Express your interest in becoming an ADR UK Expert Reviewer or Expert Panellist

ADR UK is inviting expressions of interest to join the ADR UK Expert Assessor Directory of expert reviewers and panellists. These vital roles inform decisions on how ADR UK funding is awarded, ensuring these decisions are supported by high quality, independent expertise.

The roles provide an excellent opportunity for academics, professionals, and other interested parties to broaden their experience and gain unique insight into the research funding process. As an ADR UK Expert Reviewer or Expert Panellist, you will have the opportunity to develop your skills in assessment and peer review, as well as developing your understanding of administrative data research and building connections across the ADR UK and wider research community.

Other opportunities to contribute to mentoring, capacity building and policy engagement may become available for members of the ADR UK Expert Assessor Directory over time.

What do these roles do?

Both of these roles will draw on your subject expertise and experience with administrative data. As an ADR UK Expert Reviewer, you will review applications for ADR UK funding and provide written feedback using a structured template. You may be asked to read full applications or contribute feedback on designated sections, such as the abstract, ethics, or public engagement, depending on your expertise.

ADR UK Expert Panellists participate in live funding decision panels. In this role, you will be asked in advance of the panel meeting to read a selection of applications that have already passed expert review, alongside applicant responses and data feasibility assessments provided by data owners. You will provide written comments along with a score, and then participate in a live panel meeting (usually between a half day and a full day). In these meetings you will assess applications as a group, contribute to discussions, and help to agree final funding recommendations.

You can express your interest in either, or both, of these roles. Successful applicants for both of these roles will join a directory managed by ADR UK. They will then be invited to act as reviewers or panellists for individual funding opportunities, as needed. Participation in each funding opportunity will be optional and based on the candidate’s availability.

Expert Reviewers are not usually paid. Expert Panellists may receive compensation, depending on the funding opportunity they participate in. Support and guidance will be provided to successful applicants, including panel guidance packs and access to self-service training via Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) systems.  

Who are we looking for?

Researchers

There is no specific job title or level of seniority required to be an ADR UK Expert Reviewer or Expert Panellist. Instead, for researchers interested in these roles, we are looking for:

• High quality expertise relevant to ADR UK’s work
• Strong research credentials. This can be demonstrated in a variety of ways, for example: academic qualifications; a track record of research outputs; experience with research design and methodology; understanding of the research funding landscape; engagement with interdisciplinary or applied research; and/or professional recognition or leadership roles.
• Some familiarity with administrative data
• Some experience or understanding of public engagement in a data research context
• Some experience of peer review, supervising, or interdisciplinary collaboration (desirable).

We are looking for applicants across a range of disciplines, career stages and backgrounds.

Non-academic experts

In addition to academic researchers, we also welcome applications to be ADR UK Expert Panellists from:

• Professionals working in voluntary and community sector organisations, with expertise relevant to ADR UK’s work
• Government professionals with relevant expertise
• People with lived experience relevant to ADR UK’s work.

How to apply

Expressions of interest are accepted on a rolling basis. You may request removal from the directory at any time, and ADR UK will review membership annually. Your data will be stored securely and used to coordinate reviewer and panellist opportunities, as well as to share relevant updates and invitations to contribute to other areas of ADR UK’s work such as policy engagement, public involvement, mentoring, and capacity building if you have indicated interest in these.

Apply to become an ADR UK Expert Reviewer or Expert Panellist

This opportunity is separate from the ESRC Assessor College and ESRC Peer Review College, both of which support ESRC’s funding work more broadly. ADR UK Expert Reviewers and Expert Panellists will be individuals with expertise relevant to ADR UK’s work, and will focus on supporting ADR UK funding opportunities.

If you are interested in this and also supporting ESRC’s wider work, you could consider applying to all three opportunities.