The Horizons Interdisciplinary Assessment College

The Horizons Institute works with researchers and institutions across the UK and globally to support the development of challenge-led interdisciplinary research.  

We are inviting applications for a new Horizons Interdisciplinary Assessment College to support our processes for programmes and funding, which are modelled on the processes used on the UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships Scheme and UKRI cross research council responsive mode pilot scheme – UKRI

Applications are open to staff members at the University of Leeds with academic backgrounds and those in research-aligned roles (for example, technicians, and research professionals). Colleagues from all career stages are encouraged to apply and colleagues must have employment at the University of Leeds that covers the full term of their membership. 

Members will be asked to contribute a maximum of two days in a calendar year. This includes all training mandatory for the roles. Membership terms will be two calendar years. 

Who we are looking for

The Horizons Institute invites applications for panel chairs, panel members and panel rovers from colleagues across the research and innovation ecosystem at the University of Leeds. 

We are initially seeking 20 members, five chairs and five observers, also known as rovers, to enable us to respond to the potential demand and scope of Horizons activities. We are looking for people with different disciplinary backgrounds who have experience of interdisciplinary research or wider peer review processes.

This unique opportunity will offer you the chance to be at the forefront of this new approach to funding interdisciplinary research and gain valuable experience of peer review processes used by UKRI.

Panel members

We are looking for researchers, technicians, research professional colleagues who span the breadth of disciplines and subjects and who:

• Have experience of:
  • undertaking interdisciplinary research
  • working in interdisciplinary environments
  • developing, managing, working with, or supporting interdisciplinary research.
• Can contribute to a positive peer review culture.
• Are willing to work collaboratively with others, sharing views and listening to diverse opinions.

Colleagues from all career stages are encouraged to apply.

Panel chairs

In addition to the criteria outlined for panel members, we are looking for panel chairs who:

• Have deep knowledge and understanding of research and innovation.
• Can lead diverse groups and achieve consensus, recognising the need for different approaches where necessary.
• Remain objective and ensure decisions are fair, robust, and credible.
• Have experience of managing conflict and challenging behaviour that conflicts with the values of the Horizons Institute.

Previous experience of chairing a panel is not required. All panel chairs will receive guidance on our assessment processes.

The Horizons Institute is committed to upholding the highest standards of equity, diversity, and inclusion in our programmes and activities. We welcome applications from everyone and particularly encourage applications from groups that are under-represented in peer review processes, including women, those of minoritised ethnicity, and people with disabilities.

Members of the Horizons Interdisciplinary Assessment College are still eligible to apply to Horizons Institute funding calls.

What you’ll be doing 

Typical activities will include:

• Reviewing applications to our international Horizons Academy programmes, such as our Global Crucible programme (July 2025 and July 2026).
• Assessing applications for our interdisciplinary Challenge Networks programme (Spring 2026).
• Reviewing research proposals to our interdisciplinary pump-prime funding (early November 2024, April 2025, May 2025, July 2025 and 2026).

Please note the dates provided may change, but panel members will receive advance notice.

Panel members will assess each proposal on its own merit, providing expert and objective evidence-based assessment using the programme assessment criteria. 

Panel chairs will lead the panel meeting and facilitate discussions, ensuring the panel meeting keeps to time and that all attending members have a fair opportunity to input into the meeting. Panel Chairs will be expected to bring a non-biased view to assessment of the proposals and the applicants. 

Panel members may also be invited to attend panel meetings as panel rovers. Rovers are required to:

• Read a selection of the proposals to be assessed at the panel meeting.
• Observe the discussions of the proposals during the panel meeting.
• Provide feedback on the robustness of the assessment process and the panel meeting.

As this is a new approach, the Horizons Institute will provide support and guidance to assess interdisciplinary proposals and applications. We will hold webinars to outline our definition of interdisciplinary research, our ways of working, and guidance on how we run our assessment processes. 

Members of the Assessment College will have the opportunity to contribute to our assessment processes and to be a part of the evaluation of the College.

How to apply

All individuals that meet the listed criteria for membership are encouraged to apply.

Applications should be submitted via Microsoft Forms

Applications should be submitted by 5pm BST on Friday 18 October 2024. Late applications will not be accepted. We will notify you of the outcome of your application by 5pm on Tuesday 22 October 2024.

We will hold panel member training on:

• Wednesday 30 October, 1 – 2.30pm GMT, and
• Monday 4 November, 10.30am – 12pm GMT

Please note, panel members must attend one of these training sessions.

The Horizons Institute is committed to upholding and promoting the highest standards of equity, diversity, and inclusion. The application form will ask you questions about your age, ethnicity and ethnic background, sex and gender identity, socioeconomic background, and about disability. You have the option to say ‘prefer not to say’ to any question you do not feel comfortable answering. We are collecting this personal information because it enables us to understand our programmes better without guesswork and assumptions. We are not able to address inequalities and eradicate barriers to participation if we do not have a complete picture of who is engaging with our programmes and activities.

Peer review is a central tool in the decisions we make about our programmes and activities, and diversity of people, ideas, and perspectives is essential to a creative and collaborative research and innovation system. By collecting personal information about panel members, the Horizons Institute can reflect on the diversity of the Assessment College, and take action to ensure membership is representative of the breadth of expertise and lived experiences across the research and innovation ecosystem.

We recommend that you download and save a copy of your application form once submitted.

Assessment of applications

Application forms will be reviewed by a panel to check they are in scope and that the individual meets the criteria for membership. We may, where applications are of equal merit, take positive action to prioritise applicants where their characteristics, expertise or organisational experience is underrepresented within the Assessment College. Individual equity, diversity, and inclusion data provided by applicants will only be used during this step of the process.

If following these steps, the number of applications still exceeds the number of places available in the Assessment College, we may use randomisation to select the final members.

We will inform individuals of the outcome of their application by 5pm on Tuesday 22 October 2024.

Further information

We will hold a webinar for prospective Panel Members, Chairs and Rovers where you can learn more about the Horizons Interdisciplinary Assessment College on Monday 14 October, 1pm – 2pm BST.