Reforming Research Assessment
Side events
Reforming Research Assessment
Side events
Before the main conference, four side events will be held on 2-3 December 2025 in Copenhagen.
These sessions provide unique opportunities to engage with stakeholders such as research leaders, funding agencies, policy makers, and early-career researchers and to address pressing themes central to reforming research assessment.
Through interactive dialogues and collaborative exchanges, the side events aim to strengthen the collective understanding of what meaningful and fair research assessment can look like and to contribute to the shared vision of a more open and inclusive research culture.
2 December 2025 at Aalborg University Copenhagen:
1) Workshop for research leaders hosted by Aalborg University together with Villum Foundation and international partners
2) Co-creation workshop for funding agencies hosted by DORA
3 December 2025 at Aalborg University Copenhagen:
1) Special event to mark CoARA's third anniversary hosted by CoARA, European University Association, Science Europe and the European Commission
3 December 2025 at Tivoli Hotel & Congress Center:
1) EU roundtable hosted by Aalborg University and the European Commission
Side event for emerging research leaders (2nd Dec at AAU Copenhagen)
Villum Foundation in collaboration with Cambridge University and FRONTIER Center for Advanced SSH at Aalborg University invites emerging young research leaders to participate in the symposium "Collaborative Excellence: Preparing a life as Research leader". This symposium invites researchers and emerging research leaders to explore the evolving landscape of academic leadership with a focus on integrating the CoARA Commitments to a sustainable and responsible research culture.
The workshop is by invitation only and takes place on December 2nd, 2025 from 10 AM till 3 PM at Aalborg University Copenhagen, A.C. Meyers Vænge 15, 2450 Copenhagen SV.
The workshop is facilitated by Steven Wooding and Sam Gilbert (Cambridge University) and Chaired by Karen Skytte Larsen (Villum Foundation) in collaboration with David Budtz Pedersen and Rolf Hvidtfeldt (Aalborg University).
For inquiries, contact: davidp@hum.aau.dk
DORA side event on 2nd December 2025 at Aalborg University in Copenhagen
The Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) together with international partners will host a co-creation workshop for funders with the theme "Implementing Responsible Research Assessment at Research Funding Institutions". This co-creation workshop invites those working in funding organizations, researchers and policy makers to explore the evolving landscape of research assessment, with a focus on building a practical guide for implementing responsible research assessment for funders. This builds on DORA work with the practical guide for research performing organizations, which can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15000683.
The workshop is by invitation only and takes place on December 2nd, 2025. Feel free to send any questions to info@sfdora.org.
The Chairs of DORA Ginny Barbour, Kelly Cobey and Rebecca Lawrence will be facilitating the workshop.
CoARA side event on 3rd December 2025 at Aalborg University in Copenhagen
CoARA, together with the European University Association, Science Europe and the European Commission will host a special event to mark CoARA’s third anniversary with the theme “Celebrating three years of CoARA: Collectively shaping the future of research assessment”.
This event will bring together leading voices for a high-level discussion on how CoARA’s principles continue to guide research assessment reform in a rapidly changing world. Topics will include emerging challenges such as the role of AI in research assessment, as well as broader issues of geopolitics and data sovereignty. Beyond reflection, the event will also serve as a celebration of the collective progress made in advancing responsible research assessment worldwide.
The event takes place on December 3rd, 2025 from 9 AM till 11 AM. It is open to both onsite participants (limited capacity) and online participation. Please register for on-site participation or online participation.
Speakers include Henk Kummeling, current Chair of CoARA, and panelists from key initiatives, including DORA.
EU roundtable on 3rd December 2025 at Tivoli Hotel & Congress Center
Aalborg University together with the European Commission will host a EU roundtable with the theme "Incentivising Researchers to Engage in Science-for-Policy".
As societies grapple with complex and urgent challenges - from climate change and digital transformation to health crises and democratic trust - there is a growing demand for science to inform policy-making. Yet researchers often face a misalignment between this societal need and the academic incentives that shape their careers. This roundtable explores how the goals of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) can support a cultural shift that better recognizes and rewards researchers' contributions to evidence-based policy. We invite participants to discuss concrete strategies, institutional reforms, and evaluation practices that enable researchers to engage with policy. How can new approaches to research assessment - such as narrative CVs, recognition of diverse outputs, and a focus on societal relevance - create space for meaningful policy contributions? Through interactive dialogue, the roundtable aims to foster collaborative learning across institutions, disciplines, and countries - contributing to a shared agenda for responsible research assessment and actionable science.
The EU roundtable is by invitation only and takes place on December 3rd, 2025 from 10 AM till 11:30 AM.
Chair of the Programme Committee and professor David Budtz Pedersen and Alessandro Allegra from the European Comission will be facilitating the roundtable.
