EuChemS participates in WG TIER workshop on inclusive excellence in research evaluation

On 27 June 2025, EuChemS took part in the online workshop “Inclusive Excellence: Why and How?” hosted by the Working Group TIER – Towards an Inclusive Evaluation of Research (WG TIER). The event, open to all members of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA), brought together stakeholders from across Europe to reflect on how inclusivity and excellence can be meaningfully integrated into research evaluation practices.

The session provided an overview of the activities carried out by WG TIER over the past year. These included an overview of their work collecting data and analysing case studies at national and EU levels to understand how equality, diversity and inclusion are currently considered in evaluation procedures. Attention was given to the availability of data and the extent to which different career paths are taken into account.

The group also presented its work on developing a toolkit to support bias mitigation, which includes open-access materials and online resources aimed at improving fairness in assessment processes.

Additionally, the findings of a survey were introduced. The survey examined how bias may influence areas such as recruitment, career development, and grant allocation. It also explored perceptions of institutional environments and the effectiveness of existing bias-reduction strategies, while identifying areas for improvement.

Following these presentations, a roundtable discussion was held with the participation of other CoARA Working Group chairs. The exchange allowed for reflection on the meaning of excellence and inclusivity in the context of research evaluation today, and how these concepts can be better integrated into assessment practices. The discussion also aimed to strengthen cooperation between working groups and support the alignment of their ongoing efforts.

EuChemS welcomed the opportunity to contribute to this exchange and continues to support initiatives that encourage fairness and transparency in research assessment.