On Monday, 21 November, Ireland’s National Action Plan for Open Research 2022-2030 was launched at an event hosted by the country’s National Open Research Forum (NORF). The National Action Plan outlines objectives and actions for the next chapter in Ireland’s transition towards open research. The plan was prepared by NORF and supports national strategic priorities for research and innovation under Impact 2030: Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy.
Ireland’s Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, spoke at the event, underscoring that:
“Open research is a priority for Impact 2030: Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy. Open research is essential for us all to learn from each other. It improves access and transparency. It provides benefits for researchers, research communities, research institutions, governments, industry, and society more generally.”
The EOSC Association Board of Directors has formally endorsed the plan, as has the EOSC-A Mandatory Organisation for Ireland, HEAnet. Included in the plan are Action 5.5, Strengthen connections to international infrastructures supporting open research and research data, including the EOSC</i>; and Action 5.2, Support national services for storing, managing, sharing and preserving research data, including the development of national services enabling EOSC. The plan also highlights its alignment with ERA Action 1: Enable Open Science, including through EOSC.
The National Action Plan for Open Research serves as a roadmap for the implementation of open research across Ireland and is structured according to three broad themes:
- Establishing a culture of open research
- Achieving 100% open access to research publications
- Enabling FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) research data and other outputs
Monday’s launch event included introductory remarks by NORF Co-Chair Tim Conlon (Higher Education Authority), a summary of the National Action Plan by Dr Daniel Bangert, Ireland’s National Open Research Coordinator, and presentations from six projects funded by NORF to deliver priority actions for 2022-2024.
Dr Bangert summarised the motivations driving Ireland’s action plan:
“The National Action Plan for Open Research encourages and supports the system-wide adoption of open research practices through coordinated actions that will result in greater visibility and impact for Irish research. A key part of implementing the plan is an ongoing need to foster a research culture that recognises and rewards open research and its core values including quality, integrity and equity.”
The National Action Plan and a list of endorsing organisations is available on the NORF website: https://norf.ie/national-action-plan/
For more information on Ireland’s involvement in EOSC, please visit the EOSC-A country page at https://eosc.eu/tripartite-collaboration/ireland. You can also find a wrap-up of September’s National Tripartite Event in Dublin at https://www.eosc.eu/news/kicking-eosc-tripartite-events-ireland.
