Gender gaps in the peer review process. Different sources in the evaluation process for the allocation of grants in Argentina.

This article investigates gender biases in the peer review process for research grant allocation within the Argentinean PICT program ("Scientific and Technological Research Projects") during 2019–21, focusing on three evaluation dimensions: relevance, feasibility, and academic background of researchers. The study finds that female researchers receive consistently lower scores than male counterparts across all dimensions, with the gender gap being more pronounced among early-career researchers, particularly in the assessment of academic background and project relevance. These results suggest that science and technology (S&T) policies lacking a gender perspective may unintentionally reinforce existing barriers to women's advancement by perpetuating biased evaluations that affect funding decisions and knowledge production. The authors emphasize the need for targeted, stage-specific policy interventions to address these systemic and individual biases in the peer review process and promote greater equity in S&T grant allocation.