2nd Annual General Meeting of the OPUS Project Begins in Bucharest

• November 12, 2024

Bucharest, November 12, 2024 – Today marks the start of the 2nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the OPUS project in Bucharest, Romania, running from November 12-14. This significant event, hosted by the Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development, and Innovation Funding (UEFISCDI), will gather project partners, stakeholders, and experts to review progress, discuss research assessment reforms, and participate in sessions promoting open science across Europe. The event combines in-person and online attendance, facilitating wide-reaching collaboration.

Day 1: Tuesday, November 12 – OPUS Project AGM

The OPUS AGM opens with a half-day meeting, featuring presentations on the past year’s achievements, policy discussions, and updates on key work packages. The meeting at UEFISCDI’s headquarters on will begin at 14:00, following a social lunch at 12:30. Highlights include an overview by OPUS leadership, insights into the European Research Area (ERA) policy agenda, and discussions on project communication, data management, and open science indicators.

This internal meeting is closed to the public.

14:00 – 14:10 Opening of the meeting and welcome, UEFISCDI Team
14:10 – 14:30: Agenda presentation, OPUS year 2 results and overview of last year activities,
Gordon Daldon, Plocan / Francesca Pratesi, Resolvo
14:30 – 15:00: Latest update of OPUS work, Van-Den-Berg, OPUS Project Officer (5 minutes) and
Insight into the Policy ERA Agenda 2025-2027, Jean-Emmanuel Faure, DG Research & Innovation
(15 minutes), followed by Q&A session with partners (10 min)
15:00 – 15:20: WP7 Project Communication and Dissemination, Sal Music ICoRSA, followed by
Q&A session with partners and Advisory Board

15:20 – 15:40 Break

15:40 – 16:10: WP2, WP3, WP5 Interventions, Indicators, and Policy Briefs on Open Science,
including Data Management, Gareth O’Neill, TGB / Emma Day, Vitae / Juliana Chaves, UNESCO /
Brian Cahill, MCAA, followed by Q&A session with partners and Advisory Board
16:10 – 16:40: WP4 Pilots to Implement and Monitor Open Science, including Trust Barometer
Raquel Vega, Yerun / Helen Clare, JISC / John Crowley&Pierre Winicki, TrustInside, followed by
Q&A session with partners and Advisory Board
16:40 – 17:00: AOB, Wrap-up and conclusions.

Day 2: Wednesday, November 13 – OPUS Workshops and Mutual Learning Sessions

On November 13, the event continues with OPUS Workshops and Mutual Learning Sessions focused on lessons learned from the initial stages of OPUS action plans. Attendees will engage in discussions, share best practices, and plan the next steps in their open science initiatives. This session, also held at UEFISCDI, is dedicated to internal mutual learning and is not open to the public.

Day 3: Thursday, November 14 – (Inter)national Conference on Research Assessment

The final day features an international conference on research assessment at the Central University Library Carol I in Bucharest, with remote streaming available. Jointly organised by UEFISCDI, OPUS, Science Europe, CoARA, and UNESCO, this conference addresses the need to modernise research assessment, focusing on quality, transparency, and societal impact over traditional metrics. Keynote speakers include Adrian Curaj, Gareth O’Neill, and Lidia Borell-Damian. Discussions will cover global case studies, innovative assessment policies, and reforms from various institutional perspectives.

For more information, visit the official event website: UEFISCDI Rethinking Research Assessment Conference.