Fairly Recognised podcast series. Treat yourself: dive into the deeper understanding of Recognition & Rewards

CALL TO ACTION This podcast series is SPECIFICALLY intended for mid-career academics who do not yet fully understand the Recognition & Rewards programme. Are you such a person, or better yet, do you know (perhaps through others) such a hard-working (and precisely because of all that fantastic dedicated work) hard-to-find academic? Share this message, listen to the podcast, and ensure yourself or the other person a wealth of knowledge that will enrich on a way to a future-proof, fair, and collectively valued scientific work culture.

Fairly what?

Sit down, walk around, look out the window, listen.

The Fairly Recognised podcast series introduces you to the scope and benefits of Recognition & Rewards. Presenter Sanli Faez takes you on a trip.
Faez is a professor of physics at Utrecht University, a member of the Dutch National Young Academy and, since May 2025, programme manager of the national Recognition & Rewards programme.
For the podcast, he literally travels with a microphone in his backpack to visit various relevant guests in order to gain a fair and meaningful insight into the different facets of the R&R programme.
Below you'll find an overview of the four episodes that went on air this year, covering the state of the art of the programme, culture, leadership and open science.
We will continue in full swing in 2026! 💫

Language in the podcast: English
The blue big headers below link to the episode on Spotify. If you prefer, you can also listen to the podcast via Substack (and read Sanli's monthly newsletter).

#1. Are we nearly there yet? - Alex Rushford

For years, Alex Rushford in his research practice has been exploring the question of what responsible metrics in science are. Initially a niche topic, it has become increasingly mainstream due to reform practices that include the Recognition & Rewards programme. Last summer, Rushford published his article “Beyond Impact Factors? Lessons from the Dutch Attempt to Transform Academic Research Assessment”, in which he takes a constructive critical look at the programme. In the podcast, he talks about his method and to his concern why it is desirable to continue to pay attention to (the reform of) research culture, even in times of austerity.
'We will not succeed with a system that focuses solely on productivity and has little impact on colleagues.' He also has a few tips on what you can do yourself as a scientist. For example: be alert to the attention being paid to reforms around you. Is there a stand or session available for alternative publication models or models at the conference you are attending? Where do you see opportunities in your own organisation? Find colleagues to join forces with and approach an organising party together.
A podcast episode that takes you into the intricacies of thinking about responsible scientific research.

If you would like to know more about responsible metrix, please check the CWTS website in Leiden.

#2. The Meeting Culture - Dorit Gottlieb

Meetings are simply part of professional life. Group discussions are so commonplace within academia that it is easy to lose sight of why you are meeting in the first place. Is the format of the discussion or the structure of the interaction actually logical, or even better, conducive to what you are trying to achieve together?
With trainer and meeting facilitator Dorit Gottlieb, Sanli Faez reflects on the possibilities of Open Space Technology and the power of genuine contact. Gottlieb focuses her expertise on “the whole person process facilitation”, which means, among other things, that in her view a meeting is merely a vehicle “for something that is about to happen in the process”. This conversation aims to be an inspiring example of how you can think for yourself about working methods that can benefit academic culture.

#3. Academia in Motion - Marieke Adriaanse

Recognition & Rewards has a lot to do with attitude, a different perspective on scientific practice, hów you conduct science, or how you, as a scientist, are part of a collective. As a behavioural scientist, Professor Marieke Adriaanse is keenly aware of the fact that this practice benefits most from “doing”. Doing it yourself, in her case. In front of the podcast microphone, she explains how she exemplifies Recognition & Rewards: from her inaugural lecture 'Oogkleppen af! Gedragsverandering voor een gezonde wetenschap en samenleving' (in Dutch) to her participatory attitude in the practice of general practitioner training. She also gives the tip that, once you have a position at 'the table', you should not take things for granted because that's how they were agreed upon. In short: a clear, energetic and very listenable conversation.
And, if you're looking for even more inspiration in this area, be sure to read the interview we had with Adriaanse earlier for the e-zine “Embrace the Impact”.

Curious about the approach of Recognition & Rewards at Leiden University?
Take a look at their RRview page.

#4. UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science - Ana Persic

What exactly does the international community mean by Open Science, what can it mean for a more equitable and progressive development of science, and what do we need to implement these internationally accepted recommendations in everyday scientific practice?
This dialogue emphasises that the movement forward in the field of Open Science is a collective one. 'The science of the future will not take place in an ivory tower, but is a matter of collaboration. And I am convinced that this development will attract many more people to science than is currently the case.' According to Ana Persic, Programme Specialist for Science Technology and Innovation Policies and Open Science at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. As the architect of the Recommendation, Ana also explains how this UNESCO framework has been compiled bottom-up through a process of collaboration that has taken many years.
The handout for the Recommendation can be found here and the full text is available here. Be sure to check out the toolkit and keep an eye on the UNESCO website for “coming soon” updates!