Launching in September 2026, the EU-funded ARION project will help research-performing and research-funding organisations turn responsible research assessment (RRA) principles into practical, institutionally embedded change. By connecting assessment reform with Open Science, open research information and interoperable infrastructures, ARION will support more transparent, inclusive and evidence-informed ways of recognising the full diversity of research contributions.  

From commitments to implementation

Across Europe, momentum for research assessment reform is growing, supported by initiatives such as the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA), the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) and wider European Research Area priorities. Yet implementation remains uneven: institutions still face practical challenges in translating reform principles into governance arrangements, recruitment and promotion procedures, assessment criteria, evaluator practices and the digital systems that underpin decision-making.

ARION (Advancing Research assessment through Integrated Open practices and Narrative) responds to this implementation gap. The 36-month Horizon Europe Coordination and Support Action starts from the premise that meaningful reform requires more than changing indicators: institutions need the policies, skills, infrastructures and organisational capacity to recognise diverse research contributions and to use evidence responsibly in context. 

Testing what works in practice 

ARION will work through a connected pathway of institutional readiness, piloting, capacity building and scaling. Eight pilot institutions will adapt and test four complementary intervention areas in real or realistic assessment settings:

• Open Infrastructure-enabled Researcher Profiles, making a broader range of research contributions visible through open and interoperable research information.
• Narrative CVs, enabling researchers to contextualise contributions, roles and impacts beyond publication-centred metrics.
• Institutional Model Policies, helping organisations embed RRA principles into governance and assessment frameworks.
• HR Toolkits, supporting the integration of reform into recruitment, career progression and other research-career processes. 

Before implementation, ARION will assess institutional readiness across governance, culture, infrastructure and operations, allowing organisations to identify realistic entry points for reform and combine interventions according to their own mission, maturity and assessment context. The pilots will generate evidence on what works, for whom and under which conditions, and will inform practical guidance, training, mentoring and two Early Adopter Programme rounds for additional organisations. 

Making assessment work for people and institutions 

For researchers, ARION aims to support assessment approaches that recognise a wider spectrum of outputs, activities, roles and career trajectories. For evaluators, research managers and HR professionals, it will provide practical approaches for combining qualitative judgement with transparent and responsible use of evidence and indicators. For institutional leaders, funders and policymakers, ARION will generate evidence on the governance, organisational and infrastructural conditions that enable sustainable reform. 

The Open Science dimension is equally important. Responsible assessment depends on access to trustworthy, contextualised research information that can make diverse contributions visible without reducing them to a single metric. By linking assessment workflows with open and interoperable research information infrastructures, ARION will explore how Open Science practices can be recognised appropriately in evaluation and how institutions can reduce reliance on closed or opaque information environments. This complements broader European efforts, including EOSC, to strengthen open, interoperable and reusable research information and services. 

Research assessment reform becomes meaningful when it is embedded in the everyday structures through which institutions make decisions. ARION brings together policy, people and open infrastructures to help organisations move from commitment to implementation in ways that are evidence-informed, context-sensitive and sustainable.

Bringing together policy, practice and Open Infrastructure 

ARION brings together 14 formal participating organisations, with DORA contributing as a strategic global partner on responsible research assessment. The consortium spans universities and research organisations, a research funder, research-career and assessment experts, Open Science and research information infrastructures, and international responsible research assessment communities. This diversity is central to the project: there is no single model of assessment reform, and implementation must respond to different institutional missions, disciplines, career stages, policy environments and levels of organisational readiness. 

OpenAIRE coordinates ARION and contributes its expertise in open research information, scholarly communication infrastructures, RRA policy and implementation, and capacity building. Within the project, OpenAIRE will help connect assessment reform with open and interoperable infrastructures, support the adaptation and testing of ARION interventions, lead key training activities, and help translate evidence from the pilots into practical pathways for institutions and policymakers. 

The project runs for 36 months from September 2026. Its first phase will focus on mapping the RRA landscape, engaging key stakeholder communities, assessing institutional readiness and preparing the pilots, followed by iterative testing, capacity building, mentoring and wider adoption activities. 

The road ahead 

ARION will formally begin in September 2026, with the consortium gathering in Athens for its kick-off meeting. Over the coming months, the project will begin its readiness and landscape work, prepare the eight pilots and establish the foundations for its training and mentoring activities. As implementation progresses, ARION will share pilot experiences, practical guidance and policy learning, alongside opportunities for organisations to participate in training, peer exchange and the Early Adopter Programme.