PEER REVIEWERS

 

Who Are They?

Peer Reviewers (PRs) make up an advisory group drawn from the community to assess applications to the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund (RWAF). Each funding round will be assessed by an advisory group of at least five PRs, who are paid an honorarium for sharing their time and expertise. Board members are responsible for orienting these PRs to the policies that govern RWAF’s granting procedures, and for safeguarding the integrity of the whole assessment process. 

 

RWAF’s committee of PR's each round will be made up of a range of professional artists and other arts professionals who live or work in the Region of Waterloo; who represent a range of artistic practices and expertise; and who bring a diversity of lived experience with respect to race, age, language, gender, or ability, to the table. The committee approaches its work in a spirit of generosity and care, with a community-minded focus. All participants agree to express their views in respectful ways; to offer fair, objective analysis based on RWAF’s assessment criteria; and to treat all applications equitably, in accordance with the principles of the Ontario Human Rights Code, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

 

Recruitment

This is an open application process. The aim of the call-out is to attract practicing artists and arts administrators in the Region of Waterloo who want to contribute to local knowledge-building and to developing an equitable, sustainable future for working artists. 

The opportunity to apply for this role will be promoted ahead of each funding season. For more information or if you are interested in applying to be a Peer Reviewer for the Spring 2023 round click here. 

 

Applications will be accepted until April 21, 2023. A board member will be in touch by end of April/beginning of May about your application!

 

All those who put their name forward can expect to hear from a RWAF Board member, as the Board works to build a roster of viable PRs. Depending on the response, RWAF may reach out to artists individually to request their participation.

 

Building a group of Peer Reviewers

Designating a specific group of PRs for a given round of funding will mean assembling a cross-section of arts-discipline knowledge relative to the actual grant applications received. In addition, the make-up of any given group will hinge on the eligibility of each PR:

• is an experienced artist or arts administrator living or working in the Region of Waterloo
• does not have a conflict of interest, such as an individual or organizational application in that round of funding
• has the capacity to assess the # of applications assigned, and to meet all of the grant review deadlines 
• is available on the date and time of the review meeting to participate in the group discussion.

Review Process

Once confirmed, Peer Reviewers will:

• Sign a confidentiality and Conflict of Interest form
• Provide RoW staff with information for Direct Deposit
• Attend a virtual orientation and/or review all materials that are provided to them - held mid-May
• Review up to 50 applications using the RWAF online portal, and score each application
• Make note of feedback that could potentially be shared with applicants in their notification letter, to help them understand the status (successful or not) of their application
• Attend the 2-3 hour review meeting (time and duration will depend on the total volume of applications) - June 14, 2023 - 3pm
• Approve and recommend a list of applications to move forward in receiving funding, and which applications will be unsuccessful. As noted above, this final list will include meaningful notes on each application decision. 

The review meeting will be chaired by a RWAF Board Member, and a RoW Staff member will compile and present the scores to the PR group, for discussion. 

 

Compensation

$150 - for orientation and attendance at the review meeting

$10 - per application reviewed (number of applications to review will vary and will be confirmed prior to the start of the review process)

 

Time Commitment

Expectations will be spelled out during the recruitment process, so everyone can plan in advance to accommodate dates, times, and location(s). Once the assessment period starts, Peer Reviewers are expected to carefully assess each application assigned to them, including all supporting materials, links, documents, and budgets. The process culminates in attending the review meeting, where the group as a whole meets to decide which projects will (and will not) receive RWAF funding. 

 

Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest

Peer Reviewers will be entrusted with confidential information and must be prepared to make recommendations for grants based on the merits of each application. The names of Reviewers will also be made public as part of each funding announcement. As for conflicts of interest, Peer Reviewers cannot have an application in any round of funding in which they were hoping to take part. Please see the Conflict of Interest Policy.

 

Benefits of Serving as a Peer Reviewer

​The Board recognizes and appreciates the importance of PRs taking time to share their insights and expertise.
By engaging in a Peer Reviewer process, the peer reviewer is directly impacting the arts community, and our hope is that this experience will be rewarding for the Peer Reviewer as it may provide opportunities of connection and engagement with other Peer Reviewers in the process.

 

Peer Reviewer Application Form

Applications will be accepted until April 21, 2023.

If a paper copy or another method of application is needed, please email [email protected] 

 

The Big Print, Riverside Print Group 2013