WG Improving practices in the assessment of research proposals

April 17, 2024

WG Mission

The mission of the WG Improving Practices in the Assessment of Research Proposals is to improve practices in the assessments of research proposals, ultimately supporting higher quality and more impactful projects, in line with the principles and core commitments of the Agreement.

Research funders, researchers, and other organisations such as evaluation agencies play an important role in supporting CoARA's vision. As such, the WG aims to foster mutual exchange and provide guidance for these key stakeholders, while respecting the autonomy of each member, towards developing more transparent criteria and processes used for the selection and review of project proposals in alignment with the principles of the Agreement.

The work aims to support research funders and other organisations (e.g. evaluation agencies) in the definition and implementation of their own action plans and milestones for implementing the core commitments of the Agreement. It will also support funders and other organisations in the review of their own routines and processes and support the fostering of an evaluation culture supportive of the Agreement.

Activities

Public Consultation Launched: Discussing Ways to Implement ARRA Commitments 1, 2 and 3
in Research Funding Criteria, Procedures and Culture

The WG has produced the following report and discussion paper as the main output of its activities between early 2023 and late 2025. In this WG, research funding organisations (RFOs) and representatives of the global research community collaborated to explore how to better align RFO assessment practices with the CoARA commitments.

The report is primarily intended for RFOs, both at the executive and officer levels, who are committed to advancing research assessment reform and seeking practical inspiration for improving their evaluation processes. The document presumes familiarity with research funding mechanisms and invites readers to consider perspectives from administrators, policymakers, research institutions, and the wider research community. Members of these groups may also find the resource valuable.

Readers are warmly invited to contribute their views by completing this CoARA Public Consultation form. Please note that the public consultation will be open until February 15th, 2026.

Read the report

Affiliated Organisations

AERG – Association of the ERC Grantees, Europe
AKA – Academy of Finland, Finland
ANR – The French National Research Agency, France
ANRS|MIE – ANRS|Emerging infectious diseases, France
ANVUR – Italian National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes, Italy
ARRS – Slovenian Research Agency, Slovenia
COST Association – European Cooperation in Science and Technology, Europe
DFG – German Research Foundation, Germany
DORA – San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment
ELKH – Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Hungary
ETAG – Estonian Research Council, Estonia
EURODOC – European Council of Doctoral Candidates and Junior Researchers, Europe
European Commission, Europe
FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology, Portugal
FNP – Foundation for Polish Science, Poland
FNR – Luxembourg National Research Fund, Luxembourg
FORTE – Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare
FWF – Austrian Science Fund, Austria

FWO – Research Foundation Flanders, Belgium
GYA – Global Young Academy, Global
HRB – Health Research Board, Ireland
INCa – French National Cancer Institute, France
IRFD – Independent Research Fund Denmark, Denmark
ISEP – Paris Institute of Digital Technology
KKS Sweden – Knowledge Foundation, Sweden
Lundbeck Foundation, Denmark
NRFU – National Research Foundation of Ukraine, Ukraine
NWO – The Dutch Research Council, The Netherlands
Rannís – The Icelandic Centre for Research, Iceland
RCL – Research Council of Lithuania, Lithuania
RCN – The Research Council of Norway, Norway
Science Europe, Europe
SFI – Science Foundation Ireland, Ireland
Swedish Research Council, Sweden
UEFISCDI – the Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation
Funding, Romania
VINNOVA – Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems, Sweden
YAE – Young Academy of Europe, Europe
ZonMw – Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development, The Netherlands

WG Objectives

The overall objective of the Working Group is to improve practices in the assessment of research proposals, ultimately supporting higher quality and more impactful projects, in line with the principles and commitments of the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment, while respecting the autonomy of each member.

This will include work on:

Criteria for the selection of research projects and innovative approaches to review processes. The Working Group will exchange information and learn mutually on how quality is understood and operationalised by research funding and other organisations through their assessment criteria. It will share experiences and lessons learnt and will identify general trends and evolutions. It will also aim at discussing innovative approaches to the selection, including approaches beyond peer review, and the challenge of focusing on quality and impact, at scale.
Selection of and guidance to reviewers on responsible research assessment practices. The Working Group will support exchange of experiences and good practices as regards selection of and guidance to experts and associated materials and their effectiveness. It will address how appropriate reviewers can be selected and provided with adequate, high-quality training on the selection criteria and processes, how to use indicators appropriately, and how to apply high standards of ethics and integrity in their decision-making. It will also address how appropriately recognise and support the work of peer-reviewers.
Information requested from applicants. The Working Group will exchange practices on the information requested to applicants, how to balance quantitative and qualitative information, as well as how to recognise a diversity of outputs, tasks, practices, skills and competences. It will also explore aspects such as when information should be requested.