Governance

SPECTRUM is a UK Prevention Research Partnership Consortium led by the Director (Professor Linda Bauld). The Director is supported in the day to day management of the Consortium by two Deputy Directors (Professors Niamh Fitzgerald and Marcus Munafò) and a Consortium Manager (Sancha Martin).

Eight Work Packages are included in the Consortium. The leader of each Work Package (WP) is responsible for the overall progress and delivery of their work package. As such they will regularly convene their WP groups in order to deliver their programme of work with input and guidance from partners and collaborators. 

A cross-cutting subgroup on Knowledge Translation and Impact is led by Niamh Fitzgerald. SPECTRUM also has three public involvement panels that feed into Knowledge Translation and Impact plans and inform the work of the Consortium as a whole.

An outline of the management and governance structure for SPECTRUM is shown below.

Committees and Working Groups 

Strategic Management Group

SPECTRUM operates under the guidance of the Strategic Management Group which is responsible for overall coordination of the Consortium's activities. It is comprised of the leaders of each Work Package in addition to the Director, Co-Directors, Consortium Manager, Co-Applicants and Partner representatives. 

International Advisory Board

The International Advisory Board provides independent oversight of the SPECTRUM Consortium, supporting and strengthening our work. They advise on the strategy adopted, the progress of the Consortium in addition to reviewing and monitoring the risk management plan.

Knowledge Translation and Impact Working Group

The Impact Group is both an advisory and working group, acting as a link between cross-consortium and work-package-specific impact goals, plans and activities. The group oversee and advise on impact plans, activities and reporting for the SPECTRUM Consortium.  

Conflict of Interest Statement

We are not linked to the tobacco, alcohol or food industries - our research is conducted without industry funding or influence.

Terms of reference for our Committees are available below:

Management of Interests and External Interactions

The SPECTRUM Consortium has developed the Management of Interests and External Interactions Framework to help members of the Consortium consider the implications of any past, current or potential associations or interactions with unhealthy commodity industries (including but not limited to those producing and marketing alcohol, tobacco, high sugar, salt and fat (HFSS) foods).  Recognising the potential for, and avoiding or managing, such circumstances is important and reflects positively on the individual’s integrity and the Consortium as a whole.

The SPECTRUM Management of Interests and External Interactions document aims to make clear the official position of the Consortium with respect to engagement with external partners, particularly where they may constitute or be perceived as a conflict of interest, or a reputational or other risk to the Consortium or public health more generally.

Additionally, it:

• clarifies what interests and interactions are covered by the policy
• explains what is meant by conflict of interest
• provides guidance to members on the processes for proactively identifying risks and conflicts in order to prevent them, and how to mitigate and manage them if and when they do arise. 

We encourage all those involved in SPECTRUM to use this guidance to help mitigate or eliminate all such risks arising from primary or secondary financial or non-financial interests, relationships or other interests while conducting SPECTRUM related research/activities. 

View the policy at the link below:

Use of the Policy and how to cite

If you’d like to use our Policy in the development of your own conflict of interest policies or frameworks, please let us know by emailing Consortium Manager, Sancha Martin (Sancha.Martin@ed.ac.uk) and cite our Policy as follows: 

Martin S, Fitzgerald N, Arnott D, et al. “SPECTRUM Consortium: Management of Interests and External Interactions Policy.” http://dx.doi.org/10.7488/era/2074.