Neurobiology

Duke University

 

Debi LaPlante, PhD

Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

Director, Division on Addiction, Cambridge Health Alliance

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Matthew Martens, PhD

Associate Provost for Academic Programs

University of Missouri, Columbia

‍

Dipali Rinker, PhD

Assistant Professor

Behavioral Sciences and Population Health

American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine

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Paul Sacco, PhD

Associate Professor of Social Work

University of Maryland, Baltimore

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Nathan Smith, PhD

Executive Director

Kindbridge Research Institute

 

Krishna Vaddiparti, PhD

Assistant Professor of Epidemiology

University of Florida

 

Jeremiah Weinstock, PhD

Professor, Clinical Program

Department of Psychology

Saint Louis University

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ICRG Policy on Academic Integrity and Research Misconduct

“Research misconduct is defined as fabrication, falsification and plagiarism, and does not include honest error or differences of opinion.” (ORI 2005)

ICRG is committed to ensuring the academic integrity of all research funded with its grants. ICRG conducts multiple reviews of grant applications and related proposals every year. Peer reviewers who believe they have identified research misconduct in the form of fabrication, falsification or plagiarism are required to alert ICRG’s Senior Research Director immediately upon such concern. The allegation must not be discussed during peer review, and the reviewer making the allegation will be reminded of the ICRG policy on confidentiality. An application flagged for possible misconduct will still be put through the peer review process.

Within 30 days of being alerted to possible misconduct, the Senior Research Director will convene a meeting of the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) to discuss the allegation. The Senior Research Director will be required to assess any conflicts of interest within the SAB prior to the meeting.

Within 30 days of such meeting, the SAB will decide by at least a two-thirds/majority vote of all of its then members if the alleged misconduct should be reported to the grant applicant’s institutional office of research integrity. Alleged misconduct must be deemed egregious in the eyes of the SAB to be so reported. The Senior Research Director will then be solely responsible for any communications with the applicant’s institution on behalf of ICRG.

NIH Office of Scientific Integrity Definitions for purposes of this Policy: Fabrication: Making up data or results and recording or reporting them. Falsification: Manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or changing or omitting data or results such that the research is not accurately represented Plagiarism: The appropriation of another’s ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit

References:

Handling Misconduct | ORI – The Office of Research Integrity. (2005). The Office of Research Integrity. https://ori.hhs.gov/handling-misconduct

Eisner, R., & Vasgird, D. (2003). Responsible Conduct of Research : Research Misconduct. https://Ccnmtl.Columbia.Edu/Projects/Rcr/Rcr_misconduct/WinResources.Html.

Research Transparency Statement

The International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG) provides funding for scientific research using donations from commercial and tribal gaming companies, equipment manufacturers, vendors, ICRG Governing Board members, and the community at large. ICRG utilizes the following safeguards to ensure ethical and rigorous science: 

• A Scientific Advisory Board (SAB)
  1. The SAB sets research priorities, determines funding mechanisms, and makes final funding decisions without donor input (Cottler et al., 2016a)
  2. The SAB independently selects its own members—neither the ICRG Governing Board nor industry donors have any role in these appointments, and SAB members must declare any conflicts of interest with industry donors on an annual basis. 
  3. SAB members volunteer their time and are not financially compensated.  
  4. SAB members are prohibited from applying for, or participating in, ICRG grants.
• Firewall Between Donors and Researchers
  1. The ICRG Governing Board and donors do not participate in shaping research agendas, reviewing or selecting proposals for funding, or influencing publication decisions from funded research.
  2. Grantees maintain academic freedom to design, conduct, and publish their work without restriction or interference by ICRG, the Governing Board, donors, or the SAB.
• Rigorous Peer Review and Open Calls
  1. Calls for proposals are open to researchers worldwide, encouraging diverse perspectives, methods, and expertise.
  2. All proposals undergo a rigorous peer review process by independent experts (see https://www.icrg.org/information/our-process/). 
  3. Funding decisions reflect scientific merit (Cottler et al., 2016a).
• Transparency in Funding Acknowledgments
  1. ICRG grantees are required to acknowledge ICRG funding in publications as part of their funding agreement (Cottler et al., 2016b).
• Commitment to Open Science and Risk-of-Bias Monitoring
  1. ICRG encourages all funded researchers to adopt Open Science practices, including project pre-registration, data sharing (where ethical and feasible), and transparent reporting.
  2. We endorse the development of instruments to detect and mitigate funding-related bias.

By adhering to these guidelines, the ICRG strives to maintain a robust firewall between industry funding and the scientific process, upholding the highest standards of research integrity and accountability (Cottler et al., 2016a; 2016b).

References

• Cottler LB, Chung T, Hodgins DC, Jorgensen M, Miele G. (2016a). The NCRG Firewall Works. Addiction.

• Cottler LB, Chung T, Hodgins DC, Jorgensen M, Miele G. (2016b). Correcting the record on NCRG-funded research. Addiction.