Expression of Interest

Royal Society Te Apārangi is calling for expressions of interest (EOI) from experienced individuals who wish to assist with the assessment of proposals submitted to Catalyst: Leaders and Catalyst: Seeding.

Reviewers assist in the evaluation of proposals across all disciplines. For more detailed information on the review process and how to submit an expression of interest form, please see the Expression of Interest Guidelines.

An EOI can be submitted to the Society at any time. However, to be considered for an active call, your EOI must be received no later than 3 weeks prior to the call's closing date.

For the currently open Catalyst funding round (Kohi-Tātea January call 2026), please submit your EOI by Wednesday 1 Paenga-Whāwhā April 2025.

Submitting an Expression of Interest

All interested individuals from within Aotearoa New Zealand are invited to submit an EOI. To do so, please complete the brief Expression of Interest Form and Statistical Information Form below, email the forms and your CV (on New Zealand RS&T format) to: International.Applications@royalsociety.org.nz

For more information on the Catalyst Fund Reviewer EOI, please read on or download the Catalyst Reviewers Expression of Interest Guidelines.

• Catalyst Reviewers Expression of Interest Form 
• Catalyst Reviewers EOI Guidelines
• Statistical Information
• NZ-RST-CV-Template

Role of Reviewer

As a reviewer, you will grade and comment on a selection of proposals. We aim to match applications to your area of expertise but you will also evaluate proposals from diverse fields of research. All proposals will be reviewed remotely and there is no requirement to attend a meeting in person. Supporting materials, including scoring sheets, will be supplied by the Society.

All Catalyst Fund reviewers will be acknowledged on our website. They must not give specific feedback to applicants but can share general insights.

• The Society aims to allocate a maximum of 25 proposals to each reviewer. 
• The main content of each proposal is presented in 3-5 pages. The total length, including CVs, letters of support, etc., is 15-20 pages, depending on the programme. Consequently, most applications can be assessed within 30 minutes or less.
• Reviewers are responsible for carrying out the evaluation of the proposals. Delegating the work to another person is not permitted.

Requested Reviewer Skills and Experience

Independent reviewers from within Aotearoa New Zealand shall be chosen on the appropriate skills, experience and knowledge to carry out the assigned tasks.

Prospective reviewers are expected to have one or more of the following credentials:

• a high level of professional expertise in a relevant field of science, technology, or the humanities and capacity to assess applications from a broad variety of research disciplines;
• understanding the key attributes that underpin high-performing international research collaborations;
• understanding the Government’s strategic priorities for New Zealand research.

Timeline

Tabled below is the calendar of events for the 2026 Catalyst Fund ‘request for proposals’ (RFP) and associated review activities. Each call includes programme activities in both Catalyst: Leaders and Catalyst: Seeding. For more information on included programmes, please refer the Society’s Catalyst Fund website.

Table 1: Calendar of events for the 2025 Catalyst: Leaders and Catalyst: Seeding RFPs and review activities.

Appointment of reviewers

A pool of potential reviewers from within Aotearoa New Zealand will be identified through an open call for EOIs. The Society will concurrently approach candidates to complement the required skill sets in the pool.

In appointing reviewers, the Society will aim to achieve:

• the highest quality of panel composition;
• representation of different skill sets and experience;
• representation of different organisation types;
• representation of different research specialties;
• minimal conflicts of interest in the review panels; 
• equity and diversity.

Reviewers will be notified of their selection no later than the closing date for each active RFP. An appointment letter will be issued, which includes a confidentiality agreement and conflict of interest declaration for signing.

More information

For submissions or further information, please contact Royal Society Te Apārangi (International) team at: International.Applications@royalsociety.org.nz