EViR Working and Interest Groups 

The collaborative work of the Forum has resulted in the establishment of several longer-term working groups: 

  • Pre-clinical Working Group to address the barriers the pre-clinical community faces towards the implementation of the GPs.  
  • Dissemination and Implementation (D&I) interest group to characterise current D&I practices, identify opportunities to improve collaborative efforts and set an agenda for future activities.  
  • Dissemination and implementation (D&I) interest group – This is a broader group established at the September 2019 conference and offers the opportunity to meet D&I peers from organisations around the world to address the issues raised at the 2019 D&I international survey.  
  • Stakeholder Engagement Working Group to assess the involvement of stakeholders in pre-award priority setting, types of stakeholders involved, and funder evaluation of stakeholder involvement in priority setting to improve their engagement. 
  • Self-audit Working Group to further improve the quality of research. A novel EViR Self-Audit Tool for funding organisations allows members to assess their current performance against the Guiding Principles and create action plans for improvement.  
  • Review and Evolution of the Guiding Principles Working Group to evaluate and revise the existing EViR Guiding Principles. The group’s primary objective is to ensure that the Guiding Principles remain relevant, effective, and aligned with the evolving needs and goals of the research landscape.
  • Sustainability Working Group to focus on advancing sustainable practices and initiatives. The group’s principal goal is to promote and integrate sustainability principles into our members’ operations and policies, and develop a more sustainable approach to research project delivery.
  • Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Working Group to promote, integrate and advance principles of equality, diversity and inclusion within funding organisation practices, policies, and decision-making processes.
  • Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC) Working Group to create effective methods of involving health-related research funders from low and middle-income countries in EViR activity, by establishing clear mechanisms for outreach and engagement.
  • Research on Research (RoR) Working Group to identify and address evidence gaps, key challenges and opportunities in healthcare research funding practices and EViR Guiding Principles.

Pre-clinical Working Group

The pre-clinical working group was created following the Washington EViR 2019 meeting where it was acknowledged that some of the EViR Guiding Principles might need further assessment for the pre-clinical field. A working group with members from funders that are involved in funding preclinical studies was therefore established. The differences between the clinical and preclinical fields in health research will be made transparent and discussed, which will lead to suggestions for how to deal with these differences in practice. 

A survey has been shared with both preclinical and clinical health research funders. The main goal of the study is to gather information on funders’ opinions and experience with the 10 Guiding Principles. The preclinical working group will use this information to get a better understanding of the initiatives currently in place, the different factors that could influence the implementation of the Guiding Principles for preclinical research and barriers to translation between preclinical and clinical research. 

Dissemination and Implementation (D&I) Working Group

The D&I working group was established to understand the gap that persists between evidence from research and its use in practice. The group aimed to understand the specific D&I activities and challenges of health research funders.

A survey was shared with health research funders in August 2018. The main goal of the study was to gather information on funders’ D&I practices. The D&I working group used the results of the survey to get a better understanding of the initiatives in place and funders’ level of effort in six practice areas: release of findings, dissemination, knowledge exchange/partnering, implementation, building capacity, and implementation research. 

The results of the survey were published in the Implementation Science Communications Journal in 2022 and indicated that dissemination and implementation of research findings is a priority, however, models of dissemination and implementation differ across organisations. 

Dissemination and Implementation Interest Group

The 2019 Dissemination and Implementation (D&I) survey indicated that dissemination and implementation of research findings is a priority, however, models of dissemination and implementation differ across organisations. The D&I interest group offers an opportunity for health research funders to collaborate, including sharing good practices, which will increase members’ D&I learning and knowledge development.

The D&I interest group was created following the first EViR conference in September 2020 and meets three times a year. D&I interest group members meet to discuss relevant common issues in a particular area as well as share and learn best practices from colleagues from organisations around the globe.  

D&I Interest Group meetings: 

2022 

2021 

Review and Evolution of the Guiding Principles Working Group

The Guiding Principles working group was created following the 2023 Spring EViR roundtable meeting, where it was acknowledged that some of the EViR Guiding Principles might need further assessment.

The working group consists of representatives from the membership with a wide breadth of remit and size. They convene to comprehensively assess the current Guiding Principles, considering the objectives and targets emphasised in the EViR Strategy Workplan.

The Guiding Principles Working Group plays a crucial role in ensuring that the EViR guiding principles remain relevant and effective. This enables the principles to keep promoting best practice in an evolving landscape.

Membership:

  • Anne Cody (HRB, Ireland) – Lead
  • Julie Simpson (CSO, Scotland)
  • Garry Aslanyan (ESSENCE/WHO, Switzerland)
  • Annemarie Penders (ZonMw, The Netherlands)
  • Dottie Goble (NIHR, UK)
  • Charlotte Coates (ScarFree Foundation, UK)
  • Michael Bowdery (Health and Care Research Wales, Wales)
  • Cristina Lujan Barroso (EViR, UK)

Sustainability Working Group

The working group was established after the 2023 Spring EViR roundtable meeting. It was recognised that EViR members do not have sufficient guidelines to incorporate sustainability into their research practices, and only a few funders have established a specific strategy or policy.

The group’s activities may include conducting sustainability assessments, analysing the membership’s current practices, and identifying areas where improvements can be made. They may also recommend sustainable practices that can be adopted to minimise environmental impact, conserve resources, and promote social well-being.

By championing sustainability within the EViR membership, the Sustainability Working Group plays an important role in driving positive change, reducing environmental impact, improving social responsibility, and contributing to a more sustainable future.

Membership:

  • Josie Jackson (Health and Care Research Wales, Wales) – Co-Lead
  • Ellie Monks (University of Southampton, UK) – Co-Lead
  • Sophia Lentzos (NIHR, UK)
  • Steven Smith (Fight for Sight, UK)
  • Stella Jacobson (Forte, Sweden)
  • Renata Klop (ZonMw, The Netherlands)

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Working Group

The working group was established after the 2023 Spring EViR roundtable meeting. The primary objective of this group is to create a more inclusive and equitable environment for all individuals in the health research landscape, regardless of their background, identity, or characteristics.

The EDI Working Group is working together to establish EViR’s stance on EDI and gain a deeper understanding of EDI activity, strategies, policies, and initiatives that promote an inclusive culture. The ultimate goal of the EDI working group is to create a unified perspective on EDI workforce matters.

Membership:

  • Lead tbc
  • Elise Radtke (Germany)
  • Annika Putz (Germany)
  • Dorothea Bayer-Kusch (Germany)
  • Sarah Delaney (HRCI, Ireland)
  • Violina Sarma (Health and Care Research Wales, Wales)
  • Michael Bowdery (Health and Care Research Wales, Wales)
  • Julie Simpson (CSO, Scotland)
  • Garry Aslanyan (ESSENCE/WHO, Switzerland)
  • Rosie Sturt (Fight for Sight, UK)
  • Robert Jabroer (ZonMw, The Nertherlands)
  • Sarah Moss (NIHR, UK)
  • Emma Hadfield-Hudson (NIHR, UK)

Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC) Working Group

The working group was established after the 2023 Spring EViR roundtable meeting. The working group aims to gain a thorough understanding of the various factors that drive, prioritise, and influence the activities of research funders in LMIC health and care.

The goal of the working group is to establish an open and welcoming membership environment. This involves promoting a collaborative culture where members share information and actively participate. By cultivating an open and receptive membership, EViR will be able to maximise the expertise of its members, facilitate knowledge exchange, and ultimately achieve its objective of improving health research practices and minimising waste in research.

Membership

  • Garry Aslanyan (ESSENCE/WHO, Switzerland) – Lead
  • Sarah Puddicombe (NIHR, UK)
  • Dottie Goble (NIHR, UK)

Research on Research (RoR) Working Group

The working group was established after the 2023 Spring EViR roundtable meeting. The working group aims to collaborate to review existing methodologies, map and analyse current activity and identify areas where improvements can be made.

By driving advancements and promoting evidence-based practices, the working group enhances funding practices’ validity, reliability, and impact. Ultimately, the group aims to increase awareness among funders regarding the current state of the RoR evidence-based and provide a better understanding of the associated needs and uncertainties in research funding practices.

Membership

  • Amanda Blatch-Jones (RoR, NIHR, UK) – Lead
  • James Wilsdon (RoRI, UK)
  • Wendy Reijmerink (ZonMw, The Netherlands)