Thread by @FZMarques

Let's talk about giving and receiving #feedback

A 🧵about my experience as a peer-reviewer as well as an applicant for the #NHMRC IG scheme

1/

As a reviewer, this is the first year of the #NHMRC IG scheme that we were allowed to give feedback

Why feedback is important? Because for the ~85% who missed out, feedback gives them at least a learning opportunity (or at least it should)

2/

As reviewers, we know if score someone a 5 or less, the chances they will secure a highly competitive grant is significantly reduced

The minimum we can do is to provide them with outstanding feedback

As @BreneBrown says "clear is kind, unclear is unkind"

3/

I follow these rules for clear and kind #feedback:

1- Feedback needs to be specific and actionable - the applicant needs to know what went wrong & where to improve

2- Feedback needs to be kind - it is a person on the other side of the screen reading it

4/

In her 'Engaged Feedback' checklist, @BreneBrown says: "I’m ready to acknowledge what you do well instead of picking apart your mistakes"

This fulfils my second point, it gives people some support that they are on the right path

daretolead.brenebrown.com/wp-content/upl…

5/

Yes, it is possible to give hard but constructive feedback in a nice way

It just takes TIME

Time most of us don't have when reviewing grants

So if you accept a role as a peer-reviewer it is your DUTY to allocate appropriate time for that

Otherwise, please say no

6/

I wrote so much feedback about the applications I reviewed, the text was over the 100-1000 characters allowed and I had to re-write it

I was devastated trying to make a decision between the positive & the critical feedback I wanted applicants to receive

It is a fine balance

7/

And I acknowledge that for those on the receiving end it was probably still difficult to read

Most of us spent months working on our applications

The feeling of personal rejection is real, I know

I wish there was more $ into the system to support more people

8/

Now let me tell you my experience as an unsuccessful applicant...

All I received from Reviewer #1 was that they thought I should have applied to a different level (one sentence, 116 characters!)

Other reviewers were more generous but still not much I could use to improve

9/

#NHMRC does not moderate comments & relies on the expert peer-reviewers to comply with the guidelines so that the process is fair to all

The issue goes back to reviewers being time-poor, guidelines being unclear, & training being unavailable
This makes peer-review unreliable
10/

So what we as a community could do to improve #feedback?

1- If you don't have time to give proper feedback please say NO to peer-reviewing grants
2- Take time & train to give proper feedback
3- #NHMRC please give clearer guidelines & bring panels back to keep all accountable
11/

.@DrShaneRRR thoughts on feedback:

"Feedback (...) is a skill area where we are never taught any type of structure. We assume people can just do it — (...), we assume people know what to ask for & that those they ask will be well skilled to provide."

medium.com/@DrShaneRRR/th…
12/

.@DrShaneRRR: "We do not learn how to [give feedback] & so it’s very uncommon for a person to be able to perform what is a high skill task without any training"

Without compulsory training & accountability (eg panels, moderated comments), feedback should not be given

/13

Also let's talk about what feedback is not... and that is to make the peer-reviewer comfortable, to justify their score. Feedback should be there to improve the applicant's work & improve science

medium.com/@DrShaneRRR/th…

14/