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Overview

Overview

Q³UoC Research

The University of Cologne is a comprehensive research university committed to academic freedom and social responsibility. Research excellence is at the heart of its institutional identity. This is reflected in a broad spectrum of activities ranging from individual to collaborative research, as illustrated by the three levels of its research profile:

  • Key Profile Areas (KPA)
  • Emerging Groups (EG)
  • Independent Researchers (IR)

Q³UoC Research aims for holistic, sustainable, and continuous quality development and renewal in research at the University of Cologne at these levels.

Quality objectives in research

The following quality objectives serve as a guide for quality assurance and development at all levels of the research profile:

1. Excellent research with scholarly impact

We promote methodologically sound, internationally visible, innovative, and relevant research of high scholarly quality, impact and integrity.

2. Academic integrity and responsibility

Our researchers work lege artis and observe the rules of good research practice and good academic leadership. They reflect on ethical boundaries, potential risks and the consequences of their research. They act responsibly and accountably and receive support in doing so.

3. Research with a formative influence on the university and its performance areas

We strive for and promote research that leverages the potential of the UoC as a comprehensive research university and has an impact on teaching, transfer as well as the university's Institutional development.

4. Open research with societal impact

Our research activities should incorporate and reflect on societal problems, challenges, and changes, and enable social change. They should be open, transparent, and communicative to the outside world, engaging with actors from practice, society, and politics in, promoting research communication, and generating impact. 

5. Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research

Our researchers utilize the full scholarly, cross-disciplinary and structural potential of our university, the Rhineland cooperation area, Europe and the world to achieve outstanding research results. 

6. Diversity and equal opportunities in research

We strengthen diversity, equality, and inclusive research structures as a basis for innovative research.

7. Technology- and data-driven research

We tap into the potential of new technologies such as AI and create capacity, expertise, and reflection by providing and developing adequate skills, support, and structures., e.g., in research data management.

8. Sustainable and sustainability-oriented research

We promote research that contributes to sustainable development and Integrates sustainability aspects into research agendas, research processes, and research organization.

9. Attractive research environment

We aim to create the best possible conditions, support, and freedom for curiosity-driven and application-oriented research at the individual, collaborative, and institutional levels. This includes state-of-the-art infrastructure and technology as well as flexible funding and incentives, general working conditions and creative freedom. 

10. Strategic, data-driven, and people-centred controlling and development

We systematically analyze and further develop research performance based on transparent data, qualitative assessment, and participatory governance.

Quality criteria in research

To put them into practice, the quality objectives are translated into fitting quality criteria for each of the three levels of the UoC's research profile. Quality criteria should be as specific as possible, easy to measure without excessive effort, and sufficiently broad to reflect the diversity of excellent disciplinary and interdisciplinary academic achievements. They should both rely on quantitative, measurable as well as qualitative indicators and consistently include peer assessment.

(1) Key Profile Areas

UoC's Key Profile Areas are thematically defined, interdisciplinary, interinstitutional units that bring together the university's research priorities at a structural level and develop them strategically.

A Key Profile Area must fulfil six of the following criteria when it is set up. In addition to these standardized quality criteria, each KPA establishes additional subject-specific quality criteria to document its development.

1. Common topic with high scientific and/or social relevance

qualitatively proven

2. Critical mass

proven by at least 20 participating scientists at the UoC

3. External funding through collaborative programmes

proven by at least one EXC or at least one CRC/TRR and, if applicable, by further collaborative funding (CRC/TRR, Priority Programmes, FOR/KFO, BMBF large-scale projects or NRW state research funding)

4. Expertise of the participating researchers

proven by at least two Alexander von Humboldt Professorships, ERC Advanced or Consolidator Grants, Heinz Meier-Leibnitz Prizes, Leibniz Prizes, Heisenberg Professorships, highly cited researchers

proven by at least two ERC Starting Grants, Emmy Noether junior research groups, Helmholtz junior research groups

5. Proven interdisciplinarity

proven by interdisciplinary publications, among the five most important publications, at least one externally funded interdisciplinary project and, if applicable, other projects such as courses

6. Co-operation with regional or international partners

proven by at least one externally funded research project with external partners, aswell as other activities if applicable

7. Other subject-specific indicators of excellence, if applicable

The following two criteria are also added when deciding on further funding, in order to assess the contribution of the Key Profile Areas to the university’s integrated development across all performance areas and strategic areas of activity:

8. Contributions to performance areas teaching, transfer, research infrastructure, and the areas of activity, such as internationalization, diversity, and support for early-career researchers

qualitatively proven; e.g. through the structural promotion of activities in the accessory performance areas and the strategic areas of activity

9. Contribution to overall institutional development

qualitatively proven; e.g. through the formation of the Key Profile Area and contributions to the strategic development of the university

The indicators are recorded through continuous monitoring through reporting by the representatives of the Key Profile Areas, and (in the future) in the UoC’s research information system (Forschungsinformationssystem). The monitoring is used to check that the quality criteria have been met, which is done through internal status discussions, self-reports, and external peer review. These formats make it possible to assess whether the criteria have been met, thus guaranteeing quality management in line with scientific standards.

(2) Emerging Groups within the framework of strategic, internal university research funding, the Excellent Research Support Program

UoC's Excellent Research Support Program (ERSP)  provides impetus for greater academic freedom and research flexibility. ERSP funding specifically supports projects with the potential to develop into major externally funded research consortia. Funding decisions within the ERSP are made by the Rectorate of the University of Cologne based on written peer reviews and recommendations of the Academic Advisory Board.

Within this framework, Emerging Groups aim at exploring new avenues of research to give new impulses to research at the University of Cologne.

Quality criteria for Emerging groups are

  1. Academic excellence and coherence of the collaborative project
  2. Potential to open up new areas of research
  3. Expertise of the participating researchers
  4. Strategic importance and profile-building for the university
  5. Significance for internationalization, diversity, early-career researchers, and teaching at the University of Cologne

(3) Independent researchers

Quality criteria at the level of independent researchers are particularly relevant when assessing research performance in the context of performance evaluation, for example, within the framework of evaluation procedures for fixed-term professorships and tenure track professorships, or for awarding performance-related pay. They also apply during the selection process for the ERSP’s internal research awards at senior and junior level.

Quality criteria for research at the individual level include 

  • quality, originality, plausibility of scholarly output (peer-assessed)
  • impact of scholarly output (societal relevance, contribution to the development of a research field, citations; peer-assessed)
  • the quantity of scholarly output (publications, third-party funding; peer-assessed)
  • demonstrated individual excellence (evidenced by peer-reviewed individual awards, prizes, and grants, e.g. ERC grants)
  • academic leadership (evidenced, e.g., by the coordination of a large-scale project, a graduate school,...)
  • individual contribution to other performance areas and fields of action (teaching, transfer activities, support for early-career researchers,...; peer-assessed)
  • individual contribution to institutional development (engagement in institutional service and academic self-administration; peer-assessed).