Developing CoARA Action Plans in CIVIS

Discover how CIVIS universities are engaging with CoARA, explore best practices in research assessment, and learn of the experience of keynotes and exchange ideas with the LERAR project.

← Back to courses
CIVIS focus area
Staff training
Open to
  • Staff
Field of studies
  • Other
Type
  • CIVIS International Academy
Course dates
8-10 June 2026
Apply by
16 Februar 2026 Apply now
We invite colleagues from across the Alliance to help shape our unified approach and influence the international debate on the future of research evaluation!

The landscape of research evaluation is undergoing a profound shift. Driven by the principles of Open Science, the Research Assessment Reform is moving away from narrow quantitative metrics towards a more holistic appreciation of scholarly impact, one that champions transparency, collaboration, and genuine societal value.

At the heart of this transformation is the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment ( CoARA ) to drive systemic reform across Europe and beyond.

The CIVIS Staff Week event aims to popularise the participation of CIVIS universities in the CoARA. Together, we will exchange ideas, create synergies, and strengthen our collective voice in international debates on research assessment reform.

Main topics addressed

The meeting is aimed to boost the activity of the CIVIS universities in CoARA, to share the experience of universities in elaborating an action plan for their participation in the CoARA, and to create synergies with the LERAR project (funded by the CoARA boost program: "Laboratory of Engagement with Research Assessment Reform: exchanging good practices between three members of one European university alliance, CIVIS" as a Teaming project developed by UB, amU, and UAM).

One of the most important aspects to be discussed refers to the relation between different academic actors (e.g., researchers, administrative staff) and policy levels (institutional, national).

Programme Highlights

Panel discussion about research assessment reform:

  • challenges, roadblocks, institutional solutions;
  • different levels of engagement: local, national, European;
  • share successful stories.

CoARA Action Plans in CIVIS:

  • share individual CoARA action plans;
  • explore the possibility of creating a CIVIS action plan for CoARA.

LERAR resources:

  • A comprehensive toolkit for CoARA participation.
  • Why European University Alliances?

Expected outcomes

  • share institutional actions plans for CoARA participation.
  • exchange of good practices in research assessment.
  • accelerate the adoption of CoARA principles in CIVIS.

The event will showcase good practices in elaborating the CoARA action plans, discussing at the same time the challenges encountered in the process. Participants are expected to design their own lines of action in promoting CoARA in their institutions.

This will be followed up by a LERAR event in the Global CIVIS Days.

Dates: 8-10 June 2026 (+ 10-12 June during CIVIS Days) Organiser(s): UB, UAM, amU
Format: On-site Requirements, selection process: participation is free, but limited to 20 people
Location: University of Bucharest Language: English 
Contact: civis@unibuc.ro; mihnea.dobre@unibuc.ro; raluca.amza@erasmus.unibuc.ro Apply by (date and time): 16.02.2026, 23:59 CET

The Staff Week will open with the high-level keynote panel "European University Alliances and Challenges of Research Assessment Reform", exploring how international efforts to promote a cultural change associated with Open Science practices and research assessment reform are carried out in European University Alliances.

CIVIS representatives from UB, UAM, UNIL, amU, and NKUA will comment on the various challenges that our institutions are facing with respect to local and national contexts. We invite representatives of the other CIVIS universities to contribute with examples and cases from their own institutions.

Application process

To apply, you will have to fill-in the application form before 16 February 2026, 23:59 CET. 

APPLY NOW

This Staff Week is open to academics and administrative staff from CIVIS European University Alliance member institutions.

Participants are expected to either work on or be interested in CoARA related actions in their own institutions. At least one participant per CIVIS university is expected to participate in the CIVIS Staff week.

At registration, you will be asked to submit a one-page motivation statement.

APPLY

Keynote speaker

Prof. Eva Mendez is a Professor at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and a distinguished leader in Open Science policy. A former member of the CoARA Steering Committee, who also had an influential role in the European Commission's Open Science Policy Platform, she plays a pivotal part in the Research Assessment Reform. Her expertise in metadata and standardisation, combined with her commitment to open knowledge, makes her one of Europe’s most influential voices in the transition towards more responsible and transparent research evaluation systems.

CIVIS speakers

Prof. Fabien Borget is a full professor of chemistry at Aix-Marseille University. His research focuses on astrochemistry, with a particular emphasis on the reactivity of interstellar ices. Since 2020, he has served as Open Science Project Manager at Aix-Marseille University, where he contributes to defining the institution’s overall policy on open access to publications and research data. In this role, he coordinates several support services aimed at assisting researchers with research data management issues. He is also actively involved in the development of Aix-Marseille University’s CoARA action plan. In addition, he is co-leader of the French national CoARA chapter, a forum dedicated to the exchange of best practices in research assessment within the CoARA framework.

Prof. Mihnea Dobre (UB) has a background in history of philosophy and science. His publications cover Cartesian philosophy, cosmology, the relation between metaphysics and physics and the demarcation-boundaries between early modern disciplines, history of the scientific revolution, and intellectual history. He is interested in new scholarly approaches (Digital Humanities) and different ways of communication and dissemination of research results (Open Science). At UB, he is involved in the development of the university' CoARA action plan. In RIS4CIVIS, he coordinated Module 5 (Open Science) and in CIVIS, he is co-leader of the Expert Group Open Science. He is also part of the alliance’s Research Council and HUB5, Digital and Technological Transformations.

Dr. Rafaella Lenoir Improta has a background in Social Environmental Psychology. At Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, she leads Open Science initiatives as Institutional Coordinator and is Principal Investigator of the Horizon Europe WIDERA project ScienceUs. Her work focuses on advancing Open Science practices, driving Research Assessment Reform - including actively contributing to the development of UAM’s CoARA Action Plan - promoting Citizen Science initiatives, and fostering collaborative research approaches. In RIS4CIVIS, she coordinated Module 6 (Embedding Citizens and Society in Science).

Prof. Christos Papatheodorou (NKUA) has a background is in Computer Science. His research interests include Digital Humanities, Digital Curation, Metadata interoperability, Open Science, Evaluation of Information Services and Personalization. Currently he is the Director of the 'MSc in Digital Humanities' organized by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, the University of Cyprus, and the Research Centre Athena, Greece. He had participated as representative of NKUA in CIVIS working group on Open Science and in Module 5 (Open Science) of RIS4CIVIS project.