Researchers complain about Serbia’s new Science Fund

Letter to fund director and science ministry details perceived failings and calls for improvements

A group claiming to represent more than a fifth of scientists in Serbia has written to the country’s government to complain about what it says are failings in the proposal evaluation processes of the public Science Fund, which was launched recently to bring an end to a drought in new government research calls.

The letter from the group, which calls itself the Scientific Community of Serbia and boasts a membership of more than 2,700 scientists—“about 22 per cent of scientists employed in the science system in Serbia”—demands clarity over how peer reviewers for a recent call under the fund, worth roughly €30 million, were chosen, as well as more transparency about the evaluation process.