Review panels and experts

Application review in panels

The Research Council of Finland’s officials organise the application reviews and form the panels based on the call specifications, the panel topics and the applications submitted to the call. In the winter call, Academy Project applicants and Academy Research Fellowship applicants choose the panel for their applications from a set of panels announced in advance.

To ensure a responsible and informed review process, we ask our experts about their possible disqualifications. In the scientific reviews, we ask about their expertise in the themes of the applications to be reviewed.

We ask our reviewers to go through all the applications in the panel, with the exception of the applications that they are disqualified to review. If an expert is disqualified with regard to an application, they do not participate in its review.

We ask at least two panellists to prepare a review for each application before the panel meeting. Based on the ratings in these reviews, applications can be selected to go forward to the actual panel meeting in a two-step review process.

The threshold rating for the panel review may vary depending on the funding scheme. In a single-stage review, all applications will be panel-reviewed. To support the panel’s work and expertise, we may also ask for reviews from experts outside the panel.

The panel meetings are organised primarily as remote meetings. At the meeting, the panellists discuss the applications, prepare review reports based on the discussion and the comments made before the panel, and give the applications panel ratings. Finally, the panel ranks the top-rated applications (excl. applications for strategic research funding).

Research Council officials participate in panel work by helping the panellists. Our officials also make sure that all applicants are treated equally and according to the same criteria.

Panellists are asked for their consent to taking on the assignment in advance, and they will be familiarised with and committed to the Research Council’s principles of responsible evaluation.

Experts participating in reviews

• Reviewer list for September call 2022 (PDF)
• Reviewers for the Special funding for EuroHPC, quantum computing and high-performance computing (PDF)
• Reviewers for Academy of Finland’s Flagship Programme call for 2nd four-year term for Flagships selected in 1st and 2nd Flagship Programme calls (PDF)
• Reviewers for the Critical materials in circular economy of cities call (PDF)
• Reviewers for Academy of Finland’s Finnish Centres of Excellence in Research 2022–2029 (two-stage call) (PDF)
• Reviewers for Academy of Finland’s Finnish Flagship Programme 2020 call (PDF)
• Reviewer list for ICT 2023 calls (PDF)