VolkswagenStiftung
To increase the attractiveness of reviewers' work, the Foundation has raffled off grants totalling €250,000 for its reviewers. The aim is to better recognise the indispensable work of scientists whose reviews are the basis for high-quality funding decisions.
The peer review system is under pressure, the demand for reviews is growing, but scientists' time and resources are scarce. In order to simplify the review process, the Volkswagen Foundation is already testing various innovative measures such as distributed peer review or randomisation of funding decisions.
A total of 261 scientists who supported the foundation with peer reviews in the period from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024 have now taken part in a new experiment: a funding lottery for experts. 25 x 10,000 euros were raffled off, which may only be spent in a research context. Beforehand, applicants had to provide a brief description of what they would use the money for if they won.
VolkswagenStiftung
On the way to the draw: Antje Tepperwien, Head of the "Knowledge about Knowledge" funding team and Program Director Selahattin Danisman
VolkswagenStiftung
The 261 lots represent the number of experts who have supported the Foundation with their expertise over the past 12 months.
VolkswagenStiftung
Henrike Hartmann (left), Deputy Secretary General and Head of the Promotion Department, with legal advisor Anja Thöm and Program Manager Selahattin Danisman
VolkswagenStiftung
25 peer reviewers can look forward to a grant of 10,000 euros.
The experiment will be analysed in the coming months. Of particular interest to the Foundation is the question of whether such incentives can increase the attractiveness of the review work. We will report on the results in due course.
