OPUS Final Event in Paris

• April 4, 2025

The OPUS (Open and Universal Science Project) Consortium will hold its Final Conference at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in Paris, bringing together key stakeholders to discuss the future of Open Science and responsible research practices in Europe.

The two-day conference will showcase the main outcomes and key exploitable results of the OPUS project, with experts, policymakers, and research organisations exploring how Open Science policies can be effectively implemented at institutional and national levels. Online participation will be available via Zoom.

Highlights of the Agenda

📅 Day 1 – July 9, 2025

• Opening Remarks by Gustavo Merino, Director of the UNESCO Social Policies Division, and a representative from the European Commission.
• Presentation of Key Findings: Discussions on the Research Assessment Framework and learnings from Open Science Institutional Plans.
• Case Studies & Pilot Actions: Insights from Romania, Lithuania, Portugal, Croatia, and Cyprus on implementing Open Science policies.
• Panel Discussion: Experts from COARA, OPUS, PathOS, EOSC Track, and OSMI will explore how to incentivise Open Science and responsible research and innovation (ORRI) practices at institutional and policy levels.
• Closing Remarks: By UNESCO representatives and OPUS Coordinator Gordon Dalton (PLOCAN).

📅 Day 2 – July 10, 2025

• Focus on Sustainability: Discussions on ensuring the legacy of OPUS and its role in Europe’s transition to more open and responsible research and innovation.
• Collaboration with Networks: Contributions from COARA, VERITY, Global ORRI Network, and Reinforcing (FGB).

This event serves as a crucial milestone in advancing Open Science policies and fostering collaboration between research institutions, policymakers, and funding agencies.

📍 Location: UNESCO, Room IX, Paris, France

Register here!

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This event will highlight the transformative achievements of OPUS, focusing on the development of a comprehensive researcher assessment framework, innovative indicators, and key interventions that promote Open Science.

As OPUS aims to transform research assessment, the conference will feature a detailed presentation of the project’s approach to incentivising and rewarding Open Science practices. Key highlights include new assessment indicators, real-world pilot implementations, and impactful interventions at Research Performing Organisations (RPOs) and Research Funding Organisations (RFOs).

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Key Themes & Topics

1. Assessing Researchers and Incentivising Open Science
OPUS introduces a set of indicators and metrics that monitor and encourage the adoption of Open Science. Topics will include open access to research outputs, early and open sharing, open peer review, reproducibility, and stakeholder engagement.

2. The Generic Researcher Assessment Framework (RAF)
This framework provides a holistic evaluation system for researchers based on four key categories: Proposal Development, Methods Development, Research Outputs, and Research Impact. It focuses on Open Science contributions and offers a comprehensive system for researcher assessment.

3. Piloting Research Assessment Reforms
The conference will showcase real-world experiences from OPUS pilot programs at three RPOs (Nova University of Lisbon, University of Cyprus, and University of Rijeka) and two RFOs (UEFISCDI in Romania and the Research Council of Lithuania). These pilots, running from January 2024 to June 2025, assess the effectiveness of new metrics and methodologies.

4. Interventions for Open Science Adoption
OPUS has created a series of interventions, including policy changes, resource allocation, repository development, awareness campaigns, and training programs. The impact of these initiatives on fostering Open Science cultures will be evaluated within pilot organisations.

5. Current Progress & Future Steps
As OPUS nears its conclusion in August 2025, the conference will offer insights into the ongoing implementation of Open Science reforms, the development of updated Open Science indicators, and the creation of the Open Science Career Assessment Matrix (OS-CAM2). Policy briefs and recommendations aimed at integrating Open Science into mainstream research assessment practices will also be discussed.

This final conference provides a unique opportunity for policymakers, researchers, and institutional leaders to engage in discussions about the future of research assessment and how to ensure the sustainability of Open Science initiatives in Europe and beyond.

Register here!