Mutual learning exercise : performance-based funding of university research : Horizon 2020 Policy Support Facility, summary report

To support countries in reforming their research and innovation systems, the Directorate-General for Research & Innovation (DG RTD) of the European Commission set up a Policy Support Facility (PSF) under the European Framework Programme for Research & Innovation 'Horizon 2020'. It aims to support Member States and associated countries in improving their national science, technology and innovation systems. This report documents a mutual learning exercise on performance-based research funding systems (PRFS) for universities. Armenia, Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Italy, Moldova, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Turkey all participated in the exercise, which was supported by a group of five experts. This report summarises the main learnings drawn from the exercise and makes a number of policy recommendations about how and when to design and use PRFS for policymakers and PRFS designers. A longer report is published in parallel with this one, which presents the evidence and analysis underlying this one, together with the lessons and recommendations.