Research Policy

The Research Merit Scoring System

Every applicant to a CARDIG-Jerusalem research project is scored against a fixed sheet, domain by domain, before a single position is offered.

Governed under CARDIG CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS

100Points, CARDIG Official maximum
80Points, CARDIG Member maximum
5Domains, every application
65%Score needed to be accepted
What It Is

One set of domains, scored the same way for everyone.

This is the framework the Cardiology Research Office (CaRO) uses to assess applications for a position on a CARDIG-Jerusalem research project. It sits beneath the Research Participation and Authorship Executive Policy: where the two disagree, the Policy prevails. Every assessor works from the same sheet, the same point values, and the same evidence requirements.

Under Section 3.02, no more than three positions on any project may go to members of the Team of Officials — holding office earns credit only where a specific item says so, never across the board.

The Two Pathways

CARDIG Officers and general members, scored on comparable terms

Both apply into the same projects, so each is measured on a sheet built for them, not one sheet stretched to fit both.

A

Pathway A — CARDIG Officers & Official Assistants

Maximum 100 points. Used for Executive Board members, Division Officers, and Official Assistants.

B

Pathway B — CARDIG Members

Maximum 80 points. Used for applicants holding no office. It carries the same five domains as Pathway A, minus two officer-only items; in their place.

Section 2 · Outcome

Every score lands in one of three bands

Pathway A's total is already out of 100. Pathway B's total is divided by 80 first, so the shorter sheet is never a disadvantage.

Accepted
Meets the bar
65% and above
Waitlisted
Held in reserve
45% – 64%
Not Selected
Below the bar
Below 45%

Mentored Trainee Position — on Pathway B only, an applicant who has never held a position on a CARDIG project and reaches 45% fills one of the three positions reserved for general members

An unsuccessful applicant's weakest-scoring domain is recorded and can be shared with them as feedback.

Section 3 · Domains & Scoring

Five domains, every source of points

Every item names its evidence source. Where Pathway A and Pathway B set different values, both are shown.

Research Experience & Output

Domain 1 · 30 pts

1.1 Depth of role in prior research projects

CV · Application

Led or co-led a project from question to manuscript9
Held a substantive role — screening, extraction, analysis, or drafting a section6
Contributed a single defined task, e.g. data collection or entry4
Attended or observed a project without a defined task2
No prior participation0

1.2 Scholarly output & authorship position

Uploaded manuscript or abstract · CV

First, last, or corresponding author, published or accepted8
Co-author, published or accepted5
First or corresponding author, under review4
Co-author, under review3
Author on a submitted work not yet under review2
No output0

1.3 Formal research training or workshop

Certificate on CV

Certificate held5
None0

1.4 Methodology or biostatistics course

Transcript · Application

Completed4
Currently enrolled2
Not taken0

1.5 Self-rated knowledge of the research process

Application

Rated 54
Rated 43
Rated 32
Rated 21
Rated 10

Availability

Domain 4 · 10 pts

4.1 Weekly hours offered

Application

More than 9 hours5
6 – 9 hours4
3 – 5 hours2
Fewer than 3 hours0

4.2 Availability for team meetings in the Call

Application

Free for all meetings through the project3
Free for most meetings2
Free only at a different time1
Not free for the meetings0

4.3 Willingness to mentor in future

Application

Yes2
No0

Academic Standing & English

Domain 2 · 15 / 13 pts

2.1 Cumulative average

Application

Sheet A

90 and above7
85 – 895
80 – 844
75 – 793
70 – 742
Below 701

Sheet B

90 and above5
85 – 894
80 – 843
75 – 792
Below 751

2.2 Academic English — writing

Application · Motivation letter

Rated 54
Rated 43
Rated 32
Rated 21
Rated 10

2.3 Academic English — reading

Application

Rated 54
Rated 43
Rated 32
Rated 21
Rated 10

Motivation & Fit

Domain 3 · 15 / 12 pts

Scored independently by each assessor from the motivation letter.

3.1 Relevance to this particular project

Motivation letter

Specific to this project and its question5
Specific to the field, not the project3
General interest in research1

3.2 Academic & clinical experience given in support

Motivation letter · CV

Directly relevant and evidenced5
Relevant but not evidenced3
Not addressed1

3.3 Clarity of the contribution intended

Motivation letter

Pathway A

Names a role and what will be delivered5
States a willingness to contribute3
Not addressed1

Pathway B

Names a role and what will be delivered2
States a willingness to contribute1
Not addressed0

CARDIG Standing

Domain 5 · 30 / 15 pts

Completed by the Research Office from the Project Registry and the membership roll: never self-declared.

5.1 Continuous active membership

Membership roll · max 4

One point per completed six months1/6mo

5.2 Deliverables met on time on a prior CARDIG project

Project registry

Two or more projects4
One project3
No prior project (neutral baseline)2

5.3a General Assemblies, past 12 months

Attendance records · Sheet A only

Both attended (two per year)4
One attended2
None0

5.3b Journal Club, past 12 months

Attendance records · Sheet A only

Six or more (one per month)8
Three to five6
One or two3
None0

5.4 Service to CARDIG-Jerusalem

Office records · Sheet A only

Current Officer or Official Assistant10
Former Officer or Official Assistant6
Contributed without office — speaker, organiser, volunteer4

5.3 Participation in CARDIG activities, past 12 months

Application · Office records where available · Sheet B only

Six or more activities, onground or online7
Four or five activities6
Two or three activities4
One activity2
None0
Deduction — withdrawal without notice, or an unremedied default, in the past twelve months: −10 points per occurrence (item 5.5 on Sheet A, item 5.4 on Sheet B), drawn from the Project Registry.
Section 4 · Final Provisions

Kept independent, and kept accountable

Independent Judgment

Every assessor certifies they hold no interest requiring recusal under Section 4.04, and that the marks they record for Domains 1–4 are their own independent judgment.

Never Self-Declared

Domain 5 is completed by the Research Office alone, from the Project Registry and the membership roll — an applicant cannot self-report standing points.

Questions

Ask before you apply, not after you're scored.

If a score looks off, or you're not sure which sheet applies to you, the Cardiology Research Office reconciles it.

Questions about how a score was calculated go to the Cardiology Research Office: office@research.cardig.me