GRANT ASSESSMENT

The recommendations are based on a major fact-finding study, supplemented by an extensive consultation process. They represent current best practices implemented in Science Europe member organisations and can be considered the current gold standard in research assessment methods. They provide a framework within which all research organisations can further develop and optimise their own processes. At the same time, there is a need to consider how assessment processes should evolve in the future to ensure that they remain effective. The recommendations provide a starting point from which broader reforms to such processes can be considered. It is important to recognise that these recommendations are primarily about assessment processes and methods, and not so much about criteria. In recent times, the appropriateness of various criteria (such as journal metrics) has been questioned through initiatives such as the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment and the Leiden Manifesto on Research Metrics. This is a highly relevant debate, where a careful separation of assessment processes and criteria needs to be made.