NHMRC Action Plan for Responsible Research Assessment

About National Health and Medical Research Council

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is Australia’s leading funding agency for health and medical research. With NHMRC support, Australia undertakes outstanding research which has contributed to significant improvements in individual and population health. It is our mission to build a healthy Australia and contribute to the broader research and innovation systems in Australia. NHMRC is committed to enhancing the ways researchers are assessed when applying for its grant opportunities to ensure our processes are equitable, evidence-informed, and continue to support high-quality research.

Context

NHMRC is committed to supporting and promoting high-quality research that benefits the health of Australians. Research assessment is a crucial part of ensuring that research is conducted with integrity and excellence. However, current research assessment practices can rely on narrow and flawed indicators, such as journal impact factors and citation indices, that do not capture the full value and diversity of research outputs and outcomes. This can create incentives that result in undesirable outcomes, thereby undermining the trust and credibility of research. 

NHMRC is dedicated to enhancing its research assessment procedure. This commitment is reflected in the ongoing development of initiatives aimed at improving research quality, and in alignment with open science principles and the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) recommendations.

NHMRC’s Research Assessment Reform (2012–2025)

Since 1998, NHMRC has implemented numerous initiatives to foster a more inclusive, responsible and impactful research ecosystem. We have made significant shifts in our research assessments to:

• value quality of research over quantity of publications
• incorporate research impact assessment in key grant schemes
• incorporate consumer and end-user perspectives in assessment in targeted grant schemes
• focus on diversity of researcher and research funded, particularly in terms of gender and support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research and researchers.

These initiatives align with the commitments outlined in the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment (ARRA).

2012

• Developed the Relative to Opportunity Policy, which recognises that not all research careers are the same and requires peer reviewers to assess an applicant’s track record ‘relative to opportunity’. (ARRA commitment 1) 

2013

• Developed the Principles of Peer Review, a high-level guiding statement that underpins NHMRC’s peer review processes and applies to all NHMRC funding schemes. Its 8 principles aim to ensure that the process of evaluating research funding applications is fair, transparent and of high quality. (ARRA commitment 2)
• Endorsed DORA. Since endorsing DORA, NHMRC has integrated more diverse research contributions and advises against the use of publication metrics in applications. (ARRA commitment 1, 3, 6 and 7)

2015

• Developed the NHMRC Open Access Policy which is underpinned by the principle that publicly funded research should be shared openly and at the earliest possible opportunity. Updated in 2022 and 2023. In 2026 the NHMRC Open Access Policy became part of the NHMRC and MRFF Open Science Policy. (ARRA Principles for overarching conditions) 

2017

• Developed the Road Map 3: A strategic framework for improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health through research (Road Map 3) to guide and communicate NHMRC’s objectives and investment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research for the next decade. Road Map 3 follows on from the release of Road Map 1 in 2002 and Road Map 2 in 2010. (ARRA Principles for assessment criteria and processes)
• Consumers and community representatives included in peer review panels for the Targeted Calls for Research scheme and some priority-driven grant opportunities.

2018

• Developed the Research Impact Track Record Assessment Framework (RITRA) to evaluate the impact of researchers’ work beyond traditional academic metrics. These revisions align with the DORA recommendations and aim to improve the evaluation of research quality and impact in research assessment. (ARRA commitment 1) 

2019

• Developed the NHMRC Research Quality Strategy which outlines the key areas NHMRC will focus on to provide guidance and support good research practices throughout the research cycle. (ARRA commitments 1, 2, 6 and 7)

2020

• Developed the application-centric peer review process, which involves pre-matching reviewers to applications based on expertise. Traditional panel-based reviews often lacked the breadth of expertise needed to assess diverse applications. Application-centric peer review ensures that each application is reviewed by the most suitable experts. An evaluation of this approach found it improved transparency, accountability and has increased the average number of peer reviews each application receives through reducing conflicts of interest. (ARRA commitment 2)

2022

• Introduced the Top 10 in 10 publications assessment criteria to emphasise research quality over publication quantity by limiting applicants to listing their top 10 publications from the past 10 years. This reduces peer review burden and ensures equitable assessment across career stages. (ARRA) commitment 1, 2 and 6)
• Introduced peer review mentors and training videos aimed to support peer reviewers by providing guidance, tips, and best practices to ensure fair, consistent, and high-quality assessments of grant applications. (ARRA commitment 2, 6 and 7)

2023

• Conducted a comprehensive public consultation on the Indigenous Research Excellence Criteria (previously called the Darwin Criteria, which was adopted in 1998) to gather diverse perspectives and insights from Indigenous communities, researchers, and stakeholders to refine and enhance the criteria. (ARRA commitment 1 and 6)
• Consumers and community representatives included as scoring members of peer review panels in Targeted Calls for Research, with their own scoring criteria.

2024

• Developed the Good Institutional Practice Guide, a guide on how institutional leaders can promote and facilitate the conduct of high-quality research, providing guidance on rewarding and recognising diverse practices, activities and careers in research appropriately. (ARRA commitment 1 and 7)
• Joined CoARA and signed the ARRA.

2025

• Implemented a revised RITRA framework for the 2026 Investigator Grant round (opened 4 June 2025), incorporating feedback from public consultation on the evaluation of grant-scheme specific assessment criteria.

Summary of key NHMRC research assessment reform activities, 2012–2025

Figure 1 image description

An infographic timeline explaining the Summary of key NHMRC research assessment reform activities, 2012–2025.:

1. 2012: Developed Relative to Opportunity Policy
2. 2013: Developed Principles of Peer Review and endorsed DORA
3. 2015: Developed NHMRC’s Open Access Policy
4. 2017: Developed NHMRC’s Road Map 3: A Strategic framework for improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health through research
5. 2018: Introduced RITRA
6. 2019: Developed NHMRC’s Research Quality Strategy
7. 2020: Introduced Application centric peer review
8. 2022: Introduced Top 10 in 10 Publications and introduced Peer Review Mentors and Training videos
9. 2024: Joined CoARA and developed Good Institutional Practice Guide
10. 2025: Implemented revised RITRA

Scope

The NHMRC Action Plan for Responsible Research Assessment focuses on advancing responsible research assessment practices within NHMRC, with a strong emphasis on aligning with the principles of ARRA to promote fairness, transparency, diversity and inclusivity in research assessment. Its scope includes the development, implementation, and promotion of initiatives that:

• support high-quality research by recognising diverse careers, contributions and outputs
• incorporate qualitative assessment mechanisms to complement quantitative metrics
• embed open science principles into research assessment. 

NHMRC’s remit as a research funder is evaluating and funding researchers and their projects, ensuring that our investments contribute to advancing health outcomes and scientific knowledge.

Action Plan 2025–2030

This NHMRC 2025–2030 Action Plan for Responsible Research Assessment is a formal commitment to continuing to improve responsible research assessment. It sets out actions to advance and promote responsible research assessment practices in Australia and to share insights with the Coalition. Building on existing efforts, the plan seeks to recognise a wider range of research career paths and outputs by incorporating qualitative assessment mechanisms and embracing the principles of open science. 

The action plan is divided into 4 key areas: 

1. Grant assessment criteria
2. Peer review
3. Policies, procedures and guides
4. Supporting commitments.

Each area represents a core aspect of NHMRC activity. These areas are interconnected, feeding into each other and operating across the organisation as a whole, as well as within the individual grant schemes. The action plan is underpinned by NHMRC’s commitment to continuous improvement and enhancement through a process of ongoing systematic evaluation.

The actions are mapped to a model of behaviour change intervention, which is based on progressive steps of cultural change. 

Behaviour change interventions

The level of behaviour change intervention is drawn from The Centre for Open Science’s strategy for culture and behaviour change,¹ which has 5 levels of intervention represented by the pyramid. These levels are progressive, reflecting the fact that successful implementation of higher levels depends on successful implementation of lower levels.

A focus on the individual’s skills, motivation, and sense of self-efficacy is sometimes sufficient to change behaviour. But, the focus on the individual can miss a key barrier to change – the culture. People are embedded in social and cultural systems. Those systems shape behaviour by (1) communicating norms – this is what people do, this is what people should do, (2) providing incentives – this is what people are rewarded for doing, and (3) imposing policies – this is what you have to do to be part of this system.

Grant assessment criteria

Vision: NHMRC grant assessment criteria will embrace diverse research practices and activities, utilise appropriate metrics, and integrate evidence-based assessment criteria through a commitment to continuous improvement.

Peer review

Vision: NHMRCs peer review process will maintain the highest standards of quality, transparency, and
inclusivity in scientific research

Policies, procedures and guides

Vision: NHMRC policies, procedures, and guides will align with the ARRA commitments by embracing diverse research practices, using appropriate metrics, and integrating evidence-based criteria through a commitment to continuous improvement.

Supporting commitments

Vision: NHMRC will use a systematic evaluation process to develop, implement, and continuously enhance
an action plan that strengthens operational support activities and fosters bidirectional communication with
stakeholders.

Why is research assessment reform important?

• Diverse contributions: traditional research assessments often rely heavily on quantitative metrics like citation counts. CoARA promotes a more holistic evaluation that recognises a broader range of outputs, practices, and activities. This also aligns with the principles of open science.
• Improving research quality: by focusing on qualitative assessments supported by responsible use of quantitative indicators, CoARA aims to enhance the overall quality and impact of research. This approach encourages innovative and high-quality research practices.
• Cultural shift: the current 'publish or perish' culture can lead to unhealthy competition and stress among researchers. CoARA seeks to foster a more supportive and collaborative research environment, which can improve research culture and researcher well-being.

Why was CoARA established?

CoARA was established in response to the European Commission’s 2021 scoping report, Towards a reform of the research assessment system. It builds on a growing international movement advocating for the responsible use of research metrics and more holistic evaluation practices. Key foundational documents referenced in this movement include:  

• the San Fransico Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA)
• the Leiden Manifesto for Research Metrics
• the Metric Tide report
• the Global Research Council’s statement on Principles on Peer Review/Merit Review
• the Hong Kong Principles for Assessing Researchers.