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Open Research Programme
A five-year programme supported by Research England, UKRN institutional members and project partnersOpen and Responsible Researcher Reward and Recognition (OR4) Project
Lead
The chair of the group is Professor Candy Rowe, Newcastle University.
Overview
The Open and Responsible Researcher Reward and Recognition Project (OR4) will support the institutional implementation of responsible researcher assessment policies and procedures that recognise and reward Open Research.
The main focus of the project is on procedures for the recruitment and promotion of researchers, but procedures related to the following are also within scope: probation, annual performance assessment, the award of institutional funding to support research, and other forms of reward such as prizes. The primary intended beneficiaries are members of UK research-performing institutions who are involved in the implementation of research assessment reforms. But the project engages with an international context, and it is anticipated that project activities and outputs will be of relevance and use to members of research-performing institutions outside the UK as well as to stakeholders supporting development of policy and practice in this area.
Objectives
The objectives of OR4 are:
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- To provide institutional leaders and managers with a set of freely available practical tools they can use to implement responsible research assessment that includes incentivising Open Research practices in policies and procedures for the recruitment, promotion and appraisal of researchers;
- To track the implementation and evaluation of such procedures over the course of the project in selected institutions, test and refine the resources and tools produced by the project, and provide practical case studies for the benefit of other institutions;
- To foster a community of staff in institutions with an interest in (and responsibility for) all relevant aspects of institutional practice, to support them in the process of improvement, and to facilitate the sharing of best practice;
- To engage with an international network of relevant initiatives and expert stakeholders (including a project Advisory Group) to ensure the project adds value and is complementary to existing activities and resources, and to promote and disseminate project outputs.
Plan
A summary Project Plan is attached below.
Current position
Work package 1: As of September 2023, the group has implemented changes to the project plan following a consultation with the Advisory Group, and is in the process of producing the first annual progress report.
Work package 2: The institutional survey on current researcher reward and recognition practices was disseminated to participating UK universities in June 2023. The survey results are due back in September 2023.
14 full case study institutions and an additional 24 institutions forming a wider community of practice have been recruited. The case study and community of practice institutions will soon be publicly announced and the project team will start engaging with the institutions in Autumn 2023.
Work package 3: Preliminary work has commenced on all of the WP3 deliverables.
Outputs:
Contact:
Anna Korzeniowska (Project Manager) anna.korzeniowska@surrey.ac.uk
Robert Darby r.m.darby@reading.ac.uk
Training
Enabling UK institutions to improve the skills in open research practices
Evaluation
Developing effective ways to assess changes among researchers and institutions
Sharing
Enabling and encouraging institutions to share good practice