Making Openness Count: Start of Project to Boost Recognition of Open Science Practices

How can universities ensure that open science is not just encouraged but actively rewarded in academic careers? That question is now at the heart of a new project at the University of Groningen. With support from both Open Science NL and the Npuls programme, and building on cumulatively €110,000 in grants, the project Embedding Open Science in Institutional Rewards and Recognition officially launched on June 1st. Together with the UG’s Open Science Programme, this project will deliver an important contribution to the UG Open Science vision to fully embed Open Science in research and educational culture.

Pilots to Drive Policy Change

Two pilot initiatives have been launched. At the Faculty of Science and Engineering, the focus will be on how to recognize FAIR data and software practices in academic evaluations. Meanwhile, at University College Groningen, a second pilot will explore how to meaningfully reward Open Education. Both pilots are designed to be collaborative and iterative, involving academic staff, HR professionals, and policy officers in co-developing approaches that are both ambitious and realistic.

These local pilots will inform a university-wide action plan to embed open science into frameworks for hiring, promotion, and annual reviews. The project is part of a national €1.2 million funding programme from Open Science NL, which has awarded grants to 23 research institutions across the Netherlands. Coordination at the national level is led by the Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) in Leiden, with the broader aim of aligning institutional policies with national and international developments in Rewards & Recognition, while fostering a culture of transparency, collaboration, and accessibility in research and teaching.

Open Education in Focus

In parallel, the Npuls Open Up project aims to sharpen the University’s long-term vision on Open Education and expand its adoption across faculties. This includes support for Open Educational Resources (OER), open pedagogy, and inclusive teaching practices, contributing to a broader shift in how educational contributions are valued.

Together, these efforts signal a deepening commitment to making openness not only a core academic value but a visible part of how careers are supported and assessed at the University of Groningen. By aligning recognition systems with principles of openness, the university is taking concrete steps to enable and reward more equitable, transparent, and collaborative forms of research and teaching.

Contact
Manuel Reyes, Project Leader Recognizing and Rewarding Open Science