National science foundation says use of single process will make grantee selection fairer
The Swiss National Science Foundation has announced that it has “enhanced and standardised” its grant evaluation processes, to make them “even fairer and more efficient”.
“We apply the same high standards to our work as we do to the research we fund,” said Thomas Werder Schläpfer, a member of the SNSF senior management. “An evaluation process that recognises excellence should itself be excellent.”
Announcing the changes on 14 April, the SNSF said the new single process will apply immediately to most of its funding schemes, with a few exceptions.
The changes include a new rating scale through which reviewers will give a grade ranging from one to nine, for applications considered to be weak through to outstanding, respectively.
The SNSF, which invests around a billion Swiss francs (about €977 million) in research every year, has also brought in individual voting, in which grades will be visible to assessors only after every evaluation panel member has voted.
The funder said the changes will make it possible to create a ranked list of proposals and will increase “quality, efficiency and transparency”.