Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP) consumer advocate Eileen Rubin recently participated in the evaluation of research applications submitted to the PRMRP sponsored by the Department of Defense. Eileen Rubin was nominated for participation in the program by ARDS Foundation, Northbrook, Illinois.As a consumer reviewer, Eileen was a full voting member (along with prominent scientists) at meetings to help determine how the $330 million appropriated by Congress for Fiscal Year 2018 will be spent on PRMRP research.
Consumer reviewers are asked to represent the collective view of patients by preparing comments on the impact of the research on issues such as diagnosis, treatment, and quality of life for a broad range of topic areas. When commenting on serving as a consumer reviewer, Eileen said that, “participating in the evaluation of research applications for the Department of Defense allowed the important patient perspective to be fully considered when determining how funds will be appropriated for important medical research.”
Consumer advocates and scientists have worked together in this unique partnership to evaluate the scientific merit of research applications since FY99. Colonel Stephen J. Dalal, Director of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, expressed his appreciation for the consumer advocate’s perspective during the scientific review sessions. “Consumer advocates are an integral part of the CDMRP’s scientific review process. They provide a key ingredient to the review process, the patient’s perspective, which is real and urgent. The collaboration of Consumer advocates alongside the scientists’ subject matter expertise is a truly unique collaboration that is difficult to find in most medical research programs.”
Scientists applying propose to conduct innovative research hat has the potential to profoundly impact the development and implementation of medical devices, drugs, and clinical guidance that will enhance the precision and efficacy of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment across a wide range of disciplines. The PRMRP fills important gaps not addressed by other funding agencies by supporting groundbreaking, high-risk, high-gain research while encouraging out-of-the-box thinking.
More information about the DOD’s PRMRP is available at the website: http://cdmrp.army.mil/prmrp/default.
