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Co-Designing Diamond Open Access Recommendations and Guidelines for Research Funders, Sponsors, and Donors

04 Dec. 2023
Register before 04-12-2023 12:00

Science Europe is organising a co-design process to develop Diamond Open Access recommendations and guidelines for research Funders, Sponsors, and Donors (FSDs). As diamond open access initiatives gather momentum, this co-design process is a timely opportunity for FSD experts to come together and discuss how they can provide effective financial support for diamond open access.

The discussion on open science and the future of scholarly communication is increasingly focused on community-driven models that are equitable by nature and design. Political support for and public sector engagement in such models have both grown in recent years. One such model is 'Diamond' Open Access, wherein research outputs are openly available without charging fees to either authors or readers.

Science Europe is organising a co-design process to develop diamond open access recommendations and guidelines for research Funders, Sponsors, and Donors (FSDs). Sector initiatives are gathering momentum, including the ‘Action Plan for Diamond Open Access’ (Mar 2022), and calls grow louder from governments to develop not-for-profit scholarly publishing models in Europe. Against this background, this co-design process is a timely opportunity for FSD experts to come together and discuss how they can provide effective financial support for diamond open access.

This co-design process is being organised in the context of the Horizon Europe project ‘Developing Institutional Open Access Publishing Models to Advance Scholarly Communication’ (DIAMAS). Having identified the fragmentation of the diamond open access ecosystem, this project aims to facilitate cohesion and alignment by formulating community-led recommendations and guidelines for institutional leaders, FSDs, and policy makers in Europe.

Inception Meeting

4 December 2023, 14.00–16.00 CET

This meeting will provide a briefing on the development of diamond open access developments in Europe and beyond, discuss opportunities and challenges for FSDs, and have a first exchange on co-designing recommendations and guidelines. Two or more workshops will be organised starting in early 2024. Draft recommendations and guidelines will be used to engage FSD leadership in the second half of 2024. Final recommendations and guidelines will be published in March 2025.

Registration is available through the 'Registration' link above. The co-design process is open to FSDs in Europe. Although Science Europe represents 41 public research funding and performing organisations in 30 countries, this process is explicitly also open to non-Science Europe members.

This co-design process is focussed on research funding organisations. Separate co-design processes for universities and other research performing organisations and policy makers will be organised by the European University Association and OPERAS. More information will be available soon.

Background material

Timeline

  1. Aug 2023–Feb 2025 Co-design Diamond OA Recommendations and guidelines for research funders, sponsors, and donors
  2. 4 Dec 2023 Inception meeting
  3. Early 2024 Co-design workshops
  4. Late 2024 High-level FSD leadership engagement event
  5. Feb 2025 Publication of co-designed diamond open access recommendations and guidelines for research FSDs