The phrase 'contrary to prior' is correct and can be used in written English.
It is used to indicate something which is in contrast to what was previously thought or expected. For example, "Contrary to prior speculation, the meeting was an unexpected success."
Within two hours of the closing of the polls, contrary to prior practice and electoral rules, the Interior Ministry, through the state news agency, announced a landslide victory for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose fantastical take on the world and world history appears to have added another fantastical episode.
Contrary to prior research (e.g., [Lesch, M.F., 2003.
However, contrary to prior research, faculty did believe genomics was valuable.
Contrary to prior speculations, a fluorescent scan unambiguously shows that TphB coordinates Zn2 + and not Fe2 +.
Contrary to prior studies, our experiment accounts for a large diversity of eligible landscapes described using photomontages.
This article proposes an alternative approach to model IPMCs, contrary to prior attempts that have employed cantilever deflection theories.
However, contrary to years prior, the allegations caused shock.
Unless someone establishes that the photo is a fake, we will accept it as proof that Clemens, contrary to his prior steadfast denials, was at Canseco's house the day McNamee said he was.
Simultaneously, and contrary to the prior nearly universal custom of solo research, these men began to build research groups in which their practicum students assisted in their research projects.
Technique use was also found to significantly follow an inverted U-shaped curve, contrary to some prior explanations.
Contrary to its prior representations, upon which users may have relied, the company will now routinely monitor the web browsing activities of its users and exploit that information for advertising purposes".
