Our Process

Uncompromised Integrity. Absolute Independence.

While the ICRG is primarily funded by the gaming industry, our research remains shielded by a bias-proof scientific firewall that eliminates outside influence.

As the foundation of our rigorous research process, the ICRG firewall establishes four tiers of insulation for funded research, ensuring that every discovery is objective and independent.

1. Scientist-Led Initiatives: All funding priorities are developed exclusively by our Scientific Advisory Board—an independent panel of the world’s leading addiction experts.

 

2. Global Competition: We cast a wide net, distributing calls for proposals to over 1,000 scientists across the globe to ensure the brightest minds are on the case.

3. Double-Blind Rigor: Every application undergoes a vetting process by independent peer-review panels composed of expert researchers in the gambling field. quality is what drives our mission.

4. Zero Donor Input: Final funding decisions rest solely with the Scientific Advisory Board. Neither our donors nor our governing board have any say in who receives a grant or what the research reveals.

Our commitment to science first is validated by the numbers. Since 1996, ICRG-funded investigators have published more than 400 articles in peer-reviewed journals. We don’t announce findings until they have survived the scrutiny of the global scientific community—proving that at the ICRG, quality is what drives our mission.

ICRG Firewall

Ensuring the Integrity of ICRG Research: The ICRG Firewall

  1. International Center for Responsible Gaming

    The ICRG keeps a portion of the funds for education and outreach initiatives, while the bulk of the funds are distributed to research projects as directed by the independent Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) and peer-review panels.

  2. Scientific Advisory Board

    Scientific Advisory Board determines funding priorities and grant mechanisms.

  3. Grant Applications

    Grant applicants submit proposals to ICRG.

  4. Proposals

    Proposals are reviewed by independent peer review panels, which are selected by the Senior Research Director without the influence of the ICRG Governing body or the SAB.

  5. Evaluations

    Peer review panel evaluations are submitted to the Scientific Advisory Board.

  6. Scientific Advisory Board

    Neither donors nor the ICRG Governing Board have influence over funding decisions. This is the sole responsibility of the SAB.

    • Publications

      Grantees encouraged to publish in peer reviewed journals. No prior review of manuscripts by ICRG entities is allowed.

    • Funding Sources

      Grantees are required to acknowledge source of funding.

Grant Review Criteria

The ICRG funds high-impact research destined for the world’s leading scientific journals and conferences. To ensure excellence, our independent peer-review panels evaluate every proposal using rigorous criteria adapted from the National Institutes of Health (NIH):

Strategic Impact: We prioritize research that breaks new, innovative ground.

  • Does it matter? We look for projects that tackle critical barriers or solve significant problems in the field.
  • Will it move the needle? Successful proposals must demonstrably advance scientific knowledge, clinical practice, or preventive interventions.
  • Is it forward-thinking? We value innovative concepts that refine or replace outdated methodologies.

Rigor and Feasibility: Brilliant ideas must be backed by a flawless execution plan.

  • Scientific Integrity: Is the methodology robust enough to yield reproducible results?
  • Problem Solving: Are potential pitfalls identified and alternative strategies in place?
  • Ethics: For clinical research, are human subject protections appropriate and justified?

Expertise and Environment: We invest in the people as much as the project.

  • The Team: Are the investigators uniquely qualified, with clear leadership and complementary skills?
  • The Infrastructure: Does the institutional environment provide the necessary equipment, resources, and collaborative support to guarantee success?

Peer Reviewers


The following scientists reviewed grants applications for the ICRG in 2024:

Brian Borsari, PhD

  • Professor of Psychiatry
  • University of California-San Francisco Weill Institute for Neurosciences

Bethany Bray, PhD

  • Associate Professor
  • Department of Medicine
  • University of Illinois at Chicago

Luke Clark, PhD

  • Professor of Psychology
  • Director of the Centre for Gambling Research
  • University of British Columbia

Heather Gray, PhD

  • Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School
  • Director of Academic Affairs at the Division on Addiction
  • Cambridge Health Alliance

Joshua Grubbs, PhD

  • Associate Professor
  • Bowling Green State University

Scott Huettel, PhD

  • Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience
  • Bass Fellow
  • Professor of Neurobiology
  • Duke University

Debi LaPlante, PhD

  • Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
  • Director, Division on Addiction, Cambridge Health Alliance

Matthew Martens, PhD

  • Associate Provost for Academic Programs
  • University of Missouri, Columbia

Dipali Rinker, PhD

  • Assistant Professor
  • Behavioral Sciences and Population Health
  • American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine

Paul Sacco, PhD

  • Associate Professor of Social Work
  • University of Maryland, Baltimore

Nathan Smith, PhD

  • Executive Director
  • Kindbridge Research Institute

Krishna Vaddiparti, PhD

  • Assistant Professor of Epidemiology
  • University of Florida

Jeremiah Weinstock, PhD

  • Professor, Clinical Program
  • Department of Psychology
  • Saint Louis University

ICRG Policy on Academic Integrity and Research Misconduct

“Research misconduct is defined as fabrication, falsification and plagiarism, and does not include honest error or differences of opinion.” (ORI 2005)

ICRG is committed to ensuring the academic integrity of all research funded with its grants. ICRG conducts multiple reviews of grant applications and related proposals every year. Peer reviewers who believe they have identified research misconduct in the form of fabrication, falsification or plagiarism are required to alert ICRG’s Senior Research Director immediately upon such concern. The allegation must not be discussed during peer review, and the reviewer making the allegation will be reminded of the ICRG policy on confidentiality. An application flagged for possible misconduct will still be put through the peer review process.

Within 30 days of being alerted to possible misconduct, the Senior Research Director will convene a meeting of the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) to discuss the allegation. The Senior Research Director will be required to assess any conflicts of interest within the SAB prior to the meeting.

Within 30 days of such meeting, the SAB will decide by at least a two-thirds/majority vote of all of its then members if the alleged misconduct should be reported to the grant applicant’s institutional office of research integrity. Alleged misconduct must be deemed egregious in the eyes of the SAB to be so reported. The Senior Research Director will then be solely responsible for any communications with the applicant’s institution on behalf of ICRG.

NIH Office of Scientific Integrity Definitions for purposes of this Policy: Fabrication: Making up data or results and recording or reporting them. Falsification: Manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or changing or omitting data or results such that the research is not accurately represented Plagiarism: The appropriation of another’s ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit

References:

Handling Misconduct | ORI – The Office of Research Integrity. (2005). The Office of Research Integrity. https://ori.hhs.gov/handling-misconduct

Eisner, R., & Vasgird, D. (2003). Responsible Conduct of Research : Research Misconduct. https://Ccnmtl.Columbia.Edu/Projects/Rcr/Rcr_misconduct/WinResources.Html.

Research Transparency Statement


The International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG) provides funding for scientific research using donations from commercial and tribal gaming companies, equipment manufacturers, vendors, ICRG Governing Board members, and the community at large. ICRG utilizes the following safeguards to ensure ethical and rigorous science: 

  • A Scientific Advisory Board (SAB)
    1. The SAB sets research priorities, determines funding mechanisms, and makes final funding decisions without donor input (Cottler et al., 2016a)
    2. The SAB independently selects its own members—neither the ICRG Governing Board nor industry donors have any role in these appointments, and SAB members must declare any conflicts of interest with industry donors on an annual basis. 
    3. SAB members volunteer their time and are not financially compensated.  
    4. SAB members are prohibited from applying for, or participating in, ICRG grants.
  • Firewall Between Donors and Researchers
    1. The ICRG Governing Board and donors do not participate in shaping research agendas, reviewing or selecting proposals for funding, or influencing publication decisions from funded research.
    2. Grantees maintain academic freedom to design, conduct, and publish their work without restriction or interference by ICRG, the Governing Board, donors, or the SAB.
  • Rigorous Peer Review and Open Calls
    1. Calls for proposals are open to researchers worldwide, encouraging diverse perspectives, methods, and expertise.
    2. All proposals undergo a rigorous peer review process by independent experts (see https://www.icrg.org/information/our-process/). 
    3. Funding decisions reflect scientific merit (Cottler et al., 2016a).
  • Transparency in Funding Acknowledgments
    1. ICRG grantees are required to acknowledge ICRG funding in publications as part of their funding agreement (Cottler et al., 2016b).
  • Commitment to Open Science and Risk-of-Bias Monitoring
    1. ICRG encourages all funded researchers to adopt Open Science practices, including project pre-registration, data sharing (where ethical and feasible), and transparent reporting.
    2. We endorse the development of instruments to detect and mitigate funding-related bias.

By adhering to these guidelines, the ICRG strives to maintain a robust firewall between industry funding and the scientific process, upholding the highest standards of research integrity and accountability (Cottler et al., 2016a; 2016b).

References

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