More than a hundred visionaries in the realm of open science—comprising leaders, policymakers, practitioners, and advocates—convened in Geneva, Switzerland, from July 10-14 for a pivotal summit sponsored by CERN and NASA. The primary aim was to strategize ways to expedite the global adoption of open science.
On November 1, the summit organizers issued a comprehensive closing statement and a compelling call to action for future work moving forward.
Participants from SPARC and the Open Research Funders Group (ORFG) involved in shaping, presenting, and moderating the program hailed the event as a promising indication of a united community dedicated to advancing open science.
Heather Joseph, Executive Director of SPARC, highlighted the importance of this initiative in fostering a structured community of open science practitioners and leaders committed to harmonizing policies globally.
The attendees, representing a diverse cohort of 70 institutions—both public and private—actively engaged in advocating open science policies, convened to exchange experiences on sharing data from experiments, open-source hardware, software, and infrastructure. The summit comprised a blend of presentations and interactive clinics, fostering discussions about the efficacy and challenges associated with open science initiatives.
Rather than positioning policy as a mandatory compliance measure, the summit underscored the need to redefine its purpose. Joseph emphasized, “Policies should be designed as tools to facilitate and reward open science practices, presenting opportunities rather than a mere checklist for compliance.”
Greg Tananbaum, Director of the Open Research Funders Group, stressed that transitioning from policy to actionable implementation necessitates robust infrastructure, training, incentives, and cross-sector collaboration. He highlighted the diversity of actors involved in the open scholarship landscape and the remarkable, transformative activities observed across disciplines and geographies during the summit.
Erin McKiernan, ORFG Community Manager, echoed the sentiment of fruitful peer-to-peer connections forged at the event, fostering a community of practice and knowledge sharing.
The event highlighted the potential to repurpose policy development resources created by ORFG, providing tools and model policies to facilitate implementation, easing the process for those encountering challenges.
Eunice Mercado-Lara, Open and Equitable Project Manager for ORFG, highlighted the invaluable insights garnered from varied perspectives beyond academia, addressing challenges and benefits associated with adopting open science policies. She underscored the significance of showcasing diverse success stories in open science, including those from indigenous communities.
Amid increased focus on transparent research sharing during the 2023 Year of Open Science, the summit emphasized the significance of FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable) practices to promote efficient collaboration and enhance discoverability and reproducibility.
The call to action invites individuals keen on advancing the cause to join one of four working groups, focusing on sustainable and interoperable open infrastructure, incentives, equitable open science, and evidence-based open research policy.
This landmark summit signals a pivotal moment in the global pursuit of open science, driving collaboration and innovation to fortify the future of scholarly research.
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