Applying equity in open science

02INTRODUCTION

ERA Action 12 in the ERA Policy Agenda (2025-2027)

Implementing open science requires strong policy support and a significant investment in resources, notably in infrastructures (and access to them), coordination, technological readiness, open science and digital skills, and creating effective incentives and recognition and award systems for researchers. These differ widely among European countries and organisations - but also globally - and create an overall need for more equitable approaches in the ERA.

  • Examination of national experiences and policy frameworks in relation to access, coverage and design of infrastructures for open science, scholarly publishing policies and researchers’ open science capacities;
  • launching a mutual learning exercise on equity in open science in 2025/2026;
  • promoting skills dissemination and training to tackle inequities in practicing open science;
  • running workshops for public authorities to identify recommendations for institutions and policy makers – and to issue a report in 2027.

Objectives

  • Identify barriers and challenges regarding equity in practising open science and propose ways forward for policy responses;
  • expansion of not-for-profit, open access scholarly publishing models with broad uptake and recognition across disciplines, including in research assessment;
  • build capacities in terms of open science skills and equitable access to open science infrastructures for the ERA research community;
  • develop EU policy approaches to identify pathways for greater equity in Open Science practices and infrastructures.

Expected outcomes

  • Stock-taking of equity challenges in open science across ERA countries (reflecting existing diversity in terms of frameworks, capacities, funding etc.);
  • policy and funding support to operate high-quality not-for-profit open access scholarly publishing services across the ERA;
  • development and dissemination of shared tools, training methods and services to boost capacity in terms of open science skills; in collaboration with stakeholders;
  • recommendations for developing an EU policy approach to equity in open science in its different practices.