Madrid, 1 September 2025. The Spanish National Chapter of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) has published its first collective report, Mapping Institutional Approaches to Research Assessment Reform: Insights from the CoARA Spanish National Chapter, corresponding to Deliverable 1 (D1) of its work plan.
Coordinated by the National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation of Spain (ANECA), the Spanish Rectors’ Conference (CRUE), the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), and the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII), this report marks a key milestone in the development of the National Chapter, one of the first to become operational in Europe. The document identifies emerging institutional practices across Spain that are advancing towards more qualitative, responsible, inclusive models of research assessment aligned with the principles of CoARA.
In this first phase of work, more than 60 institutions contributed actively through four thematic working groups: assessment methodologies, assessment criteria, interdisciplinarity, and awareness and training. The report captures shared trends and common challenges, as well as concrete examples of initiatives implemented by universities, research centres, and evaluation agencies.
Key findings include:
- Progress towards hybrid models that combine quantitative and qualitative elements, with increasing use of narrative CVs and contextualised indicators.
- Promotion of practices that recognise interdisciplinarity, while also identifying methodological challenges for its evaluation.
- The crucial role of participatory processes, institutional leadership, and training in supporting cultural and organisational change.
- Current gaps in data infrastructures, evaluator training, and alignment across institutional, national, and European levels.
This report lays the groundwork for the second phase of the National Chapter’s work, which will begin in September and focus on co-developing shared recommendations, strengthening evaluator capacity, and consolidating communities of practice. It also aims to contribute to the broader European dialogue on research assessment reform by offering a national perspective grounded in evidence and inter-institutional collaboration.
The full report is available on Zenodo: Mapping Institutional Approaches to Research Assessment Reform Insights from the CoARA Spanish National Chapter
Suggested citation:
Blanco-Palencia, M. and National Chapter Spain (2025). Mapping Institutional Approaches to Research Assessment Reform: Insights from the CoARA Spanish National Chapter. Coordinated by ANECA, CRUE, CSIC, and ISCIII. Zenodo. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17017878
