INFORMATION FROM THE CHAIRMAN AZV ČR ON THE STATUS OF THE ISVP APPLICATION

Dear ISVP users,

Dear colleagues,

     I would like to address you in connection with the introduction of the new Information System for Research Projects (hereinafter referred to as "ISVP").

To begin with some basic information:

AZV ČR is a similar user to the applicants/beneficiaries of the targeted support themselves - the system is not owned by the Agency. Its creation was triggered by repeated complaints about the previously shared "Gacrovo" GRIS system from the medical research community and by financial and organisational demands from the GACR, which led the MoHCR to terminate the contract. On the basis of these facts, the MoH ČR proceeded in 2015 to develop a new system, exclusively for the needs of AZV ČR . The KSRHIS was the guarantor and implementer of the whole following process.

Without knowing all the circumstances surrounding the creation of the ISVP in detail, from the very beginning of its creation, the large number of comments from AZV ČR the selected/contracted firms regarding major deficiencies and shortcomings were not adequately addressed by the KSRHIS.

The situation changed considerably when the ISVP was taken over by the Institute of Information Technology led by its director doc. L. Dušek. Unfortunately, this happened at a time when AZV was approaching the planned announcement of VES 2018 in May 2017. The Board of AZV considered it a better choice to announce VES 2018 with the ISVP not yet completed than not to announce the competition at all, to postpone it and thus not only interrupt the process of applied medical research and development, but also to jeopardize the future funding necessary for applied research in biomedicine. This option was consulted with the IHIS (guaranteeing the course of VES 2018) and agreed by the MoH ČR.

Now we are all in a situation of legitimate complaints from a number of users, but unfortunately not only addressed, but condemning AZV ČR . I can responsibly state that the Agency, with all its employees and especially the staff of the Office, is doing its utmost to respond promptly to all the shortcomings and in particular the shortcomings of the ISVP in cooperation with the Office of the Inspectorate of Information and Communication Technologies and its system supplier, in the belief that we will overcome the current situation together and that the next competition will take place in a much better user environment.

Not only the Board AZV ČR , but all those who run the competition for earmarked support to address MoH ČR program projects face criticism and vilification from many colleagues who encounter problems using the application. I believe that the harsh words chosen are the result of uninformation. Therefore, at the meeting of the Scientific Council of AZV on February 8, 2018, I invited the Director of the Institute of Science, Assoc. L. Dusek to provide the CoR members with essential information on the current status and completion of the ISVP development and subsequently we as the Board, with the agreement of the CoR, decided that his explanation on ISVP would be made available to the representatives of the beneficiaries upon request through the Office AZV ČR .

Dear colleagues,

     I hope that I have managed to shed some light on the temporary limited functionality of the ISVP, which is by far the most troublesome for the Agency's staff, who are driven by the desire to simplify the requirements for biomedical researchers as much as possible and who are currently facing criticism about the imperfections of the system, which they have been constantly pointing out and demanding to eliminate throughout its creation. We therefore apologise for any problems that have arisen, but which we have in no way caused.

Sincerely.

prof. MUDr. Miroslav Ryska, CSc.

Chair AZV ČR