We are delighted to introduce the panelists for the panel discussion on the challenges and perspectives of responsible research assessment, which will take place on September 16, 5:00–6:30 p.m., at the Felix Frey Auditorium (Freiburgstrasse 3) in Bern.
Bringing together experts from research, university management and research support, as well as research funding organizations, the panel will discuss the ongoing transformation of research assessment. It will offer a broad perspective on efforts to develop more responsible, fair and transparent approaches, addressing questions such as: Where are we already seeing progress? Where do implementation challenges remain? And what role can researchers, university management, support units, and funding organizations play in actively shaping this change? The discussion will explore how this transformation is experienced across different levels of the research ecosystem, highlight areas where perspectives and expectations diverge, and reflect on how dialogue between stakeholders can help address tensions and support effective implementation.
With Leonhard Held, Full Professor of Biostatistics at the University of Zurich and Founding Director of the Center for Reproducible Science and Research Synthesis, and Fabio Wasserfallen, Full Professor of European Politics and Director of the Institute of Political Science at the University of Bern, we are pleased to welcome two researchers from different disciplines to the panel who not only bring extensive international research experience and strong publication records in leading journals, but have also engaged deeply with issues such as research reproducibility and Open Science.
The perspective of early-career researchers will be represented by Eda Elif Tibet. She is a member of the Swiss Young Academy, postdoctoral researcher at the Wyss Academy for Nature, and associate researcher at the University of Bern’s mLab, an experimental space for transdisciplinary collaboration at the Institute of Geography. Drawing on her own experience, she will share how the next generation of researchers view current changes in research assessment.
Catherine Brun, Deputy Head of the Sciences Team at the ETH Board, and Katja Wirth, Head of the Research Promotion Service at the University of Fribourg, contribute perspectives from research policy and research support to the discussion. Drawing on their extensive professional experience, they will also offer valuable insights into how research evaluation processes are shaped and implemented in the ETH Domain and at the University of Fribourg, respectively.
As Vice President of the SNSF and member of the Executive Board of DORA, Stuart Lane brings valuable experience in implementing DORA principles at the national funding level. He has trained hundreds of SNSF panel members in responsible research assessment and is particularly interested in how DORA can help address systemic challenges in academia, including long-term sustainability.
The panel discussion will be moderated by Katrin Brugger, who coordinates advanced research assessment strategies at the University of Graz. She currently leads the implementation of the so-called Activity Framework, the University of Graz’s interpretation of the CoARA commitments, and works closely with national and international partner universities to advance responsible research assessment.
