World’s research funders address the issues of open access and research integrity
Open access and research integrity are burning issues
Jointly organised by the German foundation for research (DFG) and the Brazilian council for scientific and technological development (CNPq), the second annual meeting of the GRC was the largest of its kind so far, representing 80% of the world’s public non-ministerial research potential.
In the first place, the discussions focused on the open access to scientific publications, a main paradigm of scientific communication in the years to come. The endorsement of an action plan on open access shows the consensus among the participants who agree that sharing research publications openly is a means to increase the quality of research communication and thus of research itself.
The action plan mentions three fundamental principles: encouragement, awareness rising, and support for researchers that wish to provide their results in Open Access.
Open access and open data are topical issues in the research world. In particular, the European Commission is developing a pilot initiative on open access to research articles in Horizon 2020.
The GRC participants also tackled the question of research integrity. The endorsed principles point out that researchers and institutions themselves remain ultimately responsible for undertaking research with integrity. However, research funding agencies must ensure that funded research corresponds to the highest standards possible.
The work is undertaken in regional meetings of the GRC. The ANR actively participates in both European working groups on those issues.
The GRC, an informal organisation of heads of research councils from around the world The Global Research Council represents most of the world’s research potential by getting all interested key players in research and research funding worldwide involved. It addresses issues of mutual concern to research and research funding worldwide, and agrees on guidelines and principles by which multinational research collaboration can be enhanced. The Global Research Council was established in May 2012 at the “Global Summit on Merit Review” held in Washington DC, USA. The next annual global meeting will take place in Beijing in 2014 |
For further information:
- Press Release: “Results of the “Global Research Council” in Berlin Announced”
- Website of the GRC second annual meeting
- Website of the GRC
