Minister Harris announces funding to continue the support for the implementation of Ireland’s National Action Plan for Open Research 2022-2030
2 March 2023
Ireland’s National Open Research Forum (NORF) welcomes today’s announcement from the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, of funding allocation of €1.9 million through the Higher Education Authority (HEA) to support the continued work of NORF and to advance Ireland’s transition to open research. Today’s announcement follows the allocation of €1.725 million to NORF in 2022 and brings the total investment to date to €3.625 million.
The funding has been allocated to the Digital Repository of Ireland (DRI), the coordinating organisation for NORF, and will be distributed via funding calls under NORF’s 2023 Open Research Fund. The Fund’s aim is to advance priority actions identified in Ireland’s National Action Plan for Open Research 2022-2030 that will enable the national research system to better support open research practices, including making research publications and data openly accessible for the benefit of all.
Welcoming the funding, Dr Lisa Griffith, Interim Director of DRI, said:
DRI is proud to act as NORF’s coordinating organisation, and to continue working alongside our dedicated NORF colleagues to implement agreed priorities. This investment means we can consolidate and build upon NORF’s previous work to ensure Ireland’s Open Research goals are attained.
For 2023, funding will be awarded to projects addressing priority actions that include agreeing sectoral commitments to fully recognise and reward open research, and strengthening and supporting institutional policies related to research data management, open access and rights retention. In addition, this year the Fund will seek to incentivise researchers from all disciplines who wish to play a leading role in advancing open research via an open call for project proposals that align with the National Action Plan.
Dr Daniel Bangert, Ireland’s National Open Research Coordinator, added:
The investment announced today will enable the delivery of key actions in Ireland’s National Action Plan for Open Research and provide opportunities for institutions and individuals to play a leading role in advancing open research in Ireland. We look forward to collaborating with colleagues from across the sector to realise our aims of fostering an open research culture and broadening the reach and impact of Irish research.
Dr Siobhán O’Sullivan, Executive Director of the Royal Irish Academy where DRI are headquartered said:
The funding to support the implementation of the National Action Plan for Open Research, under the stewardship of the DRI, is most welcome. Realising the roadmap for Ireland’s transition towards open research will maximise the value and impact of research findings and ensure that access to new knowledge and insights can be shared for the public good on an inclusive basis.
Today’s announcement is accompanied by the opening of the call for applications for both strands of the 2023 Open Research Fund. Further details of the Fund are available on the 2023 Open Research Fund page.
Contact norfgrants@ria.ie for further information.
Notes
Open Research, also referred to as open science or open scholarship, is an approach to research based on open cooperative work, tools, and knowledge sharing for the benefit of science and society. Open research reflects a fundamental shift globally towards making research more transparent, collaborative, efficient and democratic. Open research is relevant to all research irrespective of field and purpose.
The Digital Repository of Ireland (DRI) is the coordinating organisation for NORF, employing the National Open Research Coordinator and the NORF Project manager. DRI is a national infrastructure for research data preservation and FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) sharing, as well as a research centre in digital archiving, digital preservation, and open research. The development of an open research ecosystem is one of DRI’s key strategic priorities, and DRI actively contributes to policy formation, advocacy, training and infrastructure provision in this area. DRI is headquartered at the Royal Irish Academy (RIA).
Ireland’s National Open Research Forum (NORF) was established in 2017 to drive the Irish agenda for Open Research. NORF provides a space for communication, consultation and cooperation among key stakeholders in the research system regarding strategic issues and overarching policies and procedures in open research. The Forum 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 developed Ireland’s National Framework on the Transition to an Open Research Environment (2019) and the National Action Plan for Open Research 2022-2030.
