What is CoARA?
The idea behind CoARA is to reform the evaluation of the performance of various stakeholders within the academic system, for example by placing greater emphasis on qualitative factors.
CoARA's four core commitments
- Recognise diversity of research dimensions and career paths in research assessment
- Evaluation should be based on qualitative assessment
- Avoid inappropriate use of metrics in research assessment
- Avoid using rankings of research institutions in research assessment
The Humboldt-Universität already has a wide range of best practices to draw upon in this area.
CoARA signatories/network
In the Berlin research area, the Berlin University Alliance (BUA), Technische Universität Berlin, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the University of Potsdam have also signed CoARA. Humboldt-Universität is also part of the "National Chapter", which connects stakeholders across Germany.
CoARA action plans
The signatories of CoARA draw up action plans that set out the measures planned to reform research assessment over the next five years. Some of the plans are "living documents" and are published on Zenodo.
- Meyer, Anneke (Leibniz University Hannover), & Abad Andrade, Maria (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, SZF) (2026). Funding Advice in the Age of Narrative CVs: Challenges and Guidance. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20340953
Content and research question: How can researchers be specifically supported by research funding bodies when drafting narrative CVs? The paper outlines key content elements of narrative CVs and the possibilities for differentiated advisory strategies for various funding formats (individual grants, collaborative funding, academic awards).