PEER REVIEW IN RESEARCH GRANTS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL EXPERT EVALUATIONS

In emerging economies like Kazakhstan, where government investments in research are expanding, understanding the mechanisms of science funding is essential for effective resource allocation and fostering scientific advancement. Peer-reviewed grant systems are central to selecting high-quality research projects, but the relationship between expert evaluations remains underexplored, especially across various scientific fields. This study utilizes Pearson correlation analysis to investigate the relationship between national and international expert evaluations in Kazakhstan's peer review system. By analyzing data from grants awarded in 2021, we assess the consistency of expert evaluations across different scientific disciplines and grant types. Despite the use of standardized evaluation criteria, significant variations in correlations between the two expert groups were found, suggesting potential biases or discipline-specific factors influencing the review process. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the peer review system as a tool for distributing research funds and highlight areas for improving evaluation processes in emerging economies like Kazakhstan, where efficient research funding is critical to stimulating innovation and development.