The value of evaluation

A growing concern about research metrics is causing Italy’s researchers to question funding decisions

Thanks to generous cash flows coming from the EU’s Next Generation Covid-19 recovery plan, Italy’s struggles with chronic underfunding of higher education may be a thing of the past. The plan will funnel around €31 billion into Italian research and innovation—a plentiful sum.

But now that funding problems have been resolved, another issue may soon become a nightmare for Italy’s academics and scientists—the process of research evaluation.