San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA)

Luxembourg Institute of Health Signs the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA)

The Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) is pleased to announce its endorsement of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), further strengthening our commitment to advancing responsible, transparent, and inclusive research evaluation practices.

As a public biomedical research organisation at the forefront of scientific innovation in population health, oncology, infection and immunity, and biobanking, LIH strives to improve public health through cutting-edge, translational research. Signing DORA is a natural step that aligns with our core values of scientific integrity, research excellence, and social impact.

LIH recognises the need to move beyond journal-based metrics, such as impact factors, and toward a more comprehensive, fair, and qualitative assessment of research performance. This commitment is already embedded in our internal evaluation and funding model, introduced in 2019, which provides group leaders with structured, stable resources to pursue high-risk, high-impact research, while promoting accountability and long-term sustainability.

In line with DORA principles, our performance evaluation system is built upon:

• Independent peer review by experts with strong academic and applied research credentials;
• Emphasis on scientific quality, originality, collaboration, leadership, and impact, rather than journal prestige;
• Assessment of a broad range of contributions, including teaching, mentoring, public engagement, innovation, and societal impact;
• A standardised reporting framework to mitigate bias and support equity in evaluation;
• Constructive, forward-looking feedback that fosters reflection and continuous development.

We believe that adopting and promoting DORA’s recommendations will further support a culture of excellence and openness, enabling our researchers to thrive based on the true merit of their work. By focusing on the intrinsic value of scientific contributions—from fundamental discovery to translational impact—we reaffirm our mission to serve public health and the scientific community in Luxembourg and beyond.

For more information about LIH and our commitment to responsible research assessment, visit our website.