your partner for
Research Assessment Solutions
Research Grants & Institutional Evaluation
We ensure independent Research Assessment
ESF specialises in research assessment, helping organisations identify and fund the most promising research across a wide range of projects and applications.
Together with our Community of Experts, of over 10,000 reviewers across all scientific fields, we deliver independent, high-quality research evaluations that support informed funding decisions.
With decades of experience managing a broad range of competitive research funding calls, we offer end-to-end support for the evaluation process, including setting up application submission platforms, providing external reviews, organising review panels, and facilitating applicant rebuttals and interviews.
Today, we collaborate with over 50 international partners, including research funding organisations, universities, philanthropies, national and regional authorities, and MSCA Cofunds (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions).
Tailored research assessment solutions
We provide one or several independent remote expert assessments per application.
We set up interdisciplinary international Review Panels to assess groups of applications (inc., ranking and panel consensus reports)
We provide guidance on peer review processes (i.e., managing conflicts of interest, selection criteria, call guidelines, etc.)
Commitment to Integrity & Quality
ESF strictly adheres to high standards of fairness and quality. We base our research assessement process on internationally recognised frameworks:
Moreover, as CoARA's secretariat since December 2022, ESF has ensured fair, high-quality peer review for CoARA funded activities and actively supported the adoption of research assessment reforms among partner organizations.
Expert Reviewers that collaborate with ESF adhere to research assessment principles aligned with the ARRA commitments.
Types of evaluations we carry out
- Postdoctoral and doctoral fellowships
- Fundamental & applied research projects
- Researchers’ academic profiles
- Interdisciplinary research projects
- R&D projects
- Evaluation of research funding organisations
- Mid-term evaluation of research and/or
training programmes - Evaluation of Centres of Excellence
- Evaluation of Research Infrastructures
Key figures
(2021-2024)
evaluated
in our Community
of Experts
from all scientific areas identifying Experts
Why choose ESF for research assessment ?
Our Community of over 10,000 Experts allows for the quick identification of Expert Reviewers across a wide range of research fields and large volumes of applications.
Our review process guarantees strict compliance with conflict-of interest rules, ensuring unbiased assessments.
We tailor and co-design high-quality and efficient evaluation procedures to meet its partner organization's needs.
What our Partners say
"We are pleased with ESF’s work in appointing external reviewers of excellent standing whose high-quality reviews are much appreciated by FWO review panels. Flexible and trustworthy partners like ESF are crucial for organisations like FWO"
Dr. Hans Willems, Secretary-General
Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO)
The cooperation with the ESF was very straightforward, goal-oriented and flexible. FWF decided to externalise the review process to the ESF in order to ensure that transparency and the rules regarding conflicts of interest can be complied with without any problems"
Tina Olteanu
Unit Head, Program Management Coordination
FWF - Austrian Science Fund
“ESF’s multi-disciplinary expertise and robust processes have proven instrumental in designing and managing competitive calls and supporting AXA’s philanthropic research programmes”
Raphaël Gusdorf
Head of Selection at the AXA Research Fund
"ESF's independent selection procedure, combined with their effective CoI management, has been essential in maintaining the integrity of our calls and ensuring that the best projects are funded"
Delphine Heenen
Co-founder of Fight Kids Cancer Programme
and Director of KickCancer Foundation
"ESF successfully and timely implemented our programme-tailored process. The appropriateness of recruited experts and high-quality of provided evaluations were noticed by the BIENVENÜE selection panel and the applicants"
Anne-Laure BAUDRIER
Head of the Research & Higher Education Office
Region Bretagne
"ESF ensured a timely and highly qualitative mission which eased my life as coordinator! We were pleased with the professionalism and diligence of the ESF team, and for their support and advice in running this large exercise"
Anne Adams
Head of Unit, Grants Office - University of Antwerp
Coordinator “YUFE4Postdocs” MSCA Cofund
"Since 2019, ESF has carried out peer review evaluations of our national grants, consistently mobilizing a large pool of highly qualified international reviewers and delivering timely, high-quality assessments. We greatly value the ESF team’s professionalism"
Ketevan Gabitashvili, Head of Science Department
Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia (SRNSFG)
"What I appreciated most about ESF’s research grant evaluation was the support from the ESF team. Their assistance ensured independent, external evaluations free from conflicts of interest, helping us optimize our funding decisions"
Philippe Lambert, Project Manager
(Chef de Projet Cellule opérationnelle LUE)
I-SITE Lorraine Université d'Excellence
"What I value most about ESF’s research grant evaluation support is its ability to identify the right academic expertise while ensuring both the competence and independence of the reviewers, all within an efficient and transparent process"
Philippe Trainar, Director
SCOR Foundation for Science
"The quality of the process implemented by ESF contributed to a large extent to the success of this new harmonised mechanism at the Grand Est Region level. ESF perfectly adapted to the specificities of the mission during which it demonstrated professionalism, responsiveness, and fairness in the processing of projects”
Christophe Sagnier,
Research & Innovation Regional Direction, Grand Est Region, France
“We partnered with ESF for peer review support, a key piece of the selection process of the MSCA Cofund Energy for Future (E4F) Programme. This partnership allowed us to mobilize international expertise in five very specific areas of research in a very short period of time”
Teresa Rodríguez de Tembleque
Programme Manager - Iberdrola Foundation
“Energy for Future” MSCA Cofund
"Since 2018, Ghent University has entrusted ESF to carry out the peer review assessment of our various types of research proposals. We appreciate the professionalism of ESF in delivering review reports in due time and of a high level of quality”
Dr. Dirk De Craemer
Head of Office Secretary of the Research Council of Ghent University
"This partnership allowed us to focus on other work packages of the PEARL programme we managed. The evaluations were greatly appreciated by the principal investigators because these helped them to improve their projects"
Franck DUMEIGNIL, University of Lille Doctoral Programme
Coordinator, “PEARL” MSCA Cofund
“What I valued most about ESF’s research grant evaluation was their advice on peer review process. It enhanced our review process, enabling us to ensure transparency and optimise funding decisions”
Kai Zhang, Partnerships Portfolio Lead
Group Risk Management - Swiss Re Institute
Discover our Partners
Public Authorities
We partner with Public Authorities to evaluate a wide range of funding programmes.
Philanthropies
We partner with Philanthropies to evaluate a wide range of funding programmes.
Universities
We partner with Universities to evaluate a wide range of funding applications
MSCA Cofunds
We partner with MSCA Cofunds to evaluate a wide range of funding programmes.
Research Funding Organisations
We partner with Research Funding Organisations to evaluate a wide range of funding programmes.
Discover our Community of Experts
Contact Us!
We are ready to answer any questions, discuss potential collaborations, and schedule a meeting. Feel free to drop us an email.
Julia Boman
Grant Evaluation Partnerships Manager
Eliana Legoux
Grant Evaluation Partnerships Administrator