Open Science

We provide advice and support to our researchers, innovators and the organization at large throughout the entire project life cycle to maximize chances of success, both in securing strategic funding and in smoothly executing the awarded projects.

We value transparancy

At the UMC Utrecht we value transparency in the scientific process. We support the principles of Open Science and aim to put these to practice. We set up the Faculty Open Science Team (FOST), we actively involve citizens and patients in our research activities, and we strive to convert scientific knowledge to therapies and tools valuable to society. Our data and code are FAIR, and the knowledge we gain are published openly and without restrictions. We value a diverse and inclusive constitution of our teams and committees, and healthy personal and professional growth of our employees.

The Open Science Team

The mission of this team is to assess and promote all efforts in the space Open Science at the UMC Utrecht. Each member has her/his own focus within Open Science and through bi-monthly meetings we update each other on the various topics.

The FOST members are the go-to people when you have questions, remarks, or ideas regarding an Open Science topic for the UMC Utrecht. We can liaise with you, give pointers, answers, or work with you to promote Open Science principles and practices.

Preprints & Open Access

Preprints

Preprints are [academic] manuscripts that have not been peer-reviewed or published in a traditional publishing venue. In Open Science and academic publishing, the preprint increasingly appears on the radar as an important element in academic communication. By posting preprints, academics can rapidly share their findings and build upon each other’s work.

The Dutch consortium of university libraries and the National library of the Netherlands (UKB) together with the Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU) and the Dutch Research Council (NWO), have published a practical guide on preprints.

Open Access

Conceptually Open Access publishing is a cornerstone in Open Science: it is key in the rapid and free dissemination of scientific knowledge. This is one of the reasons that publishing Open Access is now required by many funders. Yet, many of you wonder about what steps to take to publish Open Access. And what does Open Access publishing cost and and is there any funding available? The Team Publishing Support at the University Library developed a handy the open access flow chart: Open Access Flow Chart.

Open Education

The transition towards Open Science should be reflected in how a new generation of academics and citizens are educated. The aim of university (medical) education should be preparing future graduates to share their (inter)disciplinary knowledge, engage with societal stakeholders, and shape tomorrow’s society. Utrecht University described this in the white paper ‘Shaping the academic self’.

On behalf of the UMC Utrecht Marc van Mil is the ambassador for Open Education and member of the Open Science Team.

FAIR data and code

A pillar to reproducible and robust science are the open sharing of data and code. The UMC Utrecht adheres to the principles of FAIR: we aim to make data and code Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. A specific workflow and associated guidelines were drawn up and implemented. In short, this entails that we share data through public repositories such as DataverseNL and codes through GitHub when possible. This is inline with the FAIR adagium ‘open when possible, closed when necessary’ and policies of the other Dutch universities and medical centers.

Recognition & Awards

Six academic career profiles at UMC Utrecht

The transition to Open Science is inseparable from new forms of research evaluation that stimulate and assess academics on their contributions to Open Science practices. The incorporation in research assessments of e.g. stakeholder involvement, public engagement activities, FAIR data and code sharing and Open Access publishing is captured under Recognition & Rewards. The diversification of academic career profiles, making rewardable a broad range of academic activities, is another major development.

Translational Medicine

The translation of biomedical research results to new treatments and better patient care typically requires Open Science activities like stakeholder involvement and multidisciplinary collaboration. To provide the optimal translational setting and bridge the gap between bench and bedside, the UMC Utrecht appoints clinical scientists. This program allows medical doctors with demonstrable research expertise to dedicate 50% of their time to research.

On behalf of the UMC Utrecht Sabine Fuchs is the ambassador for Translational Medicine and member of the Open Science Team.

Public Engagement

Public Engagement encompasses activities to raise interest in research, to include citizens and communities in setting research priorities, to engage them with the research process, to translate outcomes for a non-scholarly public, and to participate in public debate.

In the UMC Utrecht the strategic program ‘Patient participation’ stimulates engagement with patients and patient organisations in research processes. A prime example of outreach includes the organisation of webinars on specific topics of interest to patients. Another example are the yearly public lectures where (clinical) researchers detail their research in accessible wording, how it benefits the patients, and the future perspective they envision.

National and international context

The transition to Open Science at UMC Utrecht and Utrecht University is closely linked to national and international developments. Research funders, research performing organisations and community initiatives increasingly support Open Science.

In the Netherlands universities and funders are committed to Recognition & rewards and there is a National Plan Open Science and a ‘Regieorgaan Open Science’, which are funded by the ministry of Education and Science. The main research funder NWO supports new forms of evaluation and requires 100% Open Access. The ‘Strategic Evaluation Protocol‘ that universities and UMCs use to periodically evaluate their research has a strong focus Open Science practices and outputs.

Internationally, the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment is very influential and all Dutch universities adhere to the declaration. In the European Union there is a ‘Reforming research assessment‘ agreement established along similar lines. Open Science has for years been promoted by the European Commission.

UNESCO adopted a recommendation on Open Science as a means to reduce the divide in digital, technological and knowledge existing between and within countries.

The White House also committed the United States to Open Science and pushes strongly for Open Access, and FAIR data and code sharing among others.