Selection of Reviewers
When selecting reviewers for the evaluation process, the ERS Selection Committee not only seeks to chose experts in the respective research areas, but also tries to make sure, as far as possible, to exclude bias – both positive and negative – on the part of the reviewers.
The reviewers, who work in an honorary capacity, are expected to be recognized experts in their field whose broad knowledge of the field enables them adequately to assess the proposal in question. We are at pains to make sure that the reviewers are neither prejudiced nor biased, e.g. due to collaboration, competition, or e.g. a former mentor-mentee relationship. Applicants have the opportunity to reject reviewers for good reason.
We select both German and international reviewers. There is no permanent group of reviewers from which the project reviewers are selected; reviewers are individually selected according to the requirements of the individual project proposal.
The reviewers agree to hold the proposals in the strictest confidentiality and do not pass them on to third parties. Furthermore, the ERS Management Team treats the evaluations in strict confidentiality. The names of the reviewers are only known to the project supervisors from the ERS Selection Committee and the ERS-Management-Team. Only anonymized excerpts from proposal evaluations will be discussed during the selection process.
Code of Good Practice
By giving their specialist opinion, the experts who are consulted recognize the following rules of good practice as being binding. If it is not possible to give a vote in accordance with these rules, the review must be rejected - even if reasons for this are not given.
- The review follows the rules of good scientific practice. All information provided is truthful and is not intended to infringe the intellectual property of others or to interfere with their research activities.
- By agreeing to carry out the review, the experts declare responsibility for essential aspects of the application. If the experts consulted feel that they are not competent in this matter, they will notify the ERS management team and destroy the application documents received.
- If the experts consulted feel biased in the matter, they must also withdraw from the review process and destroy the documents. This also applies to potential conflicts of interest.
- The favorable or unfavorable recommendation takes into account the requirements, goals, and restrictions applicable to the respective funding initiative in addition to the scientific consideration.
- The reviewers must treat the applications submitted to them confidentially and shall not forward them to third parties.