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Canadian Research Data Centre Network

From Concordia to CSPC: Responsible Research Assessment (RRA) Workshop Sparks National Call to Action

Posted on: November 11, 2025

On March 18, 2025, key stakeholders from across Canada’s research landscape gathered at Concordia University to collaborate on advancing Responsible Research Assessment (RRA) to support Open Science practices.  

Organised by CRDCN’s Executive Director Natalie Harrower, Concordia University Librarian Amy Buckland and Associate Vice-President Research Monica Mulrennnan with support from SSHRC (Matthew Lucas) and CIHR (Allison Bourgon), the event included an address from Prof. Eva Mendez, founding Board member of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (COARA). Participants collaboratively drafted several key principles, including the need to move beyond traditional metrics, adopt both qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods, and ensure publicly funded research is made publicly accessible whenever possible. Research outputs, in this broader and more inclusive definition, are not limited to publications, but also include data, code, models and other elements that are key to understanding research findings and processes. 

The workshop concluded with a Call to Action identifying five priority areas for change: 

  1. National Strategy, Policy, and Governance: Establishing a national coordinating body and unified strategy to embed Open Science and responsible assessment across the research ecosystem. 
  2. Funding and Infrastructure: Investing sustainably in people, infrastructure, and digital sovereignty to support Open Science. 
  3. Training and Capacity Building: Equipping researchers and students with the tools and knowledge to thrive in an open research environment. 
  4. Evaluation and Metrics: Redefining research excellence through inclusive indicators that value diverse outputs and real-world impact. 
  5. Collaboration and Communication: Fostering collective responsibility and coordination among researchers, institutions, funders, and policymakers. 

This Call to Action will be the subject of discussion at the 2025 Canadian Science Policy Conference (CSPC), at a session titled Responsible Research Assessment and Open Science Adoption, moderated by Natalie Harrower, at 3:00pm-4:15pm on Thursday 20 November. CSPC is the largest annual event that brings together academics and government to discuss science policy in Canada. 

The panel, featuring Amy Buckland (Concordia University), Kelly Cobey (University of Ottawa Heart Institute & DORA), Matthew Lucas (SSHRC), and Carole Jabet (Fonds de recherche du Québec), will explore how shifting assessment practices toward qualitative evaluation, diverse outputs, and societal impact can provide incentives to researchers to advance Open Science in Canada and align national approaches with global standards for open scholarship. 

As a publicly funded organisation, CRDCN is committed to good practices across its areas of involvement in the research ecosystem. For more information on CRDCN’s priorities, see the current CRDCN Strategic Plan 2024-2029.  

To read the Call to Action and more about the Concordia meeting, see : https://www.concordia.ca/content/dam/library/docs/2025-concordia-meeting-research-assessment-open-science.pdf 

To learn more about the Responsible Research Assessment and Open Science Adoption session at CSPC, see https://www.xcdsystem.com/cspc/program/FC9ql64/index.cfm?pgid=297&sid=6045 

For the full schedule of the 2025 Canadian Science Policy Conference (CSPC), see https://www.xcdsystem.com/cspc/program/FC9ql64/index.cfm?pgid=297&RunRemoveSessionFilter=1 

 Conference/Seminar,  News

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