Transforming Research Cultures: Navigating the Political Dynamics of National Research Assessment Reform

Abstract:  Growing concerns about the detrimental impacts of current academic research assessment practices have prompted a global movement to emerge calling for fundamental reforms. Reform principles calling for holistic evaluation and diversified quality criteria have gained increasing visibility in some countries and regions, coordinated by trans-national and national initiatives. However, rallying collective action on this issue presents significant challenges - both in building a coalition united around a common reform vision and in translating that vision into practice. This paper examines the political dynamics underlying a prominent national research assessment reform initiative - the Dutch Recognition and Rewards program. Through interpretive stakeholder analysis of the initiative's first five years, it highlights the diverse actors that have aligned with or opposed the proposed changes, their roles in the Dutch system, and resources and influences they wield. Crucially, although multiple actors can set the stage for reform, achieving lasting changes will hinge on how widely and enthusiastically the academic community embraces and enacts its guiding principles. The paper concludes with lessons about the strategies, vulnerabilities, and critical dependencies shaping this leading national research assessment reform effort’s development to date and going forwards, and draws out recommendations for similar reform initiatives launching in other countries.