CoARA and DORA

A key milestone in this process is the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which advocates for fair and comprehensive evaluation of scholarly work. Five Helmholtz Centers have signed DORA and are actively engaged in the development of improved research assessment systems.

Since 2022, the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) has offered another international initiative for the advancement of research assessment practices. The OS Office joined CoARA as a signatory institution in 2025, alongside the Max Delbrück Center (which joined in 2023), and has since participated in various CoARA working groups.

In March 2025, the head of the OS Office was elected to coordinate the CoARA National Chapter Germany. By participating in this initiative at both the national and international level, the OS Office can benefit from the experiences and best practices of other institutions while also contributing expertise from the Helmholtz Association to help improve the evaluation of research(ers). Its role in the CoARA National Chapter Germany offers an opportunity to actively shape and strengthen the German research landscape in the areas of Open Science and research assessment. It also provides a direct link to the activities of the Helmholtz Task Group Research Assessment.

Following the publication of the Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information in April 2024, which proclaims openness as the standard for published research information, the OS Office has placed a stronger focus on the topic. Since research information is indispensable and central to strategic decisions, resource allocation, research evaluation, and recruitment, its openness is of critical importance. Open research information is therefore another key building block of Open Science practices, a lever for the reform of research assessment, and an essential element of academic sovereignty.