‹ Go Back

Join the FOREST Joint Call International Expert Panel

The FOREST Joint Call 2026 is seeking independent experts to support the evaluation of research and innovation proposals. Invited are researchers, practitioners and other stakeholders with recognised expertise in the Joint Call topic areas and objectives, including interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral research, innovation and practice.

At both the pre-proposal and full proposal stages, the International Expert Panel will carry out a scientific evaluation of the proposals.

Workload:-

  • Preparation
    • From 09.12.2026 to 19.01.2027: Preparations with moderate effort (confidentiality agreement, Conflict of Interest Check, reading of supporting documents, personal pre-selection of proposals in the respective field of interest)
  • Pre-Proposal Evaluation
    • From 25.01. to 19.02.2027 Evaluation of at least 8 pre-proposals, providing an individual Proposal Evaluation Statement for each respective proposal including relevant scores. – The final number allocated to each expert will depend on the number and thematic distribution of proposals received, the availability of suitable experts as well as Conflicts of interest and personal pre-selection of proposals per evaluator.
    • From 22.02. to 05.03.2027 Coordination of the evaluations of selected proposals (approx. 3) as rapporteur (3 reviewers per proposal; result of the rapporteur task is the draft Joint Evaluation Statement
  • Full proposal Evaluation
    • From 18.06. to 10.08.2027 Evaluation of approx. 8 full proposals (providing an individual Proposal Evaluation Statement for each respective proposal including relevant scores)
    • From 12.08. to 27.08.2027 Coordination of the evaluations of selected proposals (approx. 3) as rapporteur (3 reviewers per proposal; result of the rapporteur task is the draft Joint Evaluation Statement)
    • 31.08.2027 Obligatory participation in the online International Expert Panel Meeting to discuss and finalise the Joint Evaluation Statement (incl. final rounded score) for each Full Proposal and determine on a final ranking list of proposals per topic area of the call

Reimbursement

In acknowledgement of their work, experts will be reimbursed via the Call Office for evaluating proposals once the whole evaluation process is finished. This is not expected to be before October 2027 and will be broken down as follows:-

• Fee per pre-proposal evaluation: 60 € + 25 € if acting as a rapporteur
• Fee per full proposal evaluation: 120 € + 25 € if acting as a rapporteur
• Participation in full proposal Expert Panel meeting:  250 €

Register as an Expert

PLEASE NOTE that registration as an expert does not automatically guarantee participation in the evaluation process. The Call Office will only be able to determine the required number and expertise of evaluators after the pre-proposal deadline on 2 December 2026 and preparations which will include a conflict of interest check, currently scheduled to be completed by January 19th 2027. Experts will therefore be selected from the pool of interested and nominated experts based on the number and thematic distribution of proposals received, relevant expertise and the absence of conflicts of interest. Prior to the evaluation, all selected experts will undergo a formal conflict-of-interest assessment and will be required to sign confidentiality and conflict-of-interest declarations.

Based on the information above, would you be interested in joining the International Expert Panel?

If so, please register your interest by completing the online survey:

REGISTER HERE

Conflict of Interest (CoI) Policy for Experts

A Conflict of Interest (CoI) exists when an individual’s personal, financial, professional, or other interests could interfere, or be perceived to interfere, with the impartial and objective performance of their duties.

Experts must declare any actual or potential CoI related to the proposals they evaluate. Any situation that may reasonably compromise impartiality must be disclosed.

Download Conflict of Interest Definition Here

Measures to Avoid Conflict of Interest

Members of the International Expert Panel (IEP):

  • Must not submit applications to the call.
  • Must act independently and in a personal capacity.
  • Must complete a CoI declaration before accessing proposals.
  • Will receive a list of participating institutions in advance and must declare any relevant CoI.
  • Must confirm the absence of CoI for each assigned proposal via the evaluation system.
  • Must immediately report any newly identified CoI and stop the evaluation of the affected proposal.
  • Must not participate in evaluation or discussion of proposals where a CoI exists and must withdraw from related discussions when required.