Working Groups are central to CoARA as they are the main mechanism to exchange knowledge, learn mutually, discuss, develop and deliver outputs to advance research assessment and help with the implementation by members of CoARA of the commitments of the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment.

To further advance research assessment reform, CoARA is opening a Second Call for Working Groups. For the Second Call for Working Groups, a total of 7 WGs will operate over a period of 12 months from September 2025 to September 2026. The Second Call for Working Groups includes two types of proposals:

1.  Call for new Working Groups focused on pre-defined topics
2.  Extension requests from existing Working Groups

For new WG proposals, the call is structured around two steps: a call for Expressions of Interest and a call for full proposals. For existing WG extension requests, a full proposal is sufficient.

Only CoARA members can submit Expressions of Interest and full proposals, and only one designated point of contact can be appointed per member organisation to submit the Expression of Interest and full proposal on behalf of their organisation.

Working Groups will be proposed at the initiative of CoARA members on a voluntary basis. All CoARA members can respond to the call for Working Groups. It is very important to note that Working Groups should add value to what is already being done within the community and should strive to collaborate and seek synergies with like-minded initiatives and activities. 

Below you will find an overview of the deadlines related to the 2nd Call for WGs. Following sections outline the application process for new WGs and for extension of existing WGs, including relevant documentation in each section. For the full documents list and contact information for any questions, please scroll down!

This call is looking to fill some identified gaps in the current Working Group portfolio that the Steering Board has identified as critical to delivering on the CoARA vision. A recent report on the progress of the research assessment report in Europe (Oancea and Wilson 2024) has also informed specifications of the call. Applications for new WGs should be formed around the following three pre-defined topics below: 

• Core Commitment 4: Avoiding the use of university rankings in research assessment
  • Avoiding the use of rankings of research organisations in research assessment is one of the four core commitments of the Agreement on Reform Assessment. This commitment helps the research community and research organisations regain the autonomy to shape their assessment practices, regain the autonomy to shape their assessment practices, rather than having to abide by criteria and methodologies set by external, commercial companies.

• Guidance and concepts for qualitative assessment and for the assessment of the quality of research: in particular comprehensive, general framework formats, including mechanisms for combining both qualitative and quantitative elements of assessment
  • Commitment 2 of CoARA calls on signatories to base research assessment primarily on qualitative assessment supported by the quantitative use of indicators. However, to date there has been a lack of focus on guidance and concepts for qualitative assessment and for the assessment of the quality of research. More work is needed as to how assessors might successfully understand and define the quality of research, and how they might evaluate it in a robust and meaningful way.

• The assessment of team science, interdisciplinarity, intersectoral, and multisectoral aspects of work experience and roles outside academia.
  • This thematic area directly supports the goals of ARRA Commitment 1 by enabling fairer, more holistic recognition of modern scientific contributions across roles and sectors.  Modern research increasingly relies on collaborative, interdisciplinary efforts that span sectors and roles beyond traditional academic boundaries. This thematic area of the 2nd Call for Working Groups aims to address these challenges by fostering actionable solutions that support researchers engaged in team science, interdisciplinary work, and multi-sectoral career paths. 

See the Annex III – Topics Description document below for the full topic descriptions.

 This call for CoARA Working Groups adopts a staged approach:  

1. Submission of Expressions of Interest
2. An online brokerage event to facilitate community discussions and networking between organisations
3. Development and submission of full proposals for Working Groups

Note: submission of an Expression of Interest is mandatory to be able to submit a full proposal for new Working Groups. 

Proposals should state how they address at least one of the pre-define proposal topics and demonstrate how their work will address at least one of the four core commitments of the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment. 

Note that applications must be submitted via the online forms for the Expression of Interest and for full proposals to be considered.

The Second Call for Working Groups also allows for a very limited number of existing Working Groups to extend the lifetime of their operations by one year.

Existing WGs will base their request on progress, preliminary results, and justification in their work plans. Extension requests will be assessed on the level of justification provided, as well as past achievement, future outputs, and the rationale for continuation (see evaluation criteria for more details).

It is not necessary for existing Working Groups to submit an Expression of Interest or attend the online brokerage event, which are tailored for new WG proposals. Instead, existing WGs requesting extensions are required to submit their full proposal for extension by 12 June 2025 (midnight CEST). Note that existing WGs applying for extensions should select proposal type: “Extension for existing WG” on the online form. Note that applications must be submitted via the online form to be considered.