Why a working group on Research Assessment and Incentives?
Trustworthy research is built on rigor, transparency and reproducibility. Yet, current research assessment systems for hiring, promotion and funding often seem to fail to recognise the research practices that foster these essential qualities. The SwissRN Working Group (WG) on Research Assessment and Incentives aims to explore how researchers can be better acknowledged and rewarded for strengthening the integrity and credibility of their research. Through dialogue with institutions and key stakeholders, the group seeks to drive a culture shift toward a responsible research assessment system – one that values and incentivises good research practices.
Who we are and how we work
The WG’s first activity will be the “SwissRN Dialogue Series on Research Assessment and Incentives”. The challenge this activity will try to tackle is that of the communication gap between science policymakers, such as research funding organisations and higher education institutions when it comes to research assessment reforms. We will collect questions and “wishes” the SwissRN community wants to ask to relevant stakeholders (e.g., How does SNSF promote data sharing? or I wish University XYZ would acknowledge all the hours I spend reviewing papers.). After gathering a set of such questions and wishes, the WG will forward them to the relevant stakeholders and invite them to respond, either by answering the questions directly, explaining how they already address or could potentially incorporate a given wish. The resulting set of questions and responses will then be published on our website in the form of “flashcards” or similar.
Current Team (alphabetical order)
Celine Capelli (UZH), Virginia Chiocchia (UniBe) 
, Jamie Cummins (UniBe) , Rachel Heyard (UZH) , Fjola Hyseni (UniBas) , Jan-Erik Refle (UNIL) ,
Contact person
Join us! Contact Rachel Heyard