Each quarter, DORA holds two Community of Practice meetings for research funding organizations. One meeting takes place for organizations in the Asia-Pacific (A-P) region and the other is for organizations in Africa, the Americas, and Europe (AAE). These groups provide a space for funders to learn from each other, share new policies and practices, and collaborate on advancing fair and responsible research assessment (RRA).
We are delighted to kick off the process of co-creating “A Practical Guide for Implementing RRA for Research Funding Organizations” with the funder community and in partnership with the Global Research Council (GRC) RRA Working Group and Science Europe. This initiative builds on the momentum of our Practical Guide for Implementing RRA for Research Performing Organizations launched in May 2025.
The new guide for funders aims to be a “one-stop-shop” to help organizations at any stage of their journey, from identifying the value of RRA to developing and implementing interventions that work for their unique context. It will offer actionable insights, real-world examples, and tools to support change.
Kicking off the Co-creation Process for Funders Guide
On September 11, 2025, our Q3 meetings focused on special co-creation sessions focused on the new resource. The meetings began with an overview of the project, emphasizing the leadership role funders play in the research ecosystem and the importance of collective action and shared approaches, while also recognizing that a “one-size-fits-all” model does not work.
The proposed structure for the guide includes four main chapters:
- Introduction to RRA: Covering its core principles and goals.
- Key activities to embed RRA in your organization: Outlining practical actions like developing a strategic vision, exploring the landscape, working with the community, and mobilizing resources.
- Key moments in funder research assessment: Identifying intervention points such as establishing funding calls, making funding decisions, and setting grant conditions.
- Global initiatives and exemplars: Connecting RRA to broader topics like open science, societal impact, and scholarly communication.
Insights and Feedback from the Funder Community
The core of both meetings was a facilitated discussion where attendees helped co-create the guide, providing invaluable feedback on the guide’s purpose, audience, and content.
There was a strong consensus on the value and purpose of the guide. Participants affirmed that a practical guide with case studies would be immensely useful. Attendees noted it could help them learn from peers, gain internal buy-in for new initiatives, and provide actionable examples for funders at different stages of RRA implementation. Participants highlighted that the guide would be particularly valuable for smaller funders and recently signatories to DORA.
While the core audience for the Guide was seen to be those directly involved in grant making and management roles – such as Research and Program Managers, and policy and evaluation teams, it was noted that the Guide would be a powerful tool to engage organisation leadership in RRA-related topics. Our goal is therefore to develop a Guide that can provide practical support and advice to individuals working at and involved in all stages of research funding.
The feedback on the proposed key activities and moments was rich and constructive. Members were supportive of the proposal for the Guide to include advice around starting small, considering pilots and experiments to determine what works best, and ensuring the Guide was not prescriptive and recognised the importance of the diversity of national contexts within which different agencies sit – for example, the presence or absence of national evaluation frameworks. Additionally, funders highlighted the need to consider Indigenous worldviews and principles throughout the guide.
Throughout the discussion, attendees generously shared links to resources and case studies, from policies to tools, e.g., for mitigating unconscious bias in review panels.
Next Steps for the Guide
Project Coordinator Liz Allen and the DORA team will now incorporate the extensive feedback to draft the first version of the guide. The draft will be shared with the funder groups for review at the Q4 meetings on November 13.
A key next step is a final in-person co-creation event, which will be held as a side event at the EU Conference on RRA reform (CeRRA) in Copenhagen in December 2025. The guide is planned for launch in May 2026.
Looking ahead
Looking ahead to 2026, the funder groups will explore the topic of using AI in responsible research assessment. We invite funders to consider presenting their initiatives in future meetings.
In the meantime, here are opportunities following this Q3 meeting:
- Register your interest for the CeRRA conference: https://www.cerra.aau.dk
- Submit innovative funding practices geared towards societal impact to The Pew Charitable Trusts repository: https://pewtrusts.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_a5WhELZTyG2mAYK?Source=DORA (deadline October 13)
We are grateful to all the funders who participated and shared their expertise. This collaborative spirit is essential for creating a resource that is truly practical and impactful for the global funding community.
If you are employed by a public or private research funder and are interested in joining the Funder Discussion Group, please find more information on our webpage or email us at info@sfdora.org.