The European Genetics Foundation ( www.eurogene.org ), Telethon Italia ( www.telethon.it ), the PROGEN Consortium (www.consorzioprogen.it) and the University of Bologna (www.unibo.it) are organizing a course devoted to the training of scientific officers responsible of the organization of the peer review of research projects in all areas of science.
The aim of this first course is to provide a platform of information/discussion on the themes related to the implementation of the best practices of peer review by public and private granting agencies, as well as to provide hands-on tutorials spanning the whole granting process, starting from the call for applications up to the review feedback provided to applicants.
The programme will be focused on the operational model adopted by the leading European and American granting agencies to implement the peer-review system. This operational model is based on the key principle of ensuring complete independence of reviewers from those who are reviewed, and relies on three key figures: a) dedicated scientific officers with previous experience in research; b) a panel of scientists reviewing and discussing the research applications in a plenary session; c) external reviewers providing expert reviews in support of the panellists. Staff from the Telethon Scientific Office will represent the backbone of this course for the demonstration of the operational model in the workshop sessions.
The course will be aimed at scientific officers and prospective scientific officers at the European level, and will accept a maximum of 50 students. The course will take place in Ronzano, Bologna (arrival Friday November 7, 2008 departure Tuesday November 11). The course will be managed by the European School of Genetic Medicine.

Ezio Andreta (Commissioner of the National Agency for the Innovation, Milan, Italy), Silvio Garattini (Director of the Mario Negri Institute, Coordinator of the Scientific Commision of the Italian Drug Agency - AIFA, Milan, Italy), Giuliana Gemelli (University of Bologna, Director of the Master in International Studies in Philantropy, Bologna, Italy), Kenneth Keller (Director of the SAIS - Johns Hopkins University Bologna Center, Bologna, Italy), Cheryl Kitt (National Institutes of Health, Center for Scientific Review, Bethesda, USA),Lucio Luzzatto (Scientific Director, Istituto Toscano Tumori, Firenze, italy), Luciano Modica (University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy), Lucia Monaco (Chief Scientific Officer Italian Telethon Foundation, Milan, Italy), Kathie L. Olsen (Deputy Director & Chief Operating Office, National Science Foundation-NSF, Arlington, USA), Renzo Orsi (President of the IV Commission-Scientific Research, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy), Francesca Pasinelli (Domp?, Milan, Italy), Giovanni Romeo (University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy).

Departure from Bologna in the morning of Tuesday 11th November(or in the evening of Monday 10th November)