This protocol sets out the agreements made by the universities with the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) concerning the review of publicly-funded research in the Netherlands.

According to SEP, research should be reviewed every six years by external and independent experts, usually at the level of research institutes. The evaluations provide boards and research units with the opportunity to monitor and improve the quality of research. By periodically evaluating research in terms of quality and societal relevance, accountability is also ensured to the government and society.

Strategy Evaluation Protocol 2021-2027

The Strategy Evaluation Protocol for 2021-2027 was adopted by Universiteiten van Nederland (UNL), Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen (KNAW) and Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO). The protocol emphasizes that the evaluation of the research is done in the context of the goals and strategy of the research unit. The protocol also pays attention to aspects such as Open Science, Academic Culture, HR policy and PhD policy.

Research units can decide for themselves which indicators they deem appropriate for evaluating their unit's research. No quantitative assessment criteria are given to study units.

Evaluation of national research schools

Since 2015, the quality assurance of national research schools has been carried out by the SEP review committee on the basis of the Handreiking kwaliteitsbeoordeling onderzoeksscholen (in Dutch). 

Visitation reports and board positions 

The reports in which the results of the visitations are recorded and the administrative responses of the Executive Board are public. Via the references below, the most recent visitation reports, executive summaries and administrative responses can be downloaded per faculty and per research unit.