Do interests affect grant application success? The role of organizational proximity

Abstract: Bias in grant allocation is a critical issue, as the expectation is that grants are given to the best researchers, and not to applicants that are socially, organizationally, or topic-wise near-by the decision-makers. In this paper, we investigate the effect of organizational proximity, defined as an applicant with the same affiliation as one of the panel members (a near-by panelist), on the probability of getting a grant. This study is based on one of the most prominent grant schemes in Europe, with overall excellent scientists as panel members. Various aspects of this organizational proximity are analyzed: Who gains from it? Does it have a gender dimension? Is it bias, or can it be explained by performance differences? We do find that the probability to get funded increases significantly for those that apply in a panel where there is a panelist from the institution where the applicant has agreed to use the grant. At the same time, the effect differs between disciplines and countries, and men profit more of it than women do. Finally, depending on how one defines what counts as the best researchers, the near-by panelist effect can be interpreted as preferential attachment (quality links to quality) or as bias and particularism.