About

The MERIT Portal for Appointments at the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) 

Welcome to the MERIT Portal – the platform for quality-driven, impact-oriented, and future-focused professorial recruitment at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin.

Since autumn 2017, Charité has expanded its approach to academic assessment by introducing four new evaluation criteria aimed at capturing a broader spectrum of scientific excellence:

  1. Scientific Contribution (Impact Narrative)
  2. Self-selection of five key publications, including description of personal contribution
  3. Engagement in Open Science
  4. Contribution to Team Science, including relevant collaborations and networks

These criteria enable applicants to showcase their diverse academic achievements beyond conventional metrics. In addition, the concept of academic age has been introduced to help committees contextualize career progression and productivity.

As part of the Wellcome Trust-funded MERIT Study (2019–2023), the usability and fairness of these new criteria were systematically evaluated. The outcome: the MERIT Portal – a digital tool designed to enhance transparency, comparability, and reduce bias in academic hiring.

Functions of the MERIT Portal

The MERIT Portal supports the entire appointment process – from application to decision – and includes three core modules:

  • Application Tool
    A structured, narrative-based format that allows you to present your scientific profile with depth, context, and clarity.
  • Assessment Tool
    A digital interface for appointment committees that promotes fair, structured assessment with integrated bias-reduction strategies.
  • Management Tool
    For the efficient administration of the entire appointment process.

Quality, Transparency, and Future Orientation

The MERIT Portal is embedded in the strategic agendas of both Charité (Charité Strategy 2030 – Focus Area 6) and BIH (Strategic Research Program 2023–2027). Its design is grounded in evidence from policy analysis, literature reviews, and best practices, and it aligns with leading international frameworks such as:

  • San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) 
  • Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA)
  • Science Europe 

Our mission is to make scientific excellence visible – in all its breadth, depth, and societal relevance.

Evaluation & Continuous Development

The MERIT Portal is currently in a pilot phase. Your feedback is crucial to further improving usability and quality. For questions or suggestions, please contact us:
📩 quest-merit@bih-charite.de

Reporting a Problem

When reporting a technical issue, please use the following template:

  • Title: Brief description of the issue (e.g., “Work Experience section: data not saved”)
  • Steps to reproduce: Describe what actions you took before encountering the problem
  • Expected vs. actual behavior: What did you expect to happen – what actually happened?
  • Screenshot or screencast: If possible, please attach
  • Technical details: Your operating system (Windows/Mac/Linux) and browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.)

The MERIT Team

The MERIT Portal is an in-house development of the BIH QUEST Center for Responsible Research at Charité. A white-label version is available for interested organizations and collaborative development.

Contact persons:

  • Dr. Miriam Kip – Lead, Product Owner
  • Dr. Sebastian Major - Technical Lead
  • Dr. Julieta Arancio – Research Fellow & Community Manager
  • Mieszko Chowaniec – Software Developer
  • Dr. Mathias Dunkel – IT Infrastructure
  • Carolyn Capelouto – Student Assistant

📩 quest-merit@bih-charite.de