MAI-I

Matters of Research Assessment and Its Implementation

Focusing on professorial appointments and tenure track evaluations, the project aims at developing implementation strategies with and for the institutions of the Berlin University Alliance that align current research assessment practices with responsible research and innovation approaches.

Background / Rationale

Existing research assessment systems no longer meet the current needs and developments in science and society, such as digitalization, the diversification of research tasks, disciplines, and career paths, or the emergence of new formats of research outputs and publication models. This misalignment is the subject of several national and international reform initiatives by policymakers and the scientific community that signal a change in the practice of research assessment. These include the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment by the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA), the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science and the German Research Foundation’s position papers on the status of publications in research assessment and on Open Science.

You can find more information on the position papers here and here (in German). 

Objectives

The aim of the project is to develop, together with the partners of the Berlin University Alliance (BUA), strategies for each institution on how demands for advancing research assessment can and should be implemented into practice. The results should reflect the different objectives of the four institutions and create synergies in the Berlin research area for the recruitment of professors and tenure track evaluations.

Methodology

The project takes an agile, participatory approach to conducting a field and needs analysis through scoping reviews, expert interviews, and a survey. Throughout the process, the project is committed to stakeholder engagement, capacity building, and knowledge exchange among the BUA institutions through information sessions, workshops, and presentations.

Expected Results / Implications / Perspectives

By supporting and advising on the implementation of the recommendations described above and robust research assessment practices in appointment procedures and tenure-track evaluations at the BUA institutions, the project will contribute to organizational structures that promote the fair, diverse, and robust selection of appropriate candidates. It will support the organizations in their efforts to put these principles into practice. In addition, the implementation group aims to link its findings to other research assessment areas and to support an evidence-based, participatory exchange of knowledge and best practices among BUA partners and other national and international stakeholders.

You can find our project description, status updates, and relevant documents on the Open Science Framework (OSF) platform.