Role of Peer Review in Supporting Transformative Research

The paper will explore the extent to which the selection of transformative research is constrained by inherent limitations in peer review. Drawing on her study of the peer review system of the recently established European Research Council (ERC), which is part of the European Union Seventh Framework Programme of Research, she will discuss if peer review could promote selection of high-risk transformative research – in this context, groundbreaking research - and what implications this might have on the organisation of peer review to support such activity. The paper discusses factors such as the evaluation/selection criteria to be applied, the selection of the peers, the powers bestowed on the peers in terms of making the selection or just advising, and the internal interactions within the panels.