“We accelerate the transition to Open Science” Event

“We accelerate the transition to Open Science”
Nordic House, Brussels (BE), 12th June 2023

Hosted by EOSC Association, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), and the Swedish Research Council, ‘We Accelerate the Transition to Open Science’ highlighted the significance of FAIR principles for the European Research Area. Embracing open access, FAIR data principles, and citizen science will enable collective advancements in scientific knowledge by researchers, policymakers, and the public, but it can only be achieved through collaboration, engagement, and robust infrastructures, as demonstrated by scientific domains that already rely on open collaboration.

In recent years, a growing movement towards open science has emphasized accessibility, transparency, and collaboration in research and includes open access publishing, FAIR principles (data that are finable, accessible, interoperable, and re-useable), and citizen science. The European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) aims to create a virtual space where scientists and citizens can come together. However, community engagement is essential to co-create open science policies and robust infrastructures are crucial for seamless sharing and collaboration amongst actors.

EOSC’s Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) outlines a roadmap that will establish open science as standard practice, provide tools and services, and deliver essential infrastructures. This includes sharing data and meta-data – since it is the metadata that are FAIR – from publicly funded research, promoting interoperability, and expanding the scope to encompass public and private entities. EOSC has identified specific activities underpinning delivery such as outreach, exploitation of outputs, key performance indicators (KPIs), and contributions to Horizon Europe. Networks supporting these activities consist of country-, research infrastructure-, and EOSC-nodes that will facilitate further uptake of open science and greater collaboration on an international scale.

The Swedish Research Council (SRC) is embedding EOSC in future activities to foster collaboration by aligning national strategies with EOSC objectives and participation in Horizon Europe. SRC organises events (in-person and online) as well as surveys to engage stakeholders and gather valuable insights. Moreover, SRC provides funding for infrastructure projects that support advancement of open science. SRC policies are instrumental in promoting open science in Sweden and beyond through transnational and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Depending on the domain, open science presents organisations and individual researchers with different challenges and opportunities. While open data promotes knowledge creation, researchers have concerns about career benefits and data quality because of existing research assessment criteria. User-friendly data sharing and incentives for researchers should be a priority if EOSC ambitions are to be achieved. Establishing data management support functions, with both front desk and back-office expertise, which can address technical and legal challenges, support collaboration across borders and disciplines, and manage expectations effectively are also vital.

To learn more about this event visit https://eosc.eu/events/we-accelerate-transition-open-science