Undergraduate students from across Ireland apply for this scheme, which offers them a six to eight week-long paid scholarship to undertake their first research project. Each year we receive about 130 applications and we aim to fund about 50 percent of eligible applications.

The challenge

Up until 2022, the selection process was based around a panel review.  Each application was checked for eligibility by the HRB, and was then sent to two international panel reviewers, who conducted a written review and provided a final score based on the scheme assessment criteria.

Applications were ranked by score, and this ranking formed the basis of who was offered an award. With so many applications to assess, finding reviewers became a challenge.

We eventually asked ourselves:

“Given the high success rate, how can we efficiently select from this large pool of applications in an unbiased and transparent way, that is proportionate to the short length and small investment of around €3,000 of each scholarship?”  

The solution

During a thorough review of alternative funding selection approaches, randomisation caught our attention.

Independent peer-review is the cornerstone of HRB funding decision-making, so we considered this carefully. Having done our homework, the benefits of randomisation resonated with what we wanted to achieve. It is an efficient and transparent approach that helps to reduce bias, and it also injects some innovation and creativity into the mix. We were also aware of the potential pitfalls such as diluting the quality of applications or even reputational damage.

Weighing up the options, we concluded that for this particular scheme the benefits of randomisation can outweigh its risks if some careful steps are taken.

In order to tackle some of the common pitfalls we did an eligibility check to ensure:

  • the application was complete,
  • it was in line with the scope and aligned to HRB goals,
  • the  supervisor has appropriate qualifications and expertise to provide a good training experience, and 
  • the lead applicant was eligible.

Using this process 19 applications were deemed ineligible, which meant only 108 eligible applicants were entered into the randomisation process. To ensure transparency, we also had two external observers present for the randomisation process.

The outcome

So, on 19 February 2024, we selected our summer scholarships from the 108 eligible applicants using randomisation. The HRB team were joined by two external observers representing the HRB Host Institutions Research Officers Group to oversee the process. The presence of external observers from the research community was important to demonstrate transparency in the process.

Using dedicated software, in the blink of an eye, this list of successful scholarships was generated (and documented) from the list of eligible applications.

Reflecting on the process our independent observers commented;

“The invitation to observe this process was hugely valuable and provides reassurance around the transparency of the systems used at HRB. So much time and effort goes into every application for a summer scholarship that this transparency is critical to the applicant experience. The randomisation process was a highly efficient approach to selecting summer scholarship recipients.”

Some reflections

This randomisation approach can only be used in very specific situations and is not appropriate for most HRB research funding schemes, where independent review is paramount to maintaining quality and integrity. However, the summer scholarships, with their short duration, low cost, high success rate and minimal risk, present an ideal opportunity for experimentation.

It demonstrates the HRB’s commitment to innovation, fairness and transparency, and allows us to help undergraduates take their first steps into the world of health research.  In our view the randomisation process was a resounding success on the day. Watch this space.

If you have any questions or want more details about the HRB summer student scheme, or the randomisation process, feel free to get in touch. You can send your queries via email to e: summerscholars@hrb.ie