The REALISE (Responsible Evaluation and Assessment Leading to Inclusive Scholarly Excellence) project, carried out by nine academic and research institutions across Europe, will establish a systematic evidence base to guide research organizations, policymakers, and reform advocates in implementing effective research assessment practices.
The project is aligned with the following UN Sustainable Development Goals no. 4 — Quality education, 17 — Partnership for the goals.
The project is funded by the European Commission, project no. 101291517.
The need to reform research assessment practices is widely recognized in Europe and globally. However, despite influential initiatives such as the Declaration of Research Assessment (DORA) and the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA), the implementation of research assessment reform has been a slow process. Research organizations, policy makers, and reform advocates are working on implementing assessment reforms with only very limited evidence to guide their efforts.
Approach
REALISE will pursue an ambitious research agenda focused on developing a systematic evidence base for research assessment reform, leveraging strong existing links to key initiatives. We will collaborate with a broad range of stakeholders to:
- Create a knowledge base that synthesizes existing evidence on assessment reform and identifies evidence gaps
- Study how various assessment tools and methods can best be used to improve research assessment
- Investigate novel approaches to assessment reform and institutional culture change
Deliverables
Some of our deliverables include:
- Online platform that synthesizes the evidence base on research assessment reform
- New evidence on the efficacy and impact of different types of research assessment tools and methods
- Practical, validated framework for guiding implementation of responsible research assessment in institutions and systems at different stages of reform readiness
- Recommendations for effective implementation of research assessment reform tailored to the local context of research organizations.
Practical applications of results
Our work will inform assessment reform efforts made by research performing and research funding organizations. It will also support the work of initiatives like DORA and CoARA aimed at promoting research assessment reform. In this way, REALISE will make an important contribution to strengthening the European research system, increasing returns on investments in research, and creating more attractive career opportunities for researchers.
Research Consortium
The following institutions comprise the REALISE research consortium:
- Know Center Research Gmbh, Austria - Coordinator
- Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Cientificas, Spain
- Pensoft Publishers, Bulgaria
- Stichting Radboud Universiteit, Holand
- SWPS University, Poland
- Universidade De Coimbra, Portugal
- Universiteit Leiden, Holand
- The University Of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Tieteellisten Seurain Valtuuskunnasta, Finland