Launch of Ireland’s National Framework on the Transition to an Open Research Environment
The Government has launched Ireland’s National Framework on the Transition to an Open Research Environment. The National Framework is a key deliverable of the National Open Research Forum (NORF), which was set up in 2017 to bring together key members of the research community to drive Ireland’s open research agenda as set out in Innovation 2020, Ireland’s research and development, science and technology strategy.
Patricia Clarke of the Health Research Board and co-chair of the NORF said: “The National Framework is a clear statement of intent by the Irish research community to take practical steps to embed open research in Ireland. I am delighted that so many key stakeholders from across the Irish research system have worked together to prepare this Framework, to ensure the research system as a whole moves in a common direction. I would like to encourage all members of the research community to actively engage with the NORF to deliver this Framework to ensure that Ireland stays to the forefront of this European and international cultural shift towards open research.”
The Framework is aligned with emerging European Union policy and includes principles on: open access to publications; enabling FAIR[1] research data; underpinning infrastructures for access to and preservation of research; development of skills and competencies, and incentives and rewards for open research within research evaluation processes. The framework will open up access to publicly-funded research in Ireland and support research excellence across all disciplines. Open Research will be a requirement of the next EU Framework Programme, Horizon Europe, and Irish researchers and institutions need to be ready.
Tim Conlon of the Higher Education Authority and incoming co-chair of the NORF said: “Open research has the potential to transform the research landscape, with clear benefits for society, including greater public engagement and trust in research and enhancing research excellence and integrity, across all disciplines. It also calls for a culture change and the NORF is a good example of how key players in the higher education and research system can work together to bring about this change on a national level. The launch of this framework is a significant first step in a process which will see the development of a National Action Plan for the transition to an open research environment.”
[1] Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable.
