TU Delft aims at intensifying Open Science
TU Delft strengthens its support for the principles and practice of Open Science
On Tuesday 26 November, the Executive Board of TU Delft endorsed the Open Science Programme 2020 - 2024, ‘Research and Education in the Open Era’. Over the next four years, the university will further its efforts to make open research and education a standard part of scientific practice. Prof. dr. Rob Mudde, vice-rector magnificus of TU Delft: “It is our ambition to be the frontrunner in this area. Our aim is that Open Science becomes the default setting for research and education at TU Delft.”
Open Science is a way of working that makes the research process more transparent, and research results more accessible - making scientific articles, data and code open for anyone to see. It demands new approaches to scholarly communication and has a strong impact on the core academic processes of research, education and innovation. TU Delft has a long history with Open Science. The ambition to be frontrunner is already reflected in TU Delft Strategic Framework 2018-2024, with ‘openness’ as one of its major principles.
The TU Delft Open Science Programme 2020-2024 will facilitate and stimulate scientists to embed the principles of open science in their work. The programme consists of five interrelated projects: Open Education, Open Access, Open Publishing Platform, FAIR Data and FAIR Software. Three cross cutting themes essential for its successful implementation will also be addressed: appropriate rewards and recognition for Open Science practices, building successful collaboration with industry, and skills development.
Various products and services will be developed in these projects, which will not only benefit TU Delft researchers, teachers and students, but also alumni and the general public. Examples are: a central help desk for teachers with questions on open educational resources, a TU Delft Open Publishing platform, a pilot with data managers and research software engineers to support scientists, a tailor-made training offer for Open Science skills, and an updated Open Access policy. The programme will also explore the relationship between citizen science and Open Science.
The TU Delft Open Science Programme 2020-2024 is led by a steering committee with representatives from faculties as well as university support services, under the responsibility of vice-rector magnificus prof.dr. Rob Mudde. Library director ir. Wilma van Wezenbeek is chair of the steering committee. The other steering committee members are prof.dr.ir. Jan Dirk Jansen, dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences (representing all faculties), Paul Hillman, director of ICT/FM (representing all university services), and dr. Irene Haslinger, who also chairs the programme team.