The Digital Repository of Ireland (DRI) is the coordinating body for the National Open Research Forum (NORF), the driving force behind the open research agenda in Ireland. Since 2022, DRI has supported NORF in administering the NORF Open Research Fund provided by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) to deliver the actions outlined in the National Action Plan for Open Research 2022-2030. Read on for a round-up of some of the recent NORF activities that have been delivered with the support of DRI, as well as the latest open research news.
News
NORF appoints new National Open Research Support Officer
We are delighted to welcome Dr Ailís O’Carroll to the DRI team in her new role as national open research support officer, supporting the work of the National Open Research Forum (NORF). In this role, Ailís will assist in undertaking a review of Ireland’s National Action Plan for Open Research 2022–2030.
Ireland’s National Open Research Coordinator joins Open Science Monitoring Initiative (OSMI) Working Groups
Ireland’s National Open Research Coordinator, Dr Michelle Doran, has joined key working groups within the Open Science Monitoring Initiative (OSMI), ensuring Ireland’s active engagement in international open science monitoring developments.
Seachtain na Gaeilge: NORF Publishes Irish Translations of Key Open Research Policy Documents
Mar cheiliúradh ar Sheachtain na Gaeilge, tá lúcháir ar Fhóram Náisiúnta na hÉireann um Thaighde Oscailte (NORF) An Plean Gníomhaíochta Náisiúnta um Thaighde Oscailte 2022-2030 agus an Tionscnamh Heilsincí maidir leis an Ilteangachas sa Chumarsáid Léannta a aistriú go Gaeilge.
In celebration of Seachtain na Gaeilge, NORF is delighted to have translated the National Action Plan for Open Research 2022–2030 and the Helsinki Initiative on Multilingualism in Scholarly Communication into Irish.
New Resource for Irish Repository Managers
Open Repositories Ireland has launched a new resource to support Irish repository managers in aligning with OpenAIRE 4.0 metadata standards. This resource provides guidance on improving metadata quality, interoperability, and compliance with open research infrastructure requirements.
QSA*Net presents at the World Conference on Qualitative Research
The NORF-funded QSA*Net team presented at the 9th World Conference on Qualitative Research (WCQR2025), this February in Poland. Their presentation highlighted qualitative secondary analysis (QSA) as key to open research. Read more on the Maynooth website.
Events
ABOARD Project Workshops
ABOARD surveyed researchers on awareness and readiness for changes in Open Research (OR), Responsible Research Assessment (RRA), and Responsible Research Metrics (RRM), highlighting a need for better recognition and reward alignment. Researchers are now invited to Collective Intelligence Workshops to shape future incentivisation practices and contribute to policy recommendations for DFHERIS.
Read more and register on the NORF website.
Future Pathways & Community Insights
Thursday, 10 April 2025, 12 p.m. (GMT) | Online
One year ago, in March 2024, NORF, IReL, and OpenAIRE jointly launched the pilot National Open Access Monitor, providing a cornerstone for Ireland’s transition to a fully open-access research ecosystem.
To further support the project, IReL and OpenAIRE have compiled a series of online events to better engage and assist the Irish research community. The next session ‘Future Pathways & Community Insights’ is on 10 April 2025 at 12:00 GMT.
Read more on the upcoming webinars and register.
NORF Fest 2025
Ireland’s National Open Research Festival (NORFest) will be held at the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, 6–7 November 2025. Additional details will be announced in the coming weeks, so be sure to save the dates!
Stay updated! Sign up for the NORF monthly newsletter to receive the latest news on NORFest, events, and open research developments.
Opportunities
Journal Checker Tool (JCT) User Feedback Survey
cOAlition S is surveying JCT users to improve its support for Plan S open access policy compliance. Researchers, librarians, and others — please share your feedback by March 21, 2025.
Call for Entries: Einstein Foundation Award for Promoting Quality in Research
The Einstein Foundation, in cooperation with the QUEST Center for Responsible Research at the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH), invites nominations for the 2025 Einstein Foundation Award for Promoting Quality in Research. The total award amount is €350,000 and the deadline for applications is April 30, 2025, at 10 p.m. (UTC).
More details and application instructions can be found on the Einstein Foundation website.
RDA 24th Plenary Meeting
The fully virtual 24th Research Data Alliance (RDA) Plenary Meeting on 7-11 April 2025 will highlight the role of data in rapidly evolving technological landscapes. Attendees will explore ways to overcome social and technical barriers in data access, sharing, and interoperability while shaping robust data governance strategies for emerging technologies.
More details on the RDA event page.
OSCARS 2nd Open Call for Open Science Projects and Services is Live
OSCARS brings together European Research Infrastructures (RIs) to foster the uptake of Open Science in Europe. Through open calls, it funds innovative projects advancing FAIR-data-intensive research in the European Research Area. OSCARS 2nd Open Call for Open Science Projects and Services is now open. Read more and apply here on the OSCARS website.
NORF is funded by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research and Innovation and Science through the Higher Education Authority (HEA). It is coordinated by the Digital Repository of Ireland (DRI), which is headquartered under the legal entity of the Royal Irish Academy.
