How are national systems for evaluating publicly funded research evolving?
El Research Institute on Research (RoRI) has just launched the Evaluation Atlas, a new typology and global survey of funders' approaches to responsible research evaluation, in which the Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO) has had the honor of participating alongside other institutions of world science.
On Assessment Atlas, A publicly accessible, non-commercial data platform, it provides expert-vetted, high-quality data on national research evaluation systems worldwide and enables policymakers, decision-makers, and researchers to explore global trends, identify regional similarities and differences, and conduct in-depth comparative analyses of national research evaluation systems.
To date, the national research evaluation and funding systems of five Latin American countries—Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico—are represented, along with those of India, China, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, the United Kingdom, and Australia. With this, the RoRI Institute team “aims to broaden the typically limited focus of the literature on national research evaluation, which often centers on a small number of countries, predominantly in the Global North.” Therefore, it is expected that more countries will be analyzed and included in a second phase.
The working paper “New Typology of National Research Assessment and Funding Systems” examines trends in 13 countries from 2010 to 2024, offering diverse perspectives on how research is assessed and funded at the national level. Led by Alex Rushforth and Gunnar Sivertsen, the study introduces a new typology for categorizing research assessment systems and tracks key changes over time. Among its findings, it highlights a gradual shift (at least in some contexts) away from narrow definitions of “excellence” toward broader assessments of research value and impact.
Finally, the results of the 2025 Global Research Council survey, conducted in collaboration with the RoRI Institute, are presented. Fifty science funding bodies worldwide participated in the survey, which included nearly half of the responses from funders in the Global South. Thus, the survey offers a rare and rich comparative view of how responsible research evaluation is understood and implemented globally.
From CLACSO-FOLEC, we invite you to explore the RoRI Assessment Atlas, read the new RoRI working document and the GRC 2025 survey report and access more information on the website of RoRI Institute
