Updated 15 May 2025

TIER Open Workshop 27 June 2025:

“Inclusive Excellence: Why and How”

On June 27, 2025, the CoARA Working Group TIER – Towards an Inclusive Evaluation of Research organised the online workshop “Inclusive Excellence: how and why”, open to all CoARA members, to explore how inclusivity and research excellence can coexist. 

TIER participants illustrated key concepts and drivers of inclusive excellence, best practices across Europe, survey findings on unconscious bias in research assessment as emerged from their investigations. 

Four among the invited CoARA Working Groups joined the conversation: Reforming Academic Career Assessment (ACA), Responsible Metrics and Indicators (RMI), Early-and-Mid-Career Researchers (EMCRs)  – Assessment and Research Culture, and Improving Practices in the assessment of Research proposals. 

All WGs, each one from its perspective, agreed on the importance of inclusivity in the various assessment processes and on possible commonalities with TIER work. 

The workshop was well attended, with more than 70 participants, and represented an opportunity to share insights but also to build stronger links between WGs, harmonise activities, and encourage open dialogue among members. 

TIER in-person meeting 7 February 2025 University of Milano-Bicocca

On 7 February 2025, the WG TIER organised an in-person meeting at the University Milano-Bicocca to take stock of ongoing progress and challenges. Outstanding speakers shared their experiences grounded in various initiatives and European projects, chairs and co-chairs commented on the progress of the task forces, while opening discussions in subgroups among participants. Science is viewed as neutral and free of bias, but the reality is another. Do you want to know why it is so difficult to raise the issue of gender bias, and excellence? Why a neutral definition of excellence is no longer viable? Which practices contribute to a more inclusive research assessment?

Among the useful references being collected by the WG members are GEAR, a step-by-step online guide to develop Gender Equality Plans in academic and research organizations and GRANteDproject outputs:

• Gender Equality Plans: https://eige.europa.eu/gender-mainstreaming/toolkits/gear/gender-sensitive-research-funding-procedures
• GRANteDproject outputs: https://www.granted-project.eu/

The TIER WG wishes to publish the ongoing work in a public website so as to inform the whole community and to gain interest in the subject.

Mind the GEPs Special Report

The MINDtheGEPs project published a special report summarising key takeaways from an Open Forum roundtable discussion on gender equality and inclusive progress in research. It highlights challenges hindering gender equality, such as systemic barriers, intersectionality, and data gaps. The report also offers recommendations for institutions on how to promote gender equality.

Survey on Biases in Research Evaluation

From early February to 15 April 2025, WG TIER opened a survey to evaluate systematic biases in research assessment. We thank all those who participated in the survey! Your input is invaluable for mitigating confirmation biases and for WG TIER to develop guidelines to foster inclusive research assessment practices!

Previous Activities:

The WG had its kick-off meeting on March 22nd, 2024 and has adopted a roadmap to be made public in May; the biannual work will be carried out by two Task Forces: 

– Task Force 1 (TF1 – Data Collection & Analysis) dedicated to the analysis of the impact of implicit and explicit biases on research assessment, and to the elaboration of proposals to counteract them (also in interaction with TF2) 

– Task Force 2 (TF2 – Capacity Building & Communication) dedicated to organisational aspects, to fostering contacts and synergies with other WGs, NCs and CoARA members, to the production of guidelines and training material, and to the communication and dissemination of the deliverables. It will assist TF1 in the discussion and elaboration of a list of best practices to mitigate biases. 

Besides WG monthly meetings, also plenary meetings have been planned for the next two years. 

TIER aims at:

1. addressing the primary sources of unconscious bias and intersectional gender discrimination in the evaluation of research quality and researchers at any stage of their career
2. identifying mitigation actions
3. proposing concrete actions for research assessment criteria and practices that ensure equal opportunities, inclusiveness and valorisation of the diversity
4. producing guidelines and specific consciousness-raising training for evaluators, building on existing resources and European guidelines/project outputs.