Minister Harris launches National Action Plan for Open Research
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Ó: An Roinn Breisoideachais agus Ardoideachais, Taighde, Nuálaíochta agus Eolaíochta
- Foilsithe: 21 Samhain 2022
- An t-eolas is déanaí: 12 Aibreán 2025
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, has today welcomed the launch of the National Action Plan for Open Research 2022-2030.
The Plan outlines objectives and actions for the next chapter in Ireland’s transition towards open research.
Speaking today, Minister Harris said:
"Open research is a priority for Impact 2030: Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy.
"Open research is essential for us all to learn from each other. It improves access and transparency.
"It provides benefits for researchers, research communities, research institutions, governments, industry, and society more generally."
The Plan covers the period 2022-2030, aligned with Impact 2030: Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy, and has three broad themes:
- establishing a culture of open research
- working towards 100% open access to research publications
- enabling FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) research data and other outputs
The co-chairs of the Action Plan are Tim Conlon, Higher Education Authority and Patricia Clarke, Health Research Board.
They commented:
"The publication of the National Action Plan for Open Research is a significant milestone in Ireland’s path towards a research system fully aligned with open research principles and practices.
"We thank the stakeholder representatives involved in NORF and the broader research community for their considered input and engagement in this process."
Ireland’s National Open Research Coordinator, Dr Daniel Bangert, added:
"The National Action Plan for Open Research encourages and supports the system-wide adoption of open research practices through coordinated actions that will result in greater visibility and impact for Irish research.
"A key part of implementing the plan is an ongoing need to foster a research culture that recognises and rewards open research and its core values including quality, integrity and equity.
"I would like to acknowledge the many individuals and organisations that have contributed to and endorsed the National Action Plan for Open Research and I look forward to working together with all stakeholders on its implementation."
Notes
Open research benefits everyone by making research available without barriers to researchers, policymakers, students and citizens. As demonstrated by COVID-19, open and timely access to research publications, data and other outputs is essential to meet societal needs and grand challenges such as climate change, sustainability and disease control.
Ireland’s National Action Plan for Open Research 2022-2030 was developed by the National Open Research Forum (NORF). NORF was established in 2017 to drive the Irish agenda for open research. NORF combines the expertise of representatives from policy, research funding organisations, research performing organisations, the library sector, enterprise and other key stakeholders in the research system across Ireland. NORF is co-chaired by the Higher Education Authority and the Health Research Board.
NORF developed a shared vision and identified nationally coordinated actions to help accelerate Ireland’s progress in open research. This was achieved through a planning exercise involving Working Groups, Coordination Groups and public consultation. This consultative process resulted in the National Action Plan for Open Research 2022-2030, which sets out a roadmap for meeting national objectives. These objectives were initially set out in Ireland’s National Framework on the Transition to an Open Research Environment published in 2019.
The Plan covers the period 2022-2030, aligned with Impact 2030: Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy, and has three broad themes:
- establishing a culture of open research
- working towards 100% open access to research publications
- enabling FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) research data and other outputs
This Plan strengthens Ireland’s commitment to open research, including our contribution to the European Research Area Policy Agenda and its priority action to enable the open sharing of knowledge and the re-use of research outputs.