The Open Science Notice Board

Research data management and FAIR data play pivotal roles within open science. At the LU Open Science Days we will explore research data management, FAIR data, and repositories during the session Open Science and Research Data Management – Opportunities and Challenges.

In this post we are happy to present Per Runeson, Professor at the Department of Computer Science, and moderator for the session.

Hi Per! You represent Lund University in the EOSC-association. Could you briefly explain what EOSC is?

Per: EOSC – The European Open Science Cloud – is an umbrella concept for the vision to promote open science by providing a cloud solution for researchers, innovators, companies, and citizens. They may publish, find and re-use data, tools and services for research, innovation and educational purposes. Currently, there is no physical storage equipment, but the work within EU is focused on developing standards, procedures, and technical platforms to federate multiple topical or national data spaces.

The EOSC-association represents the European research community in shaping of the future EOSC. It has 256 members, including universities, funding agencies, and service providers for research. The 12 Swedish members synchronize their efforts in a working group coordinated by the Swedish Research Council.

You are also the chair of the newly formed FAIR expert group at LU. What are the FAIR-principles?

Per: The FAIR principles contribute to open science by making data ”as open as possible, as closed as necessary”. The principles aim to improve the Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reuse of digital assets. If data cannot be made open – e.g. personal data – meta-data about the data shall be published. Further, data and metadata should be standardized to enable finding and reuse of data, and thereby improve research efficiency.

In this post we want to present conference committee member Mauno Vihinen, Professor and Research Team Manager at Protein Bioinformatics.

Hi Mauno! Open Science covers many things and practice, of all the things that can be encompassed in the notion of open science, what are you most passionate about?

Mauno: I have worked for decades to make data, computer programs and analyses available. That has been the tradition in my field, bioinformatics. We have released more than 100 databases, all of them are publicly available. Such efforts are only possible if there are agreed standards and reference systems.

How do you apply open science in your research? 

Mauno: At BMC we develop methods that are made publicly available. There are for example AI-based methods for identifying genetic variants (mutations) related to diseases, as well as tools for different effects and consequences of variations. We maintain some unique databases, such as VariBench, the only source for variation effect benchmark sets, which has users around the world.

I have also worked for open access publications for years in different roles, e.g. in editorial boards of journals, in work groups that have developed recommendations for reporting genetic data, and in international collaborations to develop standard data formats.

What will be your role during the LU Open Science Days? 

Mauno: I will be an active participant. I want to learn about the on-going and coming aspects of open science and I want to continue contribute to open science in my open research.

In this post we are very happy to present our keynote speaker for the first day of the conference, Anders Conrad, DeiC.

Anders will present his keynote speach, Implementing FAIR – core pillars in national and international initiatives translating principles into action, at the LU Open Science Days on the 20th of November. In preperation for the conference, we have asked him three quick questions about his engagement with open science.

Hi Anders! How did you first become engaged in open science?

Anders: I used to work at the Royal Library in Copenhagen, where I was gradually pulled into working with repositories and research infrastructures. Such projects were practical attempts to deal with technical and legal barriers for open access to scientific content, e.g. across borders. In a library context, these efforts were closely related to efforts to secure public access to research objects. For me this gradually took me into data management and FAIR which is one path towards opening science to broader parts of society.

Open science covers many things and practice, of all the things that can be encompassed in the notion of open science what is the most urgent one from your perspective? 

Anders: In the field I am working in, we claim that making different kinds of research outputs FAIR and (more) openly accessible will benefit research, both in terms of efficiency and ability to ask new research questions. I think there is an urgency to produce a sufficient amount of open data across various disciplines to be able to substantiate such claims. So that moving towards open science will not be seen as just another burden and cost for researchers, but start offering benefits in the near future.

Looking forward, how do you envision the future of open science? 

Anders: Let me mention AI as one of the big jokers of the moment. I think AI will potentially have a much stronger impact on research than just being another tool, as some people claim. AI could introduce great opportunities, but could also result in great challenges for data management. How do we for example secure data integrity, documenting data provenance, and transparency about how AI systems were trained? I would hope that open science and FAIR could be part of the solution to such challenges.

Have you engaged in open science practices in your research project? Do you work with an infrastructure or other initiative at LU that engages in open science?

The program committee for the LU Open Science Days invites PhD students, researchers and support staff at LU to present their experiences of engaging in open science during the LU Open Science Days on the 20^th of November. You may participate by submitting a poster or exhibiting some other displayable artefact.

Posters may address examples of ways of engaging in open science, such as open access publishing, sharing methods and analytical tools for making (meta)data, data products, and research outputs more Open and FAIR. It can also encompass ways of involving the public, citizen science, open science skills and education, or any other facet of open science. You may focus on experienced benefits or challenges of engaging in open science practices. The committee welcomes submissions from all disciplines, perspectives, and angles.

Posters can be in any format and you may reuse posters from previous conferences if its’ scope fits the open science theme. Infrastructures and units at LU or other stakeholders that in some way are affiliated with the university are also welcome to display their work in the form of posters, rollups or display tables. If you are interested in some form of display, please contact us and we will do our best to accommodate your needs!

For questions about the poster mingle and submissions, please contact karolina.lindh@ub.lu.se for further information.

To submit a poster or presentation idea, please send an abstract of approximately 200-400 words before the 27^th of October to openscience@lu.se

In this post would also like to present one of the members of the organising committe, Angeliki Adamaki, project manager, working at the ICOS Carbon Portal at the Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science (LU INES)

Hi Angeliki! Are there any stakeholders you would like to encourage to be a part of the dialogue around open science?

Angeliki: The LU Open Science Days are organized for the very first time and I believe they offer a great opportunity to bring together all Open Science enthusiasts and actors at Lund University. Whether you are a researcher looking to open up your scientific work, an expert with valuable insights to share, or an LU stakeholder keen on discussing the University’s role in supporting our scientists to practice Open Science, you are warmly invited to participate in this newly established forum and talk about our current progress and what the future demands from each of us.

Why should researchers, PhD Students and support staff submit posters to poster mingle?  

Angeliki: Submitting posters to the Poster Mingle means showcasing your work and sharing insights with our LU community. We aim at providing a platform to visually communicate findings, innovative ideas and projects to a diverse audience, encouraging interdisciplinary dialogue and networking. From our experience with poster sessions at scientific conferences, such events can provide valuable feedback, encouraging idea exchange and potential collaborations, all in a relaxing environment with good company and tasty food!

What would you like Lund University to do to facilitate open science practices?

Angeliki: In my view, Lund University has the capacity to equip our scientists with all essential tools for practicing Open Science, from training and guidelines to technical support and key resources like FAIR repositories, collaborative platforms and Open Access publishing assistance. If I were to summarize these expectations in a single wish, it would be for LU to prioritize Open Science as one of its central strategic goals, offering researchers access to an enabling infrastructure, and inspiring a culture of openness and collaboration.

We are happy to announce that participants for many sessions are now confirmed (visit the blogpost about the program for latest version!) and that Björn Brembs has accepted our invitation as keynote speaker for the second conference day.  

We would also like to present one of the members of the organising committee, Monica Almqvist, Senior lecturer at the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Office director at Vattenhallen Science Center.

Hi Monica! Open Science covers many things and practice, of all the things that can be encompassed in the notion of open science what are you most passionate about?

Monica:  My passion is science communication and outreach! I’m running Vattenhallen Science Center, Lund University’s biggest investment in broadened recruitment. With our tagline “Curious about Science” we offer our visitors an interactive learning experience through our exhibitions covering five current scientific fields. We have more than 45 000 visitors each year, most of them young school students. I think it is a matter of democracy to reach out to the public and politicians about the importance and joy of research, how research is done and that new discoveries reach those who can have use of the information.

What will be your role during the LU Open Science Days?

Monica: I’m in charge of the session “Outreach as Open Science Practice. I will invite a couple of scientists who are deeply involved in outreach activities. They will tell their story and together we will present some of the venues, events and possibilities that are available for different kind of outreach at our university.

Why should researchers, PhD Students and support staff submit posters to poster mingle? 

Monica: This session could be the most fun part of the conference. Come and show how you have practiced outreach. Let’s mix practical, experimental exhibits with the scientific posters!

Why should we engage in Open Science and how? What are the benefits and challenges? Open Science is ascribed increased importance by multiple actors in the research community for facilitating dialogue between academia and society. It enables interdisciplinary research, enhances transparency and replicability, and ultimately strengthens the foundations of research integrity. Join us on the 20^th and 21^st of November at Palaestra for the inaugural event organised by the cross-faculty Open Science Champions group aimed at bringing together staff, faculty, and research students from across the university to engage in a dialogue about what the future of Open Science and Open Access should look like in Lund and beyond.

Sessions will address the LU approaches to educating scientists about open science, the principles we adhere to and the infrastructures we need and build in and around LU, as well as the ways Open Science practices are considered when we reach out to diverse stakeholders. It’s a two-day event to celebrate the essence of Open Science, share ideas and experiences, discuss the expectations from Lund University and explore the future of Open Science. And of course, there will be delicious food and beverages to enjoy while you mingle with your peers.

The program committee invite all LU-affiliated researchers and PhD-students as well as support staff that work with research support to attend this free of charge lunch-to-lunch celebration of the principles and practices of Open Science, featuring inspiring speakers, interactive sessions, and lively discussions. Join us for an intellectually nourishing experience. Engage in brain-boosting discussions, savour delicious food for thought, and quench your thirst for knowledge with a side of beverages. Get ready to mingle, munch, and make connections that’ll last longer than your snack stash!

Registration is now closed. If you forgot to register but would like to attend please contact karolina.lindh@ub.lu.se.

Monday 20th November

11:30-13:00 Registration and lunch

13.00-13.05 Opening the conference – Per Runeson

13:05-13:45 Inaugural speach –  Pro-Vice Chancellor Per Mickwitz

13:45-14:30  Open Science Education

Open science starts with the planning of the research. The past decade has seen a proliferation of tools and practices for ensuring that research is robust and transparent. There is no better place to introduce this than for courses for the future generation of researchers.  In this session we will present and discuss two initiatives – one at the masters level and one at the doctoral level. In addition we will present the now obligatory ethics training for doctoral students.  Ethics – both the legal and the practical aspects – intersects in interesting ways with open science.

Speakers and discussants: Åse Innes-Ker, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Maggie Hellström, Associate Professor, Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science – ICOS Carbon Portal, Maria Johnsson, Project coordinator, Stöd till forskning och lärande – Faculty of Medicine.

Moderator: Åse Innes-Ker

14:30-15:00 Coffee break

15:00-16:30  Open Science and Research Data Management – Opportunities and Challenges

Explore the special session on research data management, FAIR data, and repositories. LU researchers from diverse scientific fields together with our keynote speaker will unveil FAIR and Open repository insights, share practical solutions and discuss challenges. The session aims at creating a platform for dynamic discussions as speakers and attendees delve into the evolving landscape of research data management and the needs of LU scientists in the big-data era. Your input is crucial to shaping the future of Open Science. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to be a part of the conversation.

Keynote: Anders Conrad, DeiC – Implementing FAIR – core pillars in national and international initiatives translating principles into action

Speakers and discussants: Anna Lundberg, Professor, Department of Sociology of Law, Nicoló Dell’Unto , Professor, Department of Archaeology, Harry Lankreijer, senior lector, Department of INES and ICOS Carbon Portal, Jonas Lindeman, LUNARC.

Moderator: Per Runeson, Professor, Department of Computer Science

16:30 – Poster mingle and reception

Tuesday 21st November

08:30-09:00 Registration

09:00-09:45 Keynote: Replacing academic journals, Björn Brembs, Professor Neurogenetics, University of Regensburg.

09:45-10:30  Financing Open Access Publishing

Publishing open access is rapidly becoming an institutional requirement for publicly funded research, and rightfully so. Universities channel substantial funding to support open access, but this funding mainly goes to for-profit publishers, leaving a whole plethora of not-for-profit publishing options underfunded. In this session we zoom in on this topic, addressing the following questions: What are the current options for publishing open access at Lund University? What are the existing imbalances in supporting open access? What are the challenges that not-for-profit publishers face and how can they be addressed?

Speakers: Ekaterina Chertkovskaya, researcher, Environmental and Energy Systems Studies, Kristoffer Holmqvist, University library, Annegret Engel, associate professor, Department of Law.

Moderator: Nicholas Loubere, Senior lecturer, Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies

10:30-11:00 Coffee break

11:00-11:45  Outreach as open science practice

Many researchers have a strong desire to reach out to the public with their research topics and results. The reason could be anything from stimulating young people’s curiosity, educational purposes or contributing to the political debate. At Lund University, we have many venues for meetings between researchers and the public: Vattenhallen Science Center, the Historical Museum, the Museum of Artistic Process and Public Art, the Botanical Garden, Odeum, lectures and events. In this session, you will meet researchers who are involved in outreach activities, and you will receive information about several opportunities to participate in outreach activities in a simple way.

Speakers: Ulf Ellervik, Professor, Centre for Analysis and Synthesis, Allison Perrigo, Director, Lund University Botanical Garden.

Moderator: Monica Almqvist, Office Director Vattenhallen Science Centre and Senior Lecturer Department of Biomedical Engineering

11:45-12:30 Panel discussion: Open Futures

The ways in which open science and open access have been conceptualised and practiced at Lund University, across the EU, and beyond has shifted rapidly in recent decades, alongside expectations for how research is conducted and disseminated. And looking forward the landscape seems likely to continue to transform as institutions change policies, national funders make new mandates, and international agreements come into force. This session aims to create an interactive forum where we will envision what the future holds for open science and open access and the different trajectories these movements could take, considering the broader implications for researchers and scientific inquiry.  

A diverse panel of experts will share their insights and perspectives and attendees are encouraged to actively engage, sharing their thoughts and questions with the panel and fellow audience members. Your participation will contribute to shaping the collective vision of open science and open access moving forward. 

Panellists: Maggie Hellström, Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science – ICOS Carbon Portal, Anders Conrad, DeiC, Per Runeson, Department of Computer Science, Håkan Carlsson, Library Director, Lund University Library.

Moderator: Angeliki Adamaki

12.30-12.45: Closing the conference and lunch

Closing remarks Nicholas Loubere.

Angeliki Adamaki Project Manager at Lund University, working at the ICOS Carbon Portal at the Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science (LU INES)

Monica Almqvist Senior lecturer at the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Office director at Vattenhallen Science Center

Ekaterina Chertkovskaya Researcher at Environmental and Energy System Studies at the Department of Technology and Society

Nicolo Dell’Unto Professor of Archaeology and one of the founders of the Digital Archaeology Laboratory DARK Lab

Åse Innes-Ker Senior Lecturer at the Department of Psychology

Nicholas Loubere Senior Lecturer at the Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies

Mauno Vihinen Professor and Research Team Manager at Protein Bioinformatics

Administrative support and practicalities

Karolina Lindh University Library

Alice Olsson University Library

If you have questions about the conference please contact karolina.lindh@ub.lu.se

Have you engaged in open science practices in your research project?

The program committee  for the LU Open Science Days invites PhD students, researchers and support staff at LU to present their experiences of engaging in open science at the poster exhibition during the LU Open Science Days. The conference will be held on the 20^th and 21^st of November.

“Poster Session” by angermann is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Posters may address examples of any of the various ways of engaging in open science, such as open access publishing, sharing methods and analytical tools for making (meta)data, data products, and research outputs more Open and FAIR, projects that involve the public, citizen science, open science skills and education, or other facets of open science. The posters may focus on experienced benefits or challenges of engaging in open science practices. The committee welcomes submissions from all disciplines, perspectives, and angles.

How?

Submit an abstract of approximately 200-400 words before the 27^th of October to openscience@lu.se

Infrastructures or other initiatives at LU that engage with open science are also welcome to showcase their work. Please contact karolina.lindh@ub.lu.se for further information.

WHEN: lunch-to-lunch event on the 20^th to the 21^st of November.

WHERE: Palestra

Why should we engage in Open Science and how? Which are the benefits and challenges? Open Science is ascribed increased importance by multiple actors in the research communities for facilitating dialogue between academia and society. It enables interdisciplinary research, enhances transparency and replicability and ultimately strengthens the foundations of research integrity. Join us on the 20^th and 21^st of November for inspiring talks and discussions with fellow colleagues from Lund University and learn about their experiences with open science. Sessions will address the LU approaches to educating scientists about open science, the principles we adhere to and the infrastructures we need and build in and around LU, as well as the ways Open Science practices are considered when we reach out to diverse stakeholders. The event is organised by the LU Open Science Champions, a group established by LU in January 2023 and tasked to promote increased knowledge and awareness about open science at Lund University.

Registration will open in August.

Contact person for the event: karolina.lindh@ub.lu.se