Arqus R.I. has set the foundations for the continued development of a joint research agenda of Alliance partner universities, creating successive versions of a Joint Research Action Plan, the results of which will now feed into the general strategic planning processes of the Alliance. The High-Level Seminars of Vice-Rectors of Research in Arqus R.I. have been the predecessor of the Research and Innovation Board, a standing joint structure created in the Spring 2023 for the governance of R&I in the Alliance Alliance.
To strengthen human capital, numerous networking opportunities for researchers (through innovative workshops and seed funding) have resulted in a significant number of new joint research project applications and other collaboration initiatives among Arqus researchers, giving strong momentum to the endeavour of “building an Arqus research community”.
Furthermore, on the advancement of research assessment, the project has created a solid knowledge base about the status quo at Arqus universities and their aspirations. This knowledge has fed into the ongoing bench-learning exercise led by the Task Force for Research Assessment Reform, in which the majority of Arqus universities exchange experiences and best practices on their respective initiatives in the advancement of research assessment.
With regard to the engagement of non-academic actors, the project has generated a set of resources for co-creation in transfer (focusing especially on the Social Sciences, Humanities and the Arts) which will be available to all Arqus partners’ research communities and governance (as well as the wider public) for the development of innovative transfer strategies.
In the area of citizen and societal engagement, Arqus R.I. has increased resources available to Arqus researchers for the involvement of citizens, civil society and public authorities in research agenda setting. A set of Recommendations was drawn up to help Arqus universities’ management, administration and researchers to establish and further an effective framework for Open Research Agenda Setting initiatives.
With the aim of contributing to the mainstreaming of Open Science in the Alliance, the project has created training materials and compiled detailed information on Open Science, available on its website. It has also set up a network of Open Science Ambassadors, which is currently working collaboratively with the ENLIGHT Alliance on a series of webinars on Open Science practices, as well as being available to give advice to researchers.
The results achieved and materials created are available on the website section of Arqus R.I. have been disseminated internally at various levels and shared with other European Alliances at the Cross-Alliances Forum at the end of 2023.
