CATALISI aims to help and support Higher Education Institutions in Europe to successfully implement strategies and individual pathways for institutional transformation through the adoption of acceleration services.

The Amsterdam team of CATALISI focuses on stimulating Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) in the institutional context of both the VU Free University Amsterdam and Amsterdam UMC. Two specific goals are related to stimulating RCR in this project: 1) Embedding of a learning pathway in RCR; training and education in research quality for researchers, and 2) Stimulating a change in research culture in various faculties regarding research quality. In the project, research and education are combined to investigate needs with regards to RCR, increase awareness on important topics, and achieve the goals.

OSCAR 2.0 project`s proposal aims to foster the effective digital transformation of education and science in the Partner Countries (PCs) (Zambia and Botswana) in order to develop digital infrastructure and connections, where heightened reliability, capacity and security will support regional economic integration by boosting engagement of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in implementation of Open Science principles and values in each PC. The project`s impact will be sustained through developed integrative Open Science environment and research operational  framework.

The project’s main outcome, consisting of OS-infrastructure (i.e. OS platforms, Science Shops/ OS hubs), human capital (i.e. methodology, competence and knowledge trained researchers, including the early stage researchers), efficient institutional OS policies and standards for OS. At the end of OSCAR 2.0 project, we expect to tackle the main PCHEIs challenges taking into consideration national, institutional, and individual levels. In such a way, the competitiveness level of HE and research in each PC will be raised based on the development of OS principles. This fact will improve the quality and significance of HEIs in society as poles of excellence and increased standard.

The overall goal of the PREPARED project is to develop an operational ethics and integrity framework, which safeguards key ethical values, supports a rapid and effective research response to crises and improves overall pandemic preparedness.

Open Science to Increase Reproducibility In Science (OSIRIS) aims to facilitate the transition to open science by systematically gathering knowledge on the underlying drivers, testing effective evidence-based solutions, identifying incentives for reproducibility by stakeholders, and embedding reproducibility in research design. This will be realised by a unique team with hands-on expertise in Open Science (OS), reproducibility, implementation, and data sharing, along with a range of committed stakeholders that are closely involved through our Advisory Board (AB).

The big question the Epistemic Progress in Universities project addresses is: How can universities enable epistemic progress—both policy-wise and in the humanities?

The project concentrates on two more specific sub-questions: Which institutional and policy arrangements and procedures foster responsible research practices, i.e. practices that enable epistemic progress, and how can
such progress be measured? And: How can the humanities, theology included, realize epistemic progress?

BEYOND is a Horizon Europe initiative aimed at uncovering the fundamental causes of research misconduct, formulating effective training methodologies, and creating and improving training resources. The project contributes to the ongoing efforts in Europe to cultivate a research environment that adheres to the highest standards of ethics and integrity, thereby enhancing public trust in science.

The Amsterdam contact person for the project is Dr. Giulia Inguaggiato

IRECS (2022-2025) is a Horizon Europe project tackling the ethical challenges of new technology used in research.

The research ethics process is facing new challenges at a global scale. Technologies are appearing faster than their ethical considerations can be weighed. Research is globalising but ethical standards are not — running the risk that citizens of nations with the fewest safeguards will be the most burdened by unethical science.

The project team wants to train researchers to anticipate and mitigate ethical issues in technology sooner rather than later.

TIER2 (enhancing Trust, Integrity and Efficiency in Research through next-level Reproducibility) will increase reproducibility of scientific research results that will bring trust, integrity, and efficiency to the European Research Area (ERA) and the global Research and Innovation (R&I) system. The project will boost knowledge on reproducibility, create tools, engage communities, implement interventions and policy across different contexts to increase re-use and overall quality of research results. TIER2 aims to build an evidence-base on the extent and efficacy of existing reproducibility practices and co-create new tools to enhance reproducibility across diverse contexts.

Research Ethics and integrity for the GREEN transition (RE4GREEN) is a three-year project funded by Horizon Europe aiming to develop an encompassing framework supporting the transition to a sustainable economy and society. This framework will address ethics and integrity concerns in two key areas: 1) research and innovation with potential environmental and climate impacts and 2) knowledge and technologies developed to tackle environmental and climate challenges.

Prof. René Bekkers is conducting several meta-science research projects, related to transparency and open science. Recently, he wrote a note on the prevalence of replications in various disciplines, and a commentary on a paper arguing which studies are worthy of replication: Bekkers, R. (2024). Replication Value: A Comment and Alternative. Submitted to Meta-Psychology.

The OPEN-ASIA project is a collaborative effort aimed at fostering the digital economy and connectivity in India and Malaysia through the advancement of Open Science (OS) principles and values. The project recognizes the importance of coordinating efforts to support private and public investment in digital infrastructure and bridge the digital divide, particularly in remote areas. While both countries have shown initiatives in embracing OS principles, there’s a need for coordinated regulatory approaches and legislative support to make these efforts more effective globally.

The project focuses on improving institutional OS policies and practices through legislative changes, enhancing researchers’ competencies through practical training, and fostering regional cooperation in line with EU developments in higher education. It acknowledges that while bottom-up innovations are essential, they need to be complemented by top-down incentives and policies to achieve wide-scale adoption of OS practices. Additionally, there’s recognition that cultural change within the scientific community is necessary for normalization of OS practices.

To address these challenges, the project proposes the establishment of a network of local OS-Hubs. These hubs will serve as central points for identifying obstacles hindering scholars from adopting OS practices and providing the necessary support to foster cultural change at the university level. By facilitating collaboration and sharing best practices, the OS-Hubs can play a vital role in driving the adoption of OS principles in the academic community.

This project has been funded with support from European Commission, within ERASMUS+ programme.

The Epistemic Responsibilities of the University project sought to investigate, defend, and reinvigorate the epistemic responsibilities of the university, and to engage and influence policy makers and opinion leaders in their views on the primary epistemic responsibilities of the university. Its central question was ‘What are the epistemic values that the modern university ought to uphold, what responsibilities flow from these, and how can it meet these responsibilities in the face of contemporary challenges?’. The project ran from 2016-2019.

The Mapping Normative Frameworks for EThics and Integrity of REsearch (EnTIRE) project aimed  to create a platform that makes the normative framework governing Research Ethics and Research Integrity (RE+RI) easily accessible, supports application in research and evaluation, and involves all stakeholders in a participatory way, thus achieving sustainability. The finished platform is called The Embassy of Good Science and fosters uptake of ethical standards and responsible conduct of research, and ultimately supports research excellence and strengthen society’s confidence in research and its findings. The project ran from 2017-2021.

The VIRT2UE project developed a sustainable Train-the-Trainer blended learning programme enabling tailored ethics and research integrity teaching across Europe, focusing on understanding and upholding the principles of the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity. The project ran from 2018-2021.

The National Survey on Research Integrity (NSRI) conducted the first country wide research integrity survey in the Netherlands in 2020. The survey addressed both responsible research behaviors, as well as detrimental research behaviors (research misconduct and questionable research practices). The project ran from 2019-2020.