PSY | Reforming Research Assessment: SFU joins CoARA with Pilot Project at Faculty of Psychology

Sigmund Freud Private University signed the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment and joined the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment.

Why did SFU join CoARA?

SFU joins the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) in light of increasing international calls for reforms in research assessment. In recent years, a variety of initiatives have criticised the inappropriate use of quantitative metrics in research assessment and alternative frameworks were proposed to instead center the evaluation of quality and impact. The Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment (ARRA) offers concrete steps towards this goal, providing guiding principles and commitments, a timeframe and further tools for implementing the reforms. In Austria, the ARRA has been signed and endorsed by research institutions such as the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), as well as the Austrian Conference of Private Universities (ÖPUK), which SFU is a member of.

Benefits for the research community

By signing the ARRA, SFU as a research institution commits to reforming its assessment criteria, instruments and processes, thereby contributing to international efforts towards the recognition of diverse research contributions and careers.

The CoARA offers joining research institutions and organizations autonomy in the implementation according to the diverse research profiles while promoting mutual exchange of experiences and resources.

As a member of the CoARA, SFU will thus be able to match institutional needs while simultaneously learning from and with other members, ultimately contributing to systemic progress and an iterative process of reforming research assessment internationally.

Next steps and expectations

SFU’s Faculty of Psychology currently spearheads the university-wide reform process by financing a position within its research office as a pilot project. The Faculty’s unique research profile comprises a diversity of methods and approaches, ranging from natural and social sciences to cultural studies, humanities, and interdisciplinary research. For such pioneering work in research niches, appropriate standards for research evaluation are especially important. The research office therefore facilitates a faculty-wide working group in which researchers contribute to the development of appropriate assessment criteria, according to the standards in their respective research fields, traditions and communities. The pilot project further aims at promoting exchange with other faculties as well as other research institutions and organizations within the CoARA.

Contact:

Faculty of Psychology – Research Office
Sigmund Freud Private University
research.psychology@sfu.ac.at
Research Profile | Faculty of Psychology

12 December 2024