Aix Marseille Unviersité signs the COARA agreement for a reform of research evaluation

The signing of this agreement on November 2, 2022 is part of Aix Marseille University's ongoing commitment to open science. This approach has been in place for many years (performance bonus for the Research Department based on the HAL AMU repository, appointment of an open science officer, Open Science Working Group within the framework of the HRS4R...)

Almost 450 structures worldwide have signed CoARA (January 2023). This coalition brings together public and private research funders, universities and research centers, institutes, associations and learned societies. At the French level, 28 universities, but also Inria, Inserm, CIRAD, ANR, CNRS, UDICE, HCERES are already among the 44 French signatories of this commitment. Thus, a common orientation for the evolution of research evaluation practices, researchers and research organizations will be defined with the main objective of "maximizing the quality and impact of research".

The agreement includes the principles, commitments and timetable for reform and sets out the principles of a coalition of organizations willing to work together to implement this major change. By signing this agreement, Aix-Marseille University commits to recognizing, in the evaluation of research, the various outcomes, practices and activities that maximize the quality and impact of research. To this end, evaluation must be based primarily on qualitative assessment, for which peer review is central, accompanied by the responsible use of quantitative indicators.

Aix-Marseille University is in the process of setting up a CoARA working group in order to be a force of proposal concerning new criteria for the evaluation of research. Moreover, Aix-Marseille University is involved in the national coordination of the French signatories.