  This paper describes the method for ex-post peer review evaluation per
research discipline used at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and summarizes
the outcomes obtained from it. The method produces pertinent advice and
triggers responses - at the level of the individual researcher, the research
team and the university's research management - for the benefit of research
quality, competitivity and visibility. Imposed reflection and contacts during
and after the evaluation procedure modify the individual researcher's attitude,
improve the research teams' strategies and allow for the extraction of general
recommendations that are used as discipline-dependent guidelines in the
university's research management. The deep insights gained in the different
research disciplines and the substantial data sets on their research, support
the university management in its policy decisions and in building policy
instruments. Moreover, the results are used as a basis for comparison with
other assessments, leading to a better understanding of the possibilities and
limitations of different evaluation processes. The peer review method can be
applied systematically in a pluri-annual cycle of research discipline
evaluations to build up a complete overview, or it can be activated on an ad
hoc basis for a particular discipline, based on demands from research teams or
on strategic or policy arguments.
