What is Recognition & Rewards?
Recognition & Rewards (R&R) is a nationwide programme in the Netherlands that began with the publication of a position paper titled "Room for Everyone's Talent" in November 2019. Through this paper, Dutch knowledge institutions and research funding bodies set a course to revise the current system for recognising and rewarding academics, and to move towards valuing academic work from a broader perspective. This means less emphasis on the number of publications and more attention for performance in other core areas such as education, societal impact, leadership and, in the case of University Medical Centers, also patient care.
The change takes action along several lines: introducing differentiated career paths; acknowledging the accomplishments of both individuals and teams; emphasising the quality of work rather than quantity; encouraging the practice of all aspects of open science; and promoting academic leadership. Learn more about how this is being implemented at EUR at Routes towards R&R.
Why do we need Recognition & Rewards?
The current system for recognising and rewarding academics has been in place for a long time, and although it has contributed to building the reputation of universities, universities now play a much larger role in the societies they serve. This means that a modernised system is needed that better suits the current tasks of academics, universities and what society expects from us. All universities in the Netherlands are working towards this culture change.
At the same time, there are several important developments in the international area of R&R. In many parts of the world diverse knowledge institutions are taking steps towards modernising the system for appreciating and valuing academic work. These are both global initiatives and steps taken on a national level in different countries. Below you can find more information about these efforts in the Netherlands and beyond.
National good practices
All universities in the Netherlands are working on implementing the goals of the national R&R programme. For example, in 2022, Maastricht University introduced new academic profiles at each faculty, including their University Medical Center. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam has developed the Academic Career Pathways to create opportunities for academics to focus on the domains of teaching, research, and impact. Utrecht University created a TRIPLE model, which outlines the guidelines for appreciating the full scope of academic work and focuses on rewarding team contribution alongside individual performance.
University of Twente has introduced a Talent Development Map – a practical guide to assessing talents on impact-based indicators. You can find more examples of R&R good practices at Dutch universities here. Another great source of inspiration is the national RRview platform, where those who work in the implementation of R&R at different Dutch knowledge institutions exchange best practices and ideas.
International good practices
These developments are not limited to the Netherlands – multiple international initiatives are currently underway, including the implementation of differentiated career paths and the use of narratives or portfolios for evaluation at different universities. For example, University College London has adopted the "Career Framework of University Teaching" aimed at diversification in academic career paths, with focus on teaching. At Ghent University, the standard performance and development evaluation method has been replaced with a more portfolio-based approach. Academic assessment is also changing in Finland, Luxembourg, and Australia.
There are many coordinated international efforts taking place as well. For example, the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA). The goal of this declaration is to improve ways in which researchers and the outputs of scholarly research are evaluated. It also offers an overview of policies and practices for responsible research assessment. Another example is Advancing Teaching initiative, which aims to create better recognition, rewards, and support for teaching activities at universities.
Questions? Contact the team
- Email address
- recognitionandrewards@eur.nl