Explained

The current assessment systems of researchers, research projects, research units and research institutions are still very much based on a limited set of research outputs and activities, mainly publications, and dominated by some inappropriate uses of a number of indicators and methods gauging the quality, performance and impact of research.

In the ERA Policy Agenda (2025-2027), research assessment reform is addressed with a dedicated ERA structural policy. It aims to promote knowledge, awareness, and engagement in research assessment practices and reforms raised by CoARA, research organisations (including research performing, research funding and research assessment organisations), national authorities and EU institutions. It equally aims to map changes made in national frameworks and in individual research institutions and to identify any remaining gaps in reforms and of any measures still needed at all levels (institutional, national, and European).

In the first ERA Policy Agenda (2022-2024), an Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment was created between research funders and research performers and a coalition of signatories, by defining and piloting new approaches in different domains, and by analysing the legal and administrative barriers at national and trans-national level for a modern research assessment system.

Reforming research assessment is a long-term effort with systemic and cultural changes needed, which require continued activities, support and monitoring.

Horizon Europe plays a key role in fostering research assessment reforms by:

Connecting existing organisations and initiatives for reforms of research assessment, facilitating the exchange of information and mutual learning, and stimulating consensus building among the stakeholders.
Identifying recommendations for policy makers, research funding and performing organisations, higher education institutions and other research and innovation actors on how to best implement institutional changes to research assessment.
Supporting and contributing to the implementation of institutional changes to research assessment.
Supporting global outreach of European efforts to reform research assessment and reinforced international cooperation on evolutions in research assessment.
Supporting the development of assessment approaches of research and researchers that better account of open science practices. Piloting new metrics, assessment methods, and required infrastructures and tools which lead to better rewarding the practice of open science, as well as related issues such as gender equality, science education, and academia-industry collaboration.

On this page, you can find relevant resources and tools, ongoing projects, and insights on outcomes and impacts of Horizon Europe support for research assessment.