On 17 October, YERUN participated in the workshop on National activities supporting research assessment reforms, focused on CoARA National Chapters and organised by the European Commission in collaboration with the CoARA Secretariat.
The event took place in the context of ERA Action 3 on advancing towards the reform the research assessment (RA). It follows and builds on an earlier workshop organised by the Commission on 27 June 2023, as well as on the meeting of National Chapters co-chairs that was co-organised by CoARA in Porto last February. The following National Chapters Forum will be on March 2025.
Elizabeth Gadd and Karen Stroobans from the CoARA Secretariat kicked off presentations. They offered compelling reflections on the global nature of research and highlighted how CoARA was designed with an international focus, positioning it as a precursor to reforms at the national level. The 16 National Chapters contribute by acting as communities of practice, implementing the ARRA in unique contexts and through a bottom-up approach.
The sessions evolved around three topics: (1) National activities supporting reforms; (2) Operation of CoARA National Chapters, and (3) Fostering inclusive reforms.
1. Discussions around national activities supporting reforms were preceded by the presentation of the National Chapters of Portugal, Poland and The Netherlands. Key highlights include the promotion of research-on-research activities, particularly on the development of alternative/new assessment criteria processes. This contributes to helping institutions formulate more robust, evidence-based diagnosis and to enriching community debates.
The discussion after featured activities to support the reform at national level and the role of national authorities in it. Activities driving the reform include balancing top-down and bottom-up initiatives, engaging young academies, or defining a clear common goal, such as open science, as a starting point. Generating national dialogue -involving HR services-, managing expectations (as cultural change takes time), and raising awareness within and beyond universities are also crucial. National authorities may play varying roles – some as enablers, others as facilitators, and in some cases, no role at all. At the European level, the alignment of Horizon Europe and the ERC with CoARA’s efforts would also pave the way – as it was the case with open science or gender action plans.
2. The topic on the operation of CoARA National Chapters benefited from the presentations of the National Chapters of Andorra, Sweden and the United Kingdom, whose establishment took place this year. Discussions focused on the involvement of researchers and challenges to the reform of RA. Researchers are more likely to get involved when their peers do, especially if CoARA becomes a prominent topic within their institutions or at thematic, discipline-based conferences. Creating incentives, such as adopting narrative CVs for funding applications or establishing CoARA ambassadors through ERCs, could further encourage participation. However, many institutions lack leadership support, and national governments or authorities are not fully engaged in promoting policies that foster reforms. The complexity of embedding CoARA principles into existing systems, coupled with the fear of challenging traditional academic cultures or long-held concepts of excellence, adds to the difficulty. A concerted EU action, potentially backed by legislation, could be instrumental.
3. The last topic, fostering inclusive reforms, included presentations from the National Chapters of Norway and Germany. Focusing on inclusivity, both emphasized the importance of opening National Chapters to non-CoARA members, offering ‘associated member’ status to non-signatories, and selecting event topics with broader appeal. Umbrella organizations also play a key role in helping members overcome fears of new initiatives, allowing them to learn from these before deciding to join.
A last word on synergies brough back the argument of lack of resources. The Secretariat will be promoting a fundraising strategy that will be discussed in the December at the CoARA General Assembly.
In a spirit of leaving no stone unturned and addressing the narrative and fears surrounding the reform of research assessment, participants were enthusiastic about the idea of using YERUN’s open science advent calendar platform as myth buster for the reform of research assessment!
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Photocredit: © CoARA – Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment
