Appraisal of Research Infrastructures: Approaches, methods and practical implications

Reflecting the growing importance taken by research infrastructures (RIs) and especially large ones (“Big Science”), there is increasing concern about the way these are selected for public funding and appraised, an issue that takes a specific relevance in the context of the current public spending constraint. The objective of this paper is to review international practices in RI projects selection and appraisal. In particular it accounts for the development of new evaluation approaches and tools mobilising quantitative and systematic methods that illustrate a shift away from traditional methods relying on peer review. It finds that “roadmaps” or systematic strategic planning of RIs make increasing recourse to quantitative indicators besides the “science case”. Also, even if still rare, there are examples of RIs selection processes based on a comparison of costs and benefits, as well as comprehensive approaches resorting to quantitative indicators adopted to monitor and assess RIs. In this context, cost benefit analysis emerges as a promising decision-making tool which needs however tailored techniques to account for the specificities of socio-economic benefits generated by RIs.