Review Process

Tier One—Technical Review:  This process is conducted by READ staff at IIE and AADF and confirms that the Resident and Diaspora Scholars are eligible to participate in READ, and that all application materials have been submitted. Incomplete applications may be given time to submit missing materials.

Tier Two—Peer Review:  Eligible project-scholar packages are assigned to committees comprised of scholars representing an array of disciplines. Disciplinary committees make recommendations to the Advisory Council from a disciplinary perspective as to the merits of the Resident Scholar’s project and the Diaspora Scholar background.

Reviewers apply the READ Review Criteria and rate each project and proposed scholar match on a numerical scale, arriving at one of the following final ratings:

• Highly Recommend (HR)
  Project quality is considered outstanding, with clear evidence of mutual benefit, an appropriate timeframe and high potential for impact. The proposed Diaspora Scholar’s expertise, experience, and motivation for applying are well suited to the project’s success, impact, and sustainability.
• Recommend (R)
  Project quality is considered to be sufficiently high to meet the program goal and purpose, explains mutual benefit, proposes an acceptable timeframe, and shows promising impact potential. The proposed scholar’s expertise, experience and motivation for applying fit the needs of the project. 
• Not Recommended (NR)
  Project lacks sufficient quality, does not demonstrate mutual benefit, is not considered feasible in the time proposed or shows little potential for impact and/or the proposed Diaspora Scholar’s expertise, experience or motivation for applying are not considered a good fit for the project’s success, impact and sustainability.
• Recuse (RE)
  Unable to review due to conflict of interest

Reviewers will not review scholar applications from their home institution. Reviewers will also recuse themselves from reviewing projects or scholar applications submitted by a member of their family or from someone with whom they have worked closely.

Tier Three—Advisory Council Recommendation:  The READ Advisory reviews all recommended projects and Resident/Diaspora Scholars and agrees upon a list of finalists that is then shared with AADF.

AADF will invite Resident Scholar finalists to its offices in Tirana to present their project to an interview panel, including AADF’s leadership and other representatives. AADF makes final selection decisions and shares with IIE.

IIE makes notifications to all recommended projects and scholars as to the final status of their applications.