Ethnic minority researchers found to receive lower research grant rates
Predicted award rates are reported to differ more for older minority ethnic researchers.
There is more difference in predicted award rates between minority ethnic and white researchers aged 55+ and 36-55, than those under 36, according to independent research by the Royal Statistical Society (RSS), with input from the Alan Turing Institute, for the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
EPSRC say previous quantitative and qualitative evidence of under-representation and differences in award rates by gender, ethnicity, age and disability, combined with community input, shaped their equality, diversity and inclusion action plan.
However, this RSS analysis in EPSRC grant funding: statistical analysis of diversity in the portfolio and peer review is applied to a large 'pseudonmyised' nine-year data set of:
- grant applications and awards
- reviewers’ reports
- panel outcomes
- the personal characteristics of applicants, awardees, panel members and reviewers
When applicants were asked about expectations of bias, institutional prestige was a common concern, but was reportedly not evidenced in the analysis of outcomes by institution.
For interactions of the panel and applicants, it was found that in interviews, having any female panellists present is linked to a higher ranking for female applicants.
Exploring the effect of applicant and reviewer characteristics on review scores, the largest effect is higher scoring from reviewers nominated by the applicant.
