This achievement represents a significant success for UniLodz, Professor Kuside艂鈥檚 research team and the Polish academic community as a whole. The HORIZON鈥慦IDERA鈥�2025鈥�06鈥慐RA鈥�01 call focuses on implementing the outcomes of the European Research Area (ERA) Policy Agenda. In the thematic area selected by UniLodz, the call addresses the reform of research assessment systems so that they better reflect the diversity of research practices, as well as the quality and impact of research, rather than relying primarily on the number of publications or journal prestige. This direction of change is widely recognised as one of the key challenges facing contemporary research policy in Europe.
The RDA project aims to support the systematic and sustainable implementation of responsible research assessment reforms across the European Research Area. It seeks to raise awareness, strengthen institutional engagement and develop the competences required to introduce modern, fair and quality鈥慸riven principles for evaluating research activities. The project is fully aligned with major international initiatives to reform research assessment, including the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment (2022), the activities of CoARA and the DORA Declaration.
As part of the project, a range of tools to support institutions in implementing reforms will be developed. These include an indicator鈥慴ased maturity model, self鈥慳ssessment instruments, reform roadmaps, as well as training and networking activities. The project will engage a broad group of stakeholders, including universities, research funding bodies, policymakers and researchers, including early鈥慶areer researchers. Its overarching goal is to increase trust in research assessment reforms, disseminate good practices and improve understanding of both the barriers to change and the factors that facilitate successful reform in this area.
The project consortium comprises 11 partners from Poland, Cyprus, Slovenia, Sweden, Finland, Greece, Italy and the United Kingdom, with a total project budget of nearly EUR 2 million. The cascade funding, which provides for the support of third parties through nine smaller projects with a combined value of EUR 60,000, will constitute an important component of the project. These smaller grants will enable broad involvement of external stakeholders in collecting, evaluating and co鈥慶reating good practices and innovative ideas related to research assessment reform.
The significance of the project extends well beyond the university itself. Research assessment reforms are today one of the cornerstones of building a modern, inclusive and responsible research system in Europe. Their success will determine whether evaluation systems are able to better recognise the real value of academic work, collaboration, openness, social and environmental impact, and diverse career paths for researchers. The RDA project therefore directly supports the European Union鈥檚 strategic objectives of strengthening research quality, trust in science and the resilience and competitiveness of the European research and innovation system.
As emphasised by Prof. Ewa Kuside艂, the project coordinator: 鈥淪ecuring this grant is a great distinction for UniLodz and a clear confirmation that our university actively contributes to shaping key reforms in European research. The RDA project will not only allow us to develop new tools and solutions for research assessment but also to foster a culture of evaluation based on quality, responsibility and the genuine impact of science on society. This is an important step both for our university and for Europe as a whole鈥�.
It should be also emphasised that the RDA grant represents the only Polish coordination within this call. The implementation of the project by UniLodz strengthens the university鈥檚 position as an active participant in the transformations taking place within the European Research Area and confirms that Polish academic institutions can play a meaningful role in shaping the future directions of ERA development.