Reviewer for ESRC doctoral programme scholarships?

[AlwaysColdHands]

I’m a not very important/ successful/ well-published academic. Just ticking along at post-92.
got an invitation out of the blue to be a reviewer for regional ESRC doctoral training programme applications.
I think it could be interesting, and useful, and apparently there is an unspecified honorarium (prob twenty quid)
Has anyone done this?
Have I been randomly mass e-mailed because they’re desperate and no one wants to do it, or has some mysterious person recommended me?
Obviously it makes more sense to ask here than reply to the email with these queries 😂

It is similar to being a reviewer for journal articles - if you know how to evaluate academic work, you can do this. You’ve probably been recommended by a colleague who was too busy to take it on.

it is good for your cv too. But do ask how many applications you have to read and how soon the deadline is.

Agree. I generally find it useful to do this kind of thing, but even now I always underestimate how long it will take - so do be careful!

I think it's a little odd to be asking on here. Go to your colleagues if you need advice

It's an excellent thing to do: you see what's out there and how people are formulating research projects. You get to see some of the best students in the system.

Most UKRI councils are looking to expand reviewer pools beyond the obvious research-intensive universities.

Thanks all, yes I have reviewed for journals before and would like to have this as another activity on my (slim) CV.
I’ll clarify word length/ number with them.
@Denim4ever why is it odd to be asking this on a forum where academics connect with other academics and ask for their views? 🤔

Do check the workload, OP. But if it is manageable this is a nice way to add another string to your bow.