Through a global Coalition of research funding organisations, research performing organisations, national/regional assessment authorities and agencies, as well as associations of the above organisations, learned societies and other relevant organisations, signatories of the Agreement will work together to enable systemic reform on the basis of common principles within an agreed timeframe, and to facilitate exchanges of information and mutual learning between all those willing to improve research assessment practices.

As the representative function of the Coalition, General Assembly meeting occur twice a year to approve the overall strategy that guide operations and activities of the Coalition as a whole. All member organisations are invited to participate in General Assembly meetings join together members from the coalition to provide updates on annual activity reports, facilitate mutual learning between members, elect Steering Board members, offer feedback on proposed frameworks, and approve annual work plans and budgets.

The CoARA Steering Board is responsible for the overall oversight, strategy, work plan, and sustainability of CoARA. The CoARA Steering Board is made of a total of maximum 11 members, including a Chair and up to two Vice-Chairs, from a diverse set of organisation types and countries. The board is composed of individuals who bring a wide range of expertise, leadership, and commitment to research assessment reform, while maintaining balanced representation across member organisations. Acting as a collegial body, the Steering Board aims to make decisions for the advancement of the coalition by consensus; however, in some cases, the Chair may organise votes. In order to support CoARA’s communities of practice and implement frameworks to advance the reform of research assessment, the Steering Board provides guidance for member participation and oversees the progress of Working Groups, National Chapters, and the General Assembly.

Working Groups and National Chapters operate as ‘communities of practice’ within CoARA. Based on a bottom-up approach with members’ voluntary involvement, these communities of practice provide mutual learning and collaboration to implement and advance the reform of research assessment practices on different scales.

Working Groups are central to CoARA’s mission to enable systemic reform in specific thematic areas. Participating members exchange knowledge, learn from each other’s experience, discuss and develop outputs to advance research assessment and support the implementation of members’ commitments.

National Chapters dedicated to assisting CoARA members in implementing the core Commitments from a regional perspective to address key issues on the national level through knowledge exchange and mutual learning.

During the first General Assembly meeting on December 1st, 2022, the European Science Foundation (ESF) was selected to host the CoARA Secretariat. The Secretariat is responsible for supporting the daily operations of the Coalition, facilitating connectivity between members and signatories, and organising key events such as the General Assembly meetings. In addition, the Secretariat also coordinates the CoARA Boost Horizon Europe project, which enhances capacity-building for CoARA members, who are essential in shaping the Coalition’s direction and advancing reform efforts.

The Secretariat was previously hosted by the Interim Secretariat composed of Science Europe, the European University Association (EUA) and the European Commission.