An experiment with Distributed Peer Review

As it becomes increasingly difficult to find experts to carry out peer reviews, the Volkswagen Foundation in Hanover, Germany’s largest research funding organisation, is testing an alternative method: distributed peer review (DPR). In this approach, grant applicants review each other’s proposals. The process could make it easier to find suitable reviewers, especially as there is an incentive for reviewers to participate in order to have their own work considered. Applicants gain insights that could improve their own proposals by receiving more diverse feedback. DPR may also help to bring out more creative and daring research ideas.

While it’s not without challenges, including concerns about workload and potential competition, the early feedback from researchers is promising. Roughly 74% said they trusted the process to be fair in giving funding to the best research, and 70% of respondents said they thought it would help to identify more adventurous grant proposals than those selected by the existing peer review process, which is conducted by panelists appointed by the foundation.

Could this be a model for future grant processes in research funding? Further analysis seeks to answer this question.

Hanna Denecke is a passionate advocate for curiosity-driven research and the transformative power of bold, out-of-the-box ideas. As head of the Exploration team at the Volkswagen Foundation, she is committed to supporting groundbreaking research that has the potential to reshape the future of science and society. With a background in economics and extensive experience in research management, Hanna is keen to identify and promote experimental approaches to research funding and to further the Foundation’s mission of empowering researchers to explore bold, experimental paths that can ultimately transform both science and society.