The gendered nature of assessment procedures in scientific research funding. The case of the Dutch Organisation for Scientific Research

This article discusses the results of a study on gender bias in assessment procedures in the two major institutions for scientific grants in The Netherlands: the Dutch Organization for Scientific Research (NOW) and the Royal Dutch Academy for the Sciences (KNAW). The study concentrated on a qualitative sample of one of the prestigious grants. A total of 128 files were analyzed on the basis of a correlation of characteristics of the applicant (sex, age, and scientific productivity), assessments by the external advisors (peer review), and the decision of NOW. The analysis indicated that women applicants were evaluated differently from male applicants. However, women were not discriminated against in all disciplines. On the contrary, in some disciplines they received a bonus. One of the major conclusions is that gender matters, but in different ways within the different disciplines.