Agreement for reforming research assessment has been published

The collection of signatures to the Agreement and the posibility to join the Coalition will be launched on 28 September.

The co-creating process of drafting an agreement for reforming research assessment was launched in January 2022 and its final version was presented on 8 July at Stakeholder Assembly, which brought together more than 350 organizations representing more than 40 countries. The Czech Republic had 13 entities presented.  

The draft of agreement was prepared by a team composed of representatives from the European University Association, Science Europe, the European Commission, and Dr Karen Stroobants in her capacity of individual researcher. The involved organizations that provided feedback to the draft represent a wide range of actors such as public and private research funding institutions, universities, research centers and infrastructures, evaluation agencies or regional authorities.   

As part of the Agreement, the signatories commit to a common vision for changes in assessment practices for research, researchers and research performing organisations. The assessment will recognise diverse practices and outputs that maximise the quality and impact of research. The evaluations should therefore be based primarily on a qualitative judgment, for which the so-called peer review is key, supported by the responsible use of quantitative indicators. The Agreement also suggests abandoning the inappropriate use of journal and publication-based metrics and avoiding the use of research organization rankings when evaluating research. Finally, the Agreement contains commitments and a time frame for reforms. 

The collection of signatures to the Agreement and the posibility to join the Coalition will be launched on 28 September as part of the European Research and Innovation Days during the plenary session on research evaluation reform. The "Constitutive Assembly", the first meeting of the Coalition's General Assembly, is expected to take place in late autumn 2022. 

You can find the final version of the Agreement on the website of the European Commission.