MERIT App Charité

Background

The MERIT App Charité project is a software implementation project. It describes the adaptations and implementation of the prototype (QUEST MERIT App Open) to the local requirements at Charité - Universitaetsmedizin Berlin.

In the fall of 2017, the application portal for professorships at Charité - Universtitätsmedizin Berlin was expanded to include four additional quality, innovation, and impact-oriented evaluation criteria, as recommended in the various EU framework programs on responsible research and innovation (RRI):

• Scientific contribution (impact narrative)
• Selection of the 5 most important publications incl. impact narrative and indication of own contribution to the publication
• Contribution to Open Science
• Contribution Team Science with mention of key collaborations and interactions to relevant stakeholders

In addition, Academic Age was included as another measure and support for appointment committees in evaluating research productivity. Currently, these new criteria, together with the existing application criteria as a pdf document, are made available to the members of the appointment committees (BK) by email and subsequently in print as a basis for evaluation. In the context of the project WT BIH MERIT, the usability and accessibility of this evaluation basis was critically examined in the past years. Based on these results, the open source prototype software QUEST MERIT App Open was developed. The MERIT App Charité Open is a version of this prototype adapted to local requirements.

The introduction of the MERIT App Charité fits into the strategic goal Charité 2030 Internal Transformation - Redesign of Organizational and Governance Mechanisms. Furthermore, through its structure, design and content, the application implements international and national recommendations of important scientific organizations such as the EU, DFG, or the German Council of Science and Humanities on the selection of suitable indicators such as and principles of good evaluation practice in research.

The application is designed for 3 groups of users: the applicants, the staff of the appointment and recruitment office, and the members of the appointment committees.

Objectives

The MERIT App Charité aims to

• clearly and transparently present and explain to the applicants for a professorship at the Charité - Universtitätsmedizin Berlin all (research) evaluation criteria including the quality- and innovation-oriented criteria in advance
• support the Appointment and Recruitment Office (BRO) of the Charité - Universtitätsmedizin Berlin in the academic application and appointment process (advertised professorships)
• support the members of the appointment committees in the quality-oriented evaluation process

Methodology

The adaptation of the prototype and the introduction of the MERIT App Charité includes the following interlocking work packages and activities (selection):

Technical requirements analysis

1. Interface programming
2. Deployment prototype
3. Data protection and security concept

Testing prototype and requirements analysis with the user groups

1. Development of missing/wanted functionalities
2. Programming of desired (missing) functionalities
3. Development of design changes
4. Programming of design
5. Bug fixes
6. Deployment and testing
7. Creation of SOP
8. Finalisation of data protection and security concept
9. Training of user groups
10. Internal/external communication

Roll Out MERIT App Charité (V1.0)

1. More recording feedback
2. Possible bug fixes
3. Technical maintenance
4. Training

Further developments (cont.)

1. Adaptation and/or inclusion of further criteria and functionalities

Project information

MERIT App Charité is a joint project of the BIH QUEST Center and the IT department of the Charité - Universtitätsmedizin Berlin. Furthermore, representatives of the faculty management and the boards of BIH and Charité as well as the appointment and recruitment office are involved.

Further information can be found on the project page on OSF:https://osf.io/p2vyw/