While administrative or general reviewing systems may be available, at Japanese institutions mostly for Japanese grants such as Kakenhi; and in Europe for schemes such as the MSCA and ERC through the Horizon 2020 National Contact Point (NCP) network --also available from NCP Japan-- it is often useful to have the scientific part of one's proposal reviewed by a researcher in a similar field (to ensure basic understanding of the proposal’s science) but outside of the first circle of the applicant (to avoid bias).

'Applicants' can receive valuable advice on the scientific part of their proposal; 'reviewers' will indirectly obtain experience in grant writing and, if the application is successful, could valorize their participation in the review process.

To facilitate networking amongst community members, EURAXESS provides all community members a platform to allow researchers to identify their potential reviewers.

Proposals are made available by applicants on their own and responsibility for data protection lies with the applicants solely. EURAXESS cannot take any responsibility in conflicts potentially rising from the data sharing.

For potentially litigious cases EURAXESS recommends the signing of an Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA) between the applicant and the reviewer. For this purpose, EURAXESS makes available the following NDA template (on the model of the European IPR Helpdesk's mutual NDA template:

EURAXESS NDA template for grant applicants / reviewers

ATTENTION:

EURAXESS does not vet reviewers or applicants. EURAXESS cannot be held responsible for any data leak ensuing from the voluntary exchange of data between applicants and reviewers. EURAXESS cannot be held responsible for conflicts related to confidentiality issues. The use or misuse of an NDA, even if adapted from the provided template, is not of the responsibility of EURAXESS but of both parties, i.e. applicants and reviewers.

EURAXESS only provides this platform in order to facilitate the exchange of advice between EURAXESS Japan community members (researchers) based in Japan. EURAXESS will not take an active part in the data transfer and the exchanges between the applicants and reviewers.

Conditions for participation:

•  'Applicants' must be based in Japan ('reviewers' can be based anywhere);

•  Proposal drafts from 'applicants' must be at an advanced stage (redacted proposal);

•  Voluntary-basis service. No transfer of funds, or any kind of other service, can  condition exchange of data and advice between 'applicants' and 'reviewers';

•  Best-effort basis: no claim on due dates for review from the 'applicant' side, neither to EURAXESS nor to potential 'reviewers'.

Additional review by Horizon 2020 National Contact Points (NCPs)
Although in most cases, NCPs cannot judge the scientific soundness of a proposal, they can provide extremely valuable input with regards to its structuring, balancing and adressing of the policy issues necessary to succeed in securing a grant.

The use of this peer review service must not replace or delay the resort to NCPs for non-science related reviews of proposals for Horizon 2020 grant programmes. For more information about NCPs, please contact the Horizon 2020 NCP Japan Helpdesk; or browse for a relevant NCP within the list of European NCPs.