Everyone has biases to varying degrees and strengths. Even in science, which strives for facts and evidence per se, biases are not excluded. However, funding decisions influenced by prejudices run counter to the selection of the best, are not guided by science and can be discriminatory. Accordingly, funding decisions by the Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation) should be made on the basis of objective criteria. At the same time, unavoidable delays in the scientific career should be taken into account appropriately in favor of the applicants. A new DFG e-learning course provides training on this topic and thus complements the short film produced last year on the subject (see material).
The modular course is primarily aimed at DFG reviewers and committee members who assess the best projects in a competitive process. However, the topic area and corresponding recommendations for action are also transferable to other scientific evaluation processes, for example peer review procedures, examination situations, appointment procedures or personnel selection processes. Participation in this further training course is therefore open and desirable for anyone who wants to work on reducing bias.
The course lasts approximately 45 minutes and is divided into the following modules, which can also be completed individually, in addition to the introduction and conclusion:
- Definition of bias
- Examples of bias and its effects in scientific judgment processes
- Reducing bias in scientific judgment processes
In addition to information, the modules contain practical examples, exercises and concrete recommendations for action.
The course was designed with the help of experts from the scientific community and reflects the current state of research. An English version is in preparation and will also be published soon.
