Argentina

Purpose

National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) was created in 1958 and its purpose is to promote and carry out scientific and technological activities throughout the national territory and in all the different areas of knowledge. To this end, since 1961 it has implemented one of its main instruments: the Career of Scientific and Technological Researcher (CICYT), inspired by the model of the French CNRS and the Belgian F.R.S. of the 1950s and 1960s. 

Through the introduction of research-oriented positions, CICYT encourages the dedication of academics to the advancement of original scientific knowledge and innovative technological developments. Although CICYT originally aimed to strengthen university research, many of its members now work in CONICET’s own research centres and laboratories, which are not always affiliated to universities. While researchers are expected to participate in university teaching, their career advancement primarily depends on scholarly output and the supervision of graduate students.

CONICET’s personnel evaluation system is currently the most prominent and developed in Argentina, significantly influencing both the reputation and funding of researchers. This has a significant summative element, with periodic reports of researcher performance carried out every 1-2 years, evaluating the tasks carried out over that period.

CONICET opens an annual call for applications and those who obtain a favorable evaluation are incorporated as public employees of the organization with exclusive dedication to research, which is compatible only with higher education activities.

Year of Introduction
1961

Census period
Opening of new positions and promotions: once a year; performance reports: every 1 or 2 years according to seniority

Governance agency(s)
National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET)

Purpose
Accountability
Promotion of individual researchers

Unit of Assessment
Individual researchers


Focus of Assessment
Performance of individuals 

Governance

The CICYT is managed by the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), and evaluation is a mandatory requirement for membership. 

Operation of the exercise

The focus of the CONICET’s assessment is on the performance of individuals.

The CONICET’s evaluation system is designed for the assessment of individual researchers.

The CONICET evaluation system assesses researchers through informed peer review, organized on a disciplinary basis. Expert panels evaluate three main types of applications: entry into the career (equivalent to recruitment for a permanent position), periodic reports, and promotion. Periodic reports assess a researcher’s work over one or two years, depending on their category. Promotion allows researchers to advance in rank. While external peers assess entry and promotion applications, periodic reports are evaluated internally. In addition to the disciplinary commissions, an interdisciplinary rating board oversees all reports to ensure consistency across disciplines.

.The use of bibliometric indicators is determined by agreements made by each committee during its first meeting of the year and may differ slightly from those used in previous years. The use of bibliometric indicators is determined by agreements made by each committee during its first meeting of the year and may differ slightly from those used in previous years. In the Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH), regional journals indexed in SciELO are considered equivalent to those indexed in WoS/Scopus.

History, reviews and evaluations

Over the past fifteen years, several key changes have been made to the CONICET assessment system. These include:

  • Replacing biological age with academic age in individual assessments
  • Incorporating a gender perspective by granting special maternity leave periods
  • Recognizing research projects focused on social impact (PDTS) as equivalent to traditional R&D projects for evaluation purposes
  • Consolidation of an entry and promotion ‘track’ organized according to ‘strategic themes’ rather than disciplines
  • Placing greater emphasis on open science, by emphasizing open access to publications and open research data. Researchers must upload their work, including preprints and the Version of Record (VoR), to the institutional CV platform for evaluation. Likewise, CONICET and universities have their own institutional repositories, where they upload the open access version of the article/book, in accordance with Law 26.899, which requires open access to research funded by taxpayers, through the so-called green path.  
  • CONICET signed the DORA Declaration in 2022 and also participates in the Global Research Council’s Responsible Research Assessment Group.

Last updated: May 2025 

Acknowledgements: Information provided by  Federico Vasen and Nerina Sathou.

Purpose

PEI (Programa de Evaluación Institucional) is Argentina’s Institutional Evaluation Program, a largely formative assessment model designed to help institutions evaluate their R&D activities and develop plans for improvement. Although the resources allocated based on PEI results are limited, these results can be integrated into CONEAU, another evaluation system that focuses on institutions’ educational degrees and governance, with limited emphasis on research.

PEI evaluations are optional and occur through an agreement between the institution and the Secretariat of Innovation, Science and Technology. The evaluation within the PEI covers different types of institutions: public universities, private universities and non-university research centres (mainly associated with CONICET – Argentina’s main government agency for science and technology, and some mission-driven institutes). There are no specific intervals for the evaluations.

Year of Introduction
2005

Census period
Ad hoc

Governance agency(s)
The Secretariat of Innovation, Science and Technology

Purpose
Organisational learning and strategic development

Unit of Assessment
The organisation as a whole

Focus of Assessment
Scholarly Outputs
Organizational Performance
Societal Interaction
Research Culture

Governance

PEI is overseen by the Secretariat of Innovation, Science and Technology. Participation in PEI is voluntary.

Operation of the exercise

The focus of the assessment in PEI includes scholarly outputs, organisational performance, research culture and societal interaction.

PEI is designed for the assessment of organisations as a whole.

The assessment process within PEI primarily involves peer review, informed by bibliometrics that vary by discipline. Evaluations also include a self-assessment and an on-site visit by an external evaluation committee. The evaluation committee is formed ad hoc for each institution on the basis of the institution’s research profile. The last stage of the evaluation consists of the design and implementation of an Institutional Improvement Plan, carried out by the institution itself with the support of PEI. For the development of these activities, evaluated institutions may receive financial and/or technical support.

History, reviews and evaluations

Since 2013, the number of institutions applying for evaluation has increased significantly, initially due to the inclusion of public universities and later, from 2018, due to the inclusion of many newly established universities (Kupervaser & Corengia, 2022). By 2023, 68 institutions had applied for the evaluation: 23 public research organizations and 45 universities (35 public and 10 private).

Regarding their progress through the various stages of the program, 62 institutions (91%) completed the self-assessment, 59 (86%) also underwent external evaluation, but only 27 (40%) successfully finalized the improvement plan.

Last updated: May 2025 

Acknowledgements: Information provided by  Federico Vasen and Nerina Sathou.

Purpose


PRINUAR – and its predecessor PROINCE – is a national system of categorisation of researchers, which originally offered a salary bonus but today has only a symbolic value. This system was designed to be more competitive than the traditional academic career evaluation procedures and promote research activities in universities by categoriszing faculty members based on their research output. By setting standards at the national level, it was intended to provide greater accountability and segmentation in teaching staff. Presently it allows university teachers who are not members of CONICET’s CICYT an external evaluation of their researcher profile.

Currently, there is a transition period between PROINCE and PRINUAR. The latter was created in 2022 and opened its call for applications for entry, retention or promotion the following year. The evaluation process has been underway since mid-2023 and results are expected by mid-2025. PROINCE granted a Research Equivalent Category (CEI) to university teachers, ranging from I to V, in descending order. If the applicant also fulfilled certain requirements, he/she received an economic amount according to the category obtained. PRINUAR also awards five categories, but it does not offer a financial incentive.

Year of Introduction
1994

Census period
2 years (admission and promotion); 4 years (permanence)

Governance agency(s)
The Sub-Secretariat of University Policies of the Secretariat of Education

Purpose
Accountability
Promotion of individual researchers

Unit of Assessment
Individual researchers

Focus of Assessment
Performance of individuals 

Governance

PRINUAR is overseen by the Sub-Secretariat of University Policies of the Secretariat of Education and participation in PRINUAR is incentivised but not mandatory.

Operation of the exercise

The focus of the assessment in PRINUAR is individual careers in science.

PPRINUAR is designed for the assessment of researchers at the  individual level.

The assessment of individual researchers in PRINUAR is based on informed peer review.

History, reviews and evaluations

In 2023 the program underwent a major modification of its regulations (changed its name from PROINCE to the current PRINUAR). Unlike the previous system, PRINUAR has a centralised and discipline-based evaluation and management process. In 2023 it opened a call for entry, permanence and promotion, which is currently being assessed.

In the re-design from PROINCE to PRINIUAR, evaluation guidelines were revised, with a stronger focus on outreach and public communication of science.

Last updated: May 2025 

Acknowledgements: Information provided by  Federico Vasen and Nerina Sathou.

Argentina

Number of Systems
3
Name of System(s)
Career of Scientific and Technological Researcher (CICYT)
Institutional Evaluation Program (PEI)
Program for Researcher Teachers (PRINUAR)
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