Resource Library

The purpose of the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) is to grow New Zealand for all. It aims to build a strong economy by using the skills, knowledge and time of its people in conjunction with its natural resources, and financial and physical capital to improve the wellbeing of current and future generations.…

The Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) is the principal advisory body to the Government of Tanzania on all matters related to science, technology, and innovation (STI). Established in 1986, COSTECH coordinates, regulates, and promotes research and innovation to support national development. This case study describes COSTECH’s initiative to strengthen the capacity of female…

The Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) is the main funder of research activities in Luxembourg. It invests public funds and private donations into research projects in various branches of science and the humanities, with an emphasis on selected core strategic areas. FNR supports and coordinates activities to strengthen the link between science and society and…

In 2020 the Canadian federal funding agencies introduced a Reference Group for the Appropriate Review of Indigenous Research in recognition that culturally appropriate review of Indigenous research cannot be achieved without the involvement and co-leadership of Indigenous Peoples.

To encourage high-quality, constructive, and unbiased grant reviews, in 2020 the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) implemented a reviewer performance assessment system.

QUT is applying DORA principles across all faculties through a university-wide Action Plan. Since 2021, the institution has prioritized equity and fair metrics, with full implementation continuing through 2027. A review of the Academic Career Framework will further embed these practices, supported by broad consultation and collaboration with other DORA signatories.

This case study shares the Major R&D Outcome-Oriented Evaluation System implemented by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in recent years which emphasized impactful research and moved beyond purely quantitative metrics.

Aalborg University (AAU) in Denmark has embarked on an ambitious reform of its research assessment practices, aiming to move beyond traditional journal-based metrics and towards a more holistic and mission-driven approach. As an institution committed to problem-based learning and interdisciplinary collaboration, AAU sought to align research evaluation with its broader strategic goals. With approximately 3,200…

In January 2021, the University of Calgary was the first Canadian university to sign DORA, cementing an ongoing commitment to societal impact, recognition of diverse forms of scholarship, Indigenous engagement, equity, diversity and inclusion and rigorous assessment and reporting of impact to parties within and beyond the University. The process of implementing DORA has been a…

The University of Tokyo, established in 1877, is Japan’s oldest and largest national university, with three main campuses: Hongo, Komaba, and Kashiwa. The university’s major research areas span a wide range of disciplines, including natural sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and interdisciplinary fields. In 2023, UTokyo became the first Japanese university to sign DORA. This…

In 2022, the Department of Psychology at the University of Maryland underwent a complete overhaul of their evaluation policies, stemming from their motivation to address reproducibility issues in the field and develop more transparent and inclusive evaluation policies. The department chair began this process with DORA’s principles in mind, working alongside administration, faculty, and a…

In this booklet by the UK Collaborative on Development Research (UKCDR) 10 exemplary case studies submitted to Research Excellence Framework (REF2021) are discussed, highlighting international development research by the UK and its non-academic impacts. All 10 case studies are evaluated for how the research at each location was conducted and what the real-world impacts were…

The UK Collaborative on Development Research (UKCDR) conducted an analysis of 891 international development research case studies to identify patterns in the types of non-academic impact that were achieved by studies. This was complemented by 10 case study “deep dives” to better understand the impact of international development research by the UK Higher Education Institutions.…

The ARRC team at the University of Cambridge is running a controlled trial to investigate the effects of using narrative CVs in postdoc recruitment. Narrative CVs aim to avoid placing a narrow emphasis on lists of achievements such as authored publications, awarded grants, etc. Using a narrative CV might allow researchers to highlight their wider…

INRAE is a public research institute in France that promotes cohesive and sustainable development of agriculture, nutrition, and the environment. INRAE has implemented several different initiatives focused on advancing researcher evaluation and providing strong support for open science. The evaluation of individual researchers at INRAE is a two-way process conducted by both the organizational hierarchy…

The University of Glasgow (UofG) is a public, research-intensive University that values the generation of impact beyond academia both nationally and globally. It comprises over 6,700 researchers in 23 academic schools, undertaking disciplinary and cross-disciplinary research. Since 2019, UofG has focused on five key priorities for the development of positive research cultures: collegiality, career development,…

The University of Zurich (UZH) is Switzerland’s largest university. It was founded in 1833 and has around 30000 enrolled students as well as almost 10000 academic and professional staff. With its 7 faculties and over 100 institutes, UZH boasts the most comprehensive range of academic study programs in the country, covering a wide spectrum of…

In 2015 the UK’s Open University (OU) published “An Open Research University” a book outlining the outputs from a three-year project to create and implement an evidence-based strategy to embed the principles and practices of engagement with new processes for research assessment within the university. In keeping with the OU’s existing commitment to open research…

The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) is an intergovernmental life sciences research organization operating at six sites across five locations in Europe. As Europe’s only intergovernmental organization for life science research, EMBL believes it has a responsibility to be a leader and innovator in the way research in molecular biology is performed and assessed. Since…

The Latin American Forum for Research Assessment (FOLEC) is an initiative of the international Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO). CLACSO created FOLEC to support knowledge sharing on research assessment reform between CLACSO research member institutions and regional policymakers. This initiative was necessary because CLACSO research member institutions are located in 52 countries, primarily…

This report and the accompanying online repository bring together and analyze case studies in institutional change for academic career assessment. Gathered by DORA, together with the European University Association and SPARC Europe, the case studies serve as inspiration for universities and other actors looking to improve their policies and practices.

Tampere University is a new Finnish institution, formed in 2019 from the merger of the University of Tampere and the Tampere University of Technology. As a result of the merger, Tampere recognized it had a unique opportunity to redesign its policies to implement a fair and responsible model for faculty hiring, promotion, and tenure.

University College London (UCL) has developed several new responsible research development and assessment policies: the Academic Careers Framework (2018) and the Responsible Use of Bibliometrics at UCL (2020). These policies were prompted by internal motivations, which included a wish to create a culture that embraces Open Science practices at the university.

The University of Nottingham is a global university, with campuses in the United Kingdom, the People’s Republic of China, and Malaysia. In 2019, the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) signed DORA and committed to the implementation of DORA principles through the establishment of an Implementation Task Force.

In response to an institutional culture that had become overly reliant on quantitative indicators for research assessment, and from a desire to promote a less competitive academic environment with a renewed focus on collaboration, Ghent University developed a new conceptual framework for research evaluation that is guided by eight principles.