The Expertise Finder: Using NASA ADS for Panel Reviewer Selection

Abstract

Astronomical research is often made possible by the utilization of different resources that support members of the community in their research endeavors (e.g., telescopes access, or funds). Often, the entities that provide these resources establish a competitive process, which include the submission, by interested parties, of research proposals describing the research objectives and how the resources will be used to reach them. These proposals are evaluated by “ad hoc” panels of researchers, that provide a ranked list of the proposals based on their scientific relevance and other factors. This is also true for many NASA funding opportunities. In this article we present an open-sourced tool, the Expertise Finder, that simplifies the reviewers identification process. Expertise Finder provides NASA officials ways to scout prospective reviewers at small, less resourced, institutions that may have fewer opportunities to present and publish their research work with respect to colleagues at larger institutions.