Background

Templeton World Charity Foundation, Inc (TWCF) seeks to support rigorous science within Sir John Templeton’s mandate. To maximize the potential impact of such research we want to recognize all scholarly contributions of scientists and at every stage of the discovery process. We also recognize that some metrics intended to serve as proxies for quality, such as journal impact factor, can skew the incentives of scientists and detract from the quality of the research. To this end, we have signed on to the principles of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA). 

The full list of principles can be accessed at: https://sfdora.org/read/

Research Assessment Policy (With effect from 2021)

1. We do not use journal-based metrics, such as Journal Impact Factors, as a surrogate measure of the quality of individual research articles, to assess an individual scientist’s contributions or in funding decisions.
    
2. For the purposes of research assessment, we consider the value and impact of all research outputs (including datasets and software) and a broad range of impact measures.
    
3. We make explicit the criteria used in evaluating the scientific productivity of grant applicants and we expect applicants, grantees, and reviewers to respond to these criteria accordingly.
    
4. We expect Grantees that are research institutions to have a:
   • statement of commitment to implementing the DORA principles on their website – this should be prominent and accessible
   • plan for implementing the DORA principles, or a clear process in place for developing a plan (with a specified delivery date) 
   • process in place for monitoring and reporting on progress.