Inclusive assessment
NWO wants to advance research with both scientific and societal impact. Therefore, research needs to be conducted by people with all kinds of different experiences. A diverse range of perspectives enables innovative and creative research.
NWO wants to optimise its evaluation processes and broaden the often limited ideal image of what a good researcher or a good proposal is. To facilitate this, NWO uses two videos for reviewers and committee members involved in the evaluation process. The videos provide information about implicit bias regarding this ideal image and provide practical suggestions, based on scientific research, to optimise the evaluation process.
Limited ideal image
Stereotypes influence the implicit ideal image of an applicant and an application. Evaluators may unintentionally make this ideal image part of the evaluation process. Thus, ideal images can lead to bias in evaluations: they cause the bar to be raised for specific applicants and applications to be looked at more critically than usual. This kind of effect is called a double standard. Furthermore, a limited ideal image may result in negative reactions and lower ratings for applicants who do not fit the image so well (Wynn & Correl, 2018). At the same time, applicants who do fit the ideal image will often get the benefit of the doubt. Visible characteristics such as gender, ethnicity and age play an important role in the extent to which an applicant fits the ideal image. Yet less visible or even invisible characteristics also play a role in assessment processes. An accent or disability, for instance, will become manifest only during an interview, but can evoke a double standard at that moment.
To illustrate this: when an applicant is younger than might be expected, based on the target group of the research programme, this may give rise to questions about this person’s quality, merit and independence. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that evaluators explain a young age in men more often as a benefit (“promising”) and in women as a disadvantage (“inexperienced”). (Malmström, Johansson & Wincent, 2017).
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Written assessment
Watch the video and factsheet with tools for an inclusive written assessment of NWO applications.
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Assessment committee meeting
Watch the video and factsheet with tools to help assessment committees in reducing the effect of their implicit ideal images on their assessment.