About CERTs
Annual Report Year 5
AHRQ Letter | Steering Committee Letter | Introduction | CERTs Progress | Certs Program Resources | Certs Parnerships and Collaborations | Conclusion | The CERTs Organization | Principles of CERTs Public-Private Partnerships | Peer-Reviewed Publications
Principles of CERTs Public-Private Partnerships
Issues of Public Interest. CERTs is a national initiative to foster the optimal use of therapeutics through research and education activities that are in the public interest but would not otherwise be done.
Public-Private Partnership. CERTs is a publicprivate partnership on two levels: (1) between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the CERTs centers; and (2) between CERTs centers as representatives of the government-sponsored CERTs program and other research-sponsoring organizations. In the latter relationship, the CERTs centers seek useful, appropriate interactions with private organizations to support and enhance education, research, and demonstration projects. AHRQ works with the centers to establish appropriate agreements to optimize use and sharing of resources.
Conflicts of Interest. Public-private partnerships typically present the potential for conflicts of interest. While these potential conflicts of interest cannot be completely avoided or eliminated, a CERTs center has an obligation to disclose fully and to manage conflicts in a manner that minimizes the risk of those conflicts, while at the same time permitting as much progress as possible to achieve CERTs goals within the constraints of maintaining respected research activity.
Academic Integrity. As academic researchers, individuals conducting projects under the CERTs umbrella maintain final decision making about study design, analysis, conclusions, and publication in any partnership with other organizations, and ensure that their work complies with their respective institutions' conflict of interest rules.
Activities. CERTs activities are defined as projects supported in whole or in part by AHRQ funds under the CERTs cooperative demonstration program. Such activities are subject to processes established for the CERTs program such as the review of potential conflicts of interest by the Public-Private Partnerships Committee, a subcommittee of the CERTs Steering Committee made up of representatives from the CERTs centers, government, and the private sector. Individuals affiliated with the centers also conduct education and research activities outside of CERTs that are not subject to CERTs processes.
Activities. CERTs activities are defined as projects supported in whole or in part by AHRQ funds under the CERTs demonstration program. Activities such as the review of potential conflicts of interest are subject to processes established for the CERTs program. Individuals affiliated with the centers also conduct education and research activities outside of CERTs that are not subject to CERTs' processes.