Call for submissions 2024

The University of Groningen Library (UB) and the Open Science Community Groningen (OSCG) invite you to submit your case study for the 5th annual Open Research Award to celebrate openness in research and teaching.

The award celebrates the many ways in which academics make their research or teaching more accessible, transparent or reproducible. Researchers and students are invited to submit case studies describing their completed or ongoing experiences with open research and education practices, individually or in teams. The case studies ideally explore the benefits, challenges and difficulties of making open choices as well as positive experiences and successful outcomes. We are looking for candid accounts of academics’ motivations for making open choices, the impact the open choices had or can have and the lessons that have been learned.

Staff members and students can submit case studies. All submissions will be screened for eligibility by a jury. All eligible cases will receive an Open Research Award certificate.

In addition, three case studies will be selected with a lottery draw. The "winning" entries will receive a cash prize of 500 euros each to be used to cover research-related costs (conferences, materials, training, etc.) and will be invited to present their case studies as lightning talks during the Celebrating Openness event on 21 November.

Submit individually or as a team

Submission is open to staff members, PhD students and (Research) Master’s students from all UG faculties and the UMCG, who may submit either as individuals or as teams. Application is by means of a case study describing how open practices have - successfully or unsuccessfully - been used in a research or teaching context.

Procedure

Submitted entries will be screened for eligibility by a jury composed of UG and UMCG staff members. The organizers then randomly draw three entries among the eligible submissions. The drawing of the three case studies takes place in October and will be announced in advance.

The three award-winning participants will be invited to present their case studies as lightning talks during the Celebrating Openness event on 21 November.

All eligible case studies receive a certificate and will be given public attention through the website and social media.

Celebrate openness, reduce bias, avoid competition

The award is meant to highlight and acknowledge endeavours to use open research practices and not to rank submissions in a competitive manner. A modified lottery system is used as it fits well with the 'open and fair' principles of the award. It is also expected to reduce bias, to increase diversity and to contribute to alleviate the competitive climate in academia.

More information

• Guidelines
• Please contact us, if you have any questions:
  openresearchaward rug.nl

Acknowledgements

This award is inspired by the Open Research Award organized by the University of Reading. Our award guidelines are an adaptation of their Open Research Award Guidelines. We are thankful to the Open Research Working Group at the University of Reading, and especially to Dr. Robert Darby, for their support and advice in developing the University of Groningen Open Research Award.