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Panel

Transforming Research Assessment for Next Generations

#ResearchAssessment #ResearchReform
25 September 2023| 12:00
Main Auditorium

Moderator

Pilar Rico Castro

FECYT
  • The Nexus between Research Assessment and Open Science
  • Expanding the Horizons: Integrating Diverse Research Outputs
  • Overcoming Biases: Ensuring Fairness in Research Assessment
  • Collaborative Initiatives for Open Science in Assessment: CoARA and FOLEC-CLACSO
  • Emphasizing Change: The Urgent Need for Reform

In the realm of Open Science, research assessment stands as a crucial cornerstone. The global consensus points towards a necessary shift to a more quality and impact-based approach, one that embraces a broader spectrum of research outputs while safeguarding research integrity and reproducibility. Presently, research assessment systems heavily lean on quantitative journal- and publication-based metrics, limiting the scope of evaluation.

This narrow focus brings forth linguistic, geographic, thematic, and commercial biases that impede scientific progress. In response to these challenges, initiatives such as CoARA in Europe and FOLEC-CLACSO in Latin America and the Caribbean have emerged, uniting decision-makers, research organizations, and the scholarly community in implementing coordinated Open Science practices within research assessment.

The time is ripe for collective action. A concerted effort is needed to drive reforms across diverse research assessment systems and practices, with the ultimate aim of bolstering research quality, fostering openness, enhancing performance, and magnifying societal impact. By embracing an inclusive approach, we can propel the scientific community towards a future of collaborative and transformative research.

Key topics of this session:

  1. The Nexus between Research Assessment and Open Science
  2. Expanding the Horizons: Integrating Diverse Research Outputs
  3. Overcoming Biases: Ensuring Fairness in Research Assessment
  4. Collaborative Initiatives for Open Science in Assessment: CoARA and FOLEC-CLACSO
  5. Emphasizing Change: The Urgent Need for Reform

Panelists

Sarah de Rijcke

Professor of Science, Technology and Innovation Studies and Scientific Director at CWTS
Sarah de Rijcke is Professor of Science, Technology and Innovation Studies and Scientific Director at CWTS, Leiden University, and Co-Chair of the Research on Research Institute (RoRI). Sarah specializes in social studies of research evaluation, which she considers in relation to epistemic cultures, knowledge infrastructures, valuation processes, and roles of research in and for society. She has a strong international public academic presence with global outreach activities in science policy, speaking frequently on the topic of research evaluation and metrics uses. She recurrently acts as expert advisor in European and global science policy initiatives.

Manuel Franco

Social and Urban Epidemiologist
Manuel Franco, Social and Urban Epidemiologist, is an associate faculty at the University of Alcalá and adjunct faculty in two institutions in the USA: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the City University of New York CUNY Graduate School of Public Health. He was the Principal Investigator of the European Research Council Starting Grant Heart Healthy Hoods (http://www.hhhproject.es) studying urban characteristics in relation to eating patterns, physical activity levels, smoking and alcohol consumption. He was also the PI of the Participatory Project on food in the cities: Photovoice Villaverde (https://youtu.be/VIiFggKzVas)

Yensi Flores

I am a passionate molecular biologist dedicated to developing cutting-edge biological cancer therapeutics. Currently, I am a Marie Curie fellow, working on a project that brings together the Institute for Protein Design at the University of Washington, Seattle, and the Cancer Research centre at University College Cork, Ireland. Being a native Honduran, I possess a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by scientists from low-income countries. This awareness drives my unwavering commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion within academia. To effect meaningful change, I actively leverage my roles as a member of the Executive Committee of the Global Young Academy (GYA), a steering board member of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA), and an active member of the Young Academy of Ireland (YAI). Through these affiliations, I engage in transdisciplinary research aimed at identifying and overcoming barriers that hinder a diverse and equitable research culture. I also actively participate in science policy and science communication initiatives, advocating for research assessment practices that foster diversity, inclusion, and fair evaluation, with a particular emphasis on early career researchers worldwide. Through these esteemed affiliations, I engage in transdisciplinary research endeavours that aim to identify and overcome barriers hindering the establishment of a diverse and equitable research culture. Additionally, I am actively involved in science policy and science communication initiatives, where I advocate for research assessment practices that foster diversity, inclusion, and equality. With a specific emphasis on early career researchers worldwide, my goal is to create an environment that provides equal opportunities for all researchers to thrive. One notable achievement includes coordinating the publication of a comprehensive study on research assessment practices, encompassing 141 institutions from 56 countries across 6 continents (https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3011208/v1).

Pablo Vommaro

Pablo Vommaro. Post-Doctor in Social Sciences, Childhood and Youth (Catholic University of Sao Paulo, University of Manizales, CINDE, National University of Lanús and CLACSO). PhD in Social Sciences at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA). Independent Researcher at CONICET, Professor of History at UBA and Co-coordinator of the Policy and Youth Studies Group (GEPoJu, IIGG/UBA). Research Director of the Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO) and the Latin American Forum for Scientific Assessment (FOLEC-CLACSO).