The U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) is always in need of subject-matter experts to review research funding applications and the current water power portfolio. In many cases, WPTO can work with foreign reviewers, i.e., reviewers who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents. In most cases, WPTO will pay reviewers for their time. Some reviewers may not be eligible to accept payment, such as if the reviewer is internal to DOE or if the reviewer’s employer has a policy barring them from accepting payment from the federal government.
There are numerous opportunities to serve as a reviewer, including:
- Merit Review: Merit reviews are required for all discretionary financial assistance awards, such as grants and cooperative agreements made as a result of competitive funding opportunities. Merit reviews are also required for some national lab-led projects. The primary purpose of a merit review is to provide an independent assessment of the technical/scientific merit of a proposal. Merit reviews are performed by person(s) who have knowledge and expertise in the technical/scientific fields identified or presented in the proposals submitted to DOE.
- Peer Review: All programs within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) are required to undertake rigorous, objective peer reviews covering their key projects, the majority of their project portfolio, and the program strategy every two years. This ensures and enhances the management, relevance, effectiveness, and productivity of those projects. Peer Reviews include two levels of analysis and evaluation: (1) project level; and (2) Office level. The individual project reviews focus on whether the projects are executed correctly, and therefore the reviewers should have deep subject-matter expertise and project management experience. The office-level reviews focus on whether the program is funding the right types of projects and addressing impactful research topics. Reviewers at this level typically include subject matter experts as well as those with broader expertise and experience.
If you would like to become a WPTO reviewer, please send your name, contact information, and area of expertise to WaterPowerTechnologiesOffice@ee.doe.gov. After careful consideration, WPTO staff will contact all applicants to confirm reviewer selections and advise next steps for reviewer registration.