The UK CoARA National Chapter brings together organisations to drive real change in how research is assessed in the UK. Launched in February 2024, and co-led by the University of Strathclyde, Swansea University, Loughborough University and the University of Bristol, we’re a growing community committed to putting the principles of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) into action.

Whether you’ve already a CoARA signatory or are just exploring what it means, the Chapter offers a practical space to reflect, share and shape reform that works for your context. We also advocate for responsible research assessment at the national level and ensure that UK perspectives are represented in discussions across the international CoARA community.

Our Objectives

The UK National Chapter is focused on two main objectives:

1. Facilitating meaningful change
   Supporting member and signatory organisations to develop and implement action plans that reflect their ambitions for reform.
2. Promoting systemic reform
   Engaging with non-member organisations to raise awareness of CoARA and help them consider joining or aligning with its principles.

As membership grows, the Chapter may expand its role—such as supporting the development of a renewed UK Forum for Responsible Research Assessment, as recommended in Harnessing the Metric Tide.

Updated 23 July 2025

We hold quarterly meetings open to anyone interested in responsible research assessment and driving change within their organisation.

Please save the dates for these upcoming National Chapter Open Meetings:

• 3 September 2025, 10am–4pm — in-person/hybrid event hosted by Health Data Research UK (HDR UK) at the Wellcome Trust, London. Register here.
• 4 December 2025, 10:30am–11:30am — online. Register here.

Our open meetings are open to all, whether you’re a signatory of CoARA or not. They are typically followed by chapter-only sessions to discuss chapter business, which all representatives from National Chapter member organisations are encouraged to attend.

Keep up to date and engage with us
Get the latest news and updates about events, resources and opportunities by connecting with the UK National Chapter. Please see the links below to get in touch!

• UK CoARA National Chapter Meeting – 4th June 2025
  Our second open meeting of the year focused on enabling and making the case for reform. Swansea University shared a case study on the institutional value of CoARA, and the University of Suffolk presented on increasing capacity for responsible research assessment.

• REF 2029 Codes of Practice – Advice from the UK Chapter – 20th June 2025
  This community drop-in session looked at how responsible research assessment principles can inform REF 2029 Codes of Practice. Over 120 people joined the discussion. The recording, slides and summary notes are available here: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15727735