France overhauls research evaluation system
The French Government has established a new agency to assess research activities carried out in higher education institutions and public research organisations. Created within the framework of France's Pact for Research, the Agency of Evaluation of Research and Higher Education (AERES) will bring together the scattered elements of the country's research evaluation system. In order to avoid overlapping, some current evaluation bodies are expected to close, including the National Evaluation Council (CNE), the National Committee for Research Evaluation (CNER) and Scientific, Technical and Educational Mission (MSTP). AERES will be responsible for evaluating the research activities of public research organisations, higher education institutions, scientific cooperation foundations and the National Agency for Research. It will supervise evaluation procedures that these organisations have to put in place to assess the performance of individual researchers. 'With a transparent methodology and results rendered public, the agency will become an important actor in our research infrastructure,' noted François Goulard, French Minister for Education and Research. Speaking at the inauguration of the agency, Mr Goulard said he hoped that the new agency would encourage other actors to improve the effectiveness of their evaluation systems.
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