Alis Oancea - Biography#

Alis Oancea is Professor of Philosophy of Education and Research Policy in the Department of Education at the University of Oxford in UK (since 2016). She holds two doctoral degrees (University of Oxford, University of Bucharest), and a Doctor Honoris Causa from West University Timisoara. She is Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in the UK. She is a scholarly leader in research on research, including research policy, assessment and evaluation; research impact, innovation eco-systems; values in research including ethics and integrity; epistemic diversity; research careers; and metrics and indicators. She has supervised 39 students at doctoral level at Oxford, many graduating without corrections. Among over 100 books, articles and major reports and 12 special journal issues authored and edited sole or collaboratively, are the 'Handbook of Meta-research' (Edward Elgar, 2024), 'Introduction to Research Methods in Education’ (Sage, 2014), 'Education for All' (Routledge, 2009) and 'Expressions of Excellence in Applied and Practice Based Research' (Routledge, 2007). Professor Oancea has received over £10 million in research grants, is frequently invited to keynote and has made exceptional contributions in Europe and beyond to research assessment and evaluation, holding numerous positions of trust in governmental organisations, learned societies and academies in the European Commission, England, Wales, Portugal, Norway, Finland, Belgium, Flanders, Austria, Poland, Hong Kong. She conducted an invited expert review (2023-2024) of the EC’s investments in the reform of research assessment, which covered Horizon projects (including CoARA) and university alliance SwaFS initiatives. She was a member (2019) of the EC expert group on New Indicators for Researchers’ Engagement with Open Science and its Impacts, whose report informed further policy for the Horizons Europe programme. Currently she heads the first UK Research Excellence Framework (REF) Research Diversity Advisory Panel, which provides rigorous and inclusive advice on diversity of research practices, outputs, and impacts in the lead up to REF 2029. She previously contributed to REF 2008 and REF 2021. She was commissioned to review (2017 - 2018, 2020 - 2021) the capacity, impact and wider landscape of education research, as the key evidence to inform joint initiatives on educational research led by the British Academy and Royal Society. In Romania she has served on the General Council of the National Committee for the Accreditation of University Titles, Certificates and Diplomas; and as a judge on the National Researchers’ Prize competition. In Portugal she is Panel Chair, Education and Social Sciences and a Coordinating Panel Member for FCT-Tenure, and previously was Panel Chair, Education for Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) (the national public agency or research funding). She was a member (2017-2019) of the International Advisory Panel on reform of primary and lower secondary teacher education in Norway. Recent academic leadership roles at Oxford have included Social Sciences Advocate (Impact - Responsible Engagement and Innovation), Director of Research (Education), Senior REF Advisor, Deputy Director of the Centre for Global Higher Education.