Assessment Governance & Integrity

Purpose & standing

The EUSTM Centre of Excellence is a professional-society quality recognition awarded by the European Society for Translational Medicine (EUSTM). It is not a statutory accreditation, licence, or regulatory approval, and it does not replace national or international accreditation or licensing. This page sets out how assessments are conducted, how decisions are reached, and how the independence of those decisions is protected. It applies to every application, at every tier.

The assessment framework & how outcomes are decided

Each application is assessed against the six quality domains published on the Centre of Excellence page. Within every domain, defined criteria are examined against documentary evidence and, where applicable, on-site or virtual verification.

Mandatory (essential) criteria. Certain criteria are mandatory and must be met in full. A shortfall in any mandatory criterion prevents an award regardless of how strong the application is elsewhere.
Scoring. Each domain is rated by the assessment team on a defined scale, and every rating is recorded together with the specific evidence relied upon, so that a decision can be traced back to its basis.
Decision. A written report is issued setting out the rating in each domain, the evidence considered, and one of three outcomes.

The three possible outcomes are:

Awarded — all mandatory criteria are verified as met and the domain ratings meet the threshold for the tier applied for. The three-year designation is issued.
Further Evidence Required — the application is close but specific gaps remain. A defined action period is given to supply the missing evidence, which is then re-reviewed. The designation is not issued, and the mark may not be displayed, until every mandatory criterion has been verified as met.
Not Yet Ready — more substantial development is needed. A report with specific recommendations is provided, and the institution is invited to reapply after an agreed preparation period.

Term & standing. A designation is valid for three years, subject to the institution remaining in good standing and to any periodic confirmation set out in the award. It may be withdrawn if the basis on which it was granted no longer holds.

Assessors — competence & selection

Assessments are carried out by assessors selected for relevant clinical, quality, or governance expertise appropriate to the institution and the field of the designation. Assessors are briefed on the assessment framework and are bound by duties of impartiality and confidentiality. No individual takes part in an assessment or a decision in which they hold a personal, financial, or professional interest.

Impartiality & conflict of interest

EUSTM keeps the help it can offer an institution strictly separate from the judgement it makes about that institution. The following rules apply to every application.

Separation of advice and assessment. EUSTM’s optional advisory and preparation services and its assessment function are operated separately, with separate records and separate personnel. Engaging advisory services is entirely optional.
Recusal. Any individual who has provided advisory or preparation support to an institution is excluded from assessing that institution — and from its decision and any appeal — for a period of three years following that support.
Payment covers assessment only. Fees pay for the assessment process and its administration. They do not purchase, influence, or guarantee an award. No outcome is ever conditional on buying advisory services, membership, or any other product.
Declared interests. Assessors and decision-makers declare any relevant interest before an assessment begins; where an interest exists, that person is recused and replaced.

In short: you can be helped to prepare, or you can be assessed — but never judged by the same people who prepared you, and never awarded because you paid.

Appeals

An applicant may appeal an assessment outcome within 30 days of receiving the written report. An appeal is considered by one or more reviewers who took no part in the original decision. Appeals may be made on the grounds that the published procedure was not followed, or that evidence properly submitted was not adequately considered. The appeal decision, with reasons, is provided in writing. Where an appeal is upheld, the assessment is reconsidered on the corrected basis.

Complaints

Anyone may raise a complaint about the conduct of an assessment, the behaviour of an assessor, or the administration of the programme. Complaints are acknowledged promptly, investigated by a person independent of the matter complained about, and answered in writing within a defined period. A complaint about an outcome is handled through the appeals route above; a complaint about conduct is handled here. Complaints and appeals are recorded and reviewed so that the programme continues to improve.

Verification of a designation

The validity, field, tier, and expiry of any EUSTM Centre of Excellence designation can be confirmed on request. Institutions, patients, partners, and payers may ask EUSTM to confirm whether a stated designation is current. To protect the privacy of applicants, EUSTM confirms designations on request rather than publishing personal or commercially sensitive assessment detail.

Confidentiality & data protection

Evidence submitted for assessment is treated as confidential and is used only for the assessment, its governance, and any appeal. It is not shared outside the assessment and governance process without the institution’s consent, except where EUSTM is required to do so by law.

Contact EUSTM for any question about assessment governance, to lodge an appeal or complaint, or to verify a designation.

The EUSTM Centre of Excellence is a professional-society quality recognition. It is not a statutory accreditation, licence, or regulatory approval, and it does not guarantee accreditation, referrals, payer inclusion, grants, patient volumes, or other commercial outcomes.