The role of change agent characteristics in research assessment: Experiences from an evaluation of a research fellowship program in Germany

Research funders are increasingly faced with the challenge to design funding programs generating both scientific and social impact, which in turn places new demands on research assessment processes. Using an evaluation of a german research funding program targeting scientists from the Global South, this paper examines how different funding goals and selection criteria - in this case research excellence on the one hand and social or development relevance on the other - can be combined in research assessment and to what extent change agent qualities of the applying researchers can be integrated into the assessment process in order to increase the chances for social impact. Drawing on interviews, a survey of funded researchers as well as a survey of a control group of non-funded scientists the study shows that funded researchers indeed, have much stronger change agent attitudes than scientists in the non-funded control group. Differences with regard to concrete change agent actions, on the other hand, cannot be determined. All in all, change agent characteristics represent a promising element for research assessment procedures, but the selection criterion suffers from an insufficient definition and conception, especially for the science sector.