OPUS at the Jisc Digital Research Community (DRC) meet-up

• April 18, 2024

OPUS project took stage at the Jisc Digital Research Community (DRC) meet-up, where the focus was “Reforming Research(er) Assessment: Incentivising and rewarding open research practices.” The session, held online on 17 April 2024, brought together experts and stakeholders in research evaluation to discuss how institutions can drive cultural change towards open and responsible science.

Introducing OPUS and Its Vision

During the event, Gareth O’Neill (Principal Consultant on Open Science, Technopolis) and Emma Day (Senior Project Manager at CRAC-Vitae) showcased the OPUS project’s ambitions: to develop coordination and support measures that enable research performing and funding organisations (RPOs and RFOs) to assess researchers in ways that encourage and reward the adoption of open science practices. The presenters shared key project outputs designed to advance research assessment reform across Europe and internationally.

Key OPUS Outputs Presented

• Comprehensive Draft Research Assessment Framework and Indicators: Gareth O’Neill introduced a robust set of indicators to underpin new assessment frameworks, designed to nurture and evaluate researchers’ engagement with open science.
• Draft Set of Supporting Interventions: Emma Day outlined proposed interventions to help institutions effectively implement the framework, from policy changes to practical tools and guidance.
• State-of-the-Art Reviews: The team highlighted reports providing an up-to-date synthesis of existing literature and initiatives driving open science.
• Opportunities for Stakeholder Involvement: Attendees learned how they can contribute to the next phase of framework development, ensuring broad input and real-world relevance.

Discussion with the UK Research Community

A lively Q&A and group discussion followed the presentations, centring on how the OPUS work aligns with ongoing UK efforts, particularly the UK Reproducibility Network’s OR4 project on responsible researcher reward and recognition, and the formation of the new UK CoARA Chapter, the national node of the international Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA).

Speakers and participants explored the shared aim of moving beyond traditional metrics towards holistic systems that incentivise transparency, collaboration, and open knowledge sharing.

Working Collaboratively With the UK and International Partners

The meet-up reinforced OPUS’s commitment to working collaboratively with the UK and international partners to deliver transformative change in research culture. By developing fairer, more constructive assessment mechanisms, OPUS and its partners are helping to shape a research environment where excellence is defined by openness, quality, and meaningful societal impact.