02908nas a2200529   4500000000100000000000100001008004100002260001500043653001200058653002100070653001100091653002400102100001400126700002000140700001500160700003200175700001500207700001600222700001500238700002600253700001700279700001900296700001400315700001600329700002000345700002000365700001900385700001600404700001400420700002200434700002300456700001400479700002400493700001700517700001300534700001300547700001400560700001400574700001700588700002000605700002000625245007500645856005500720300000900775520158000784022001402364       2025                            d  c2025-01-2210aCareers10aDeveloping world10apolicy10aResearch management1 aB. H. Lim1 aC. D’Ippoliti1 aM. Dominik1 aA. C. Hernández-Mondragón1 aK. Vermeir1 aK. K. Chong1 aH. Hussein1 aV. S. Morales-Salgado1 aK. J. Cloete1 aJ. N. Kimengsi1 aL. Balboa1 aS. Mondello1 aT. E. dela Cruz1 aS. Lopez-Verges1 aI. Sidi Zakari1 aA. Simonyan1 aI. Palomo1 aA. Režek Jambrak1 aJ. Germo Nzweundji1 aA. Molnar1 aA. M. I. Saktiawati1 aS. Elagroudy1 aP. Kumar1 aS. Enany1 aV. Narita1 aM. Backes1 aV. Siciliano1 aD. Egamberdieva1 aY. Flores Bueso00aRegional and institutional trends in assessment for academic promotion  uhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08422-9  a1-103 aThe assessment of research performance is widely seen as a vital tool in upholding the highest standards of quality, with selection and competition believed to drive progress. Academic institutions need to take critical decisions on hiring and promotion, while facing external pressure by also being subject to research assessment1–4. Here we present an outlook on research assessment for career progression with specific focus on promotion to full professorship, based on 314 policies from 190 academic institutions and 218 policies from 58 government agencies, covering 32 countries in the Global North and 89 countries in the Global South. We investigated how frequently various promotion criteria are mentioned and carried out a statistical analysis to infer commonalities and differences across policies. Although quantitative methods of assessment remain popular, in agreement with what is found in more geographically restricted studies5–9, they are not omnipresent. We find differences between the Global North and the Global South as well as between institutional and national policies, but less so between disciplines. A preference for bibliometric indicators is more marked in upper-middle-income countries. Although we see some variation, many promotion policies are based on the assumption of specific career paths that become normative rather than embracing diversity. In turn, this restricts opportunities for researchers. These results challenge current practice and have strategic implications for researchers, research managers and national governments.  a1476-4687