Approval of the evaluation criteria for the next call 2023 of the six-year research program

The management of ANECA already announced in October that it was working on updating the principles and criteria for the evaluation of the six-year research periods with the main objective of adjusting them to the new Organic Law of the University System (LOSU) and to make this research activity evaluation program consistent with the provisions of Royal Decree 678/2023, which regulates the state accreditation for access to university teaching bodies (article 21.6).

Given the importance of this reform, ANECA's management decided to open, for the first time and on a voluntary basis, a public consultation on the draft evaluation criteria. During the period established for this consultation, more than 600 contributions were received from a great diversity of agents of the university and scientific system, which have been studied by ANECA's own management and by its advisory bodies and, where appropriate, integrated in the final document which has been approved by the Plenary of the CNEAI.

To facilitate the review of the changes introduced in this last phase, both the final text with the marked changes and the text sent to the BOE are made public, so that the entire university and research community can be aware of it without having to wait for its official publication. 

From the result obtained, we highlight the broadening of the type of contributions that applicants can submit for evaluation, so that a greater diversity of profiles and research careers is recognized; the advance towards a more qualitative evaluation supported by a responsible use of quantitative indicators, which in the case of articles cannot be reduced to the impact factor of the journals; the recognition of multidisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity, with the creation of a specific field of evaluation; open scientific contribution and science open to society; and the development of a new taxonomy of metrics.

In relation to the contributions received during the period of information and consultation we specify the following issues:

• Numerous contributions referred to procedural aspects set forth in the Ministerial Order of December 2, 1994 (obligation of eight months of contractual relationship per year, penalty of three years after negative evaluation, classification of "ordinary" and "extraordinary" contributions, etc.) and, therefore, exceed ANECA's competences. The Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities has already been informed of the need to update this Order.
• Likewise, numerous complaints have been received regarding the impossibility of certain university teaching and research staff to participate in this call. Again, in this case we remind that this is not ANECA's decision, but of each institution which, beyond the civil servant figures, decides whether to sign agreements with the Agency for the evaluation of other types of contractual figures.
• As an evaluation agency, we have been able to correct the obligation to submit two substitute contributions, whose submission is again, as originally, optional (it only became mandatory from 2020). The aim of this decision is to facilitate the construction of the first research tranche for the youngest applicants in particular.
• We have also been able to articulate a measure to continue advancing in the achievement of effective equality, by including the possibility of submitting a smaller number of contributions when situations of maternity or paternity leave, leave of absence for the care of children, care of relatives, etc. are adequately justified. This measure is intended to especially favor the participation of female professors and researchers and thus reduce the gender salary gap, which reaches 28.5% in the case of the six-year bonus.
• All contributions received that are consistent with the mandates of the LOSU, the Law on Science, Technology and Innovation (LCTI), and the National Strategy for Open Science (ENCA), as well as with the commitments and principles of the Coalition for the Advancement of Research Assessment (CoARA) assumed by ANECA and more than 70 Spanish institutions, have been integrated. In particular:
  • Disciplinary agreements and traditions are respected in terms of the minimum required in each field to obtain a positive evaluation, which have been consolidated until 2022, thus facilitating the transition between evaluation models.
  • The right of attribution or transfer to third parties of the rights over publications that prevent them from being in open access is respected, accepting contributions that, although deposited, are embargoed (article 37.6 of the LCTI).
  • There is an explicit commitment to publish the scales of application in the evaluation process of each of the fields before the opening of the call for proposals. These scales will be prepared by the advisory committees -whose renewed composition will be published as soon as it is approved by the Council of Universities-, with the support of ANECA's management and its advisory bodies.
  • Many of the contributions received are integrated in the Preamble, as well as in the general criteria and in the specific criteria of all the fields, always with the principle of not being excessively prescriptive (specific databases, specific types of congresses, etc.), so that these more detailed issues are integrated in the above mentioned scales.
  • The names of some scientific fields and the areas assigned to them have been revised (changes between 10 and 7.1 and between 7.1 and 7.2) to respond more precisely to the classification by branches of knowledge, more widely used in research evaluation agencies, and to give greater scientific coherence to the composition of the 15 committees. 

ANECA's management thanks once again the collaboration of all the persons and entities which have participated in this process, as well as the excellent work of its advisory bodies.