Reforming research assessment

Structural Policy 5 in the ERA Policy Agenda (2025-2027)

The way research projects, researchers, research units and research institutions are currently assessed is still very much based on a limited set of research outputs and activities, mainly publications, and dominated by some inappropriate uses of several indicators and methods gauging the quality, performance and impact of research.

• Identifying and widely-sharing good practices, toolboxes and recommendations, for research assessment;
• organising international dialogues, dissemination and mutual learning events by the Commission, Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) and Member States;
• implementing research assessment reforms in research institutions;
• carrying out a study to identify the changes made to national frameworks, changes implemented by research institutions, and changes expected from the action plans of the signatories of the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment;
• continued national dialogues between national authorities and research organisations.

Objectives

• Make institutional changes to improve research assessment;
• measure the level of progress made with reforms to research assessment;
• increase knowledge and raise awareness of reforms;
• identify gaps in reforms, any limiting or blocking factors, and further measures needed;
• Ultimately, help raise quality, performance and impact of research and therefore to make research careers more attractive.

Expected outcomes

• Knowledge, awareness, and engagement to research assessment practices and reforms raised by CoARA, research organisations (including research performing, research funding and research assessment organisations), national authorities and EU institutions;
• support, mapping and an analysis of the changes made to national frameworks and in individual research institutions;
• the identification of any remaining gaps in reforms and of any measures still needed at all levels (institutional, national, and European).

Background information

In the first ERA Policy Agenda (2022-2024), Action 3 addressed research assessment reform through several key steps. This included the establishment of the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment which brought together research funding and research performing organisations, and the formation of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) to support these efforts.

For more information:

Horizon Europe support for research assessment reform | European Research Area Platform

CoARA – Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment