The Research and Scholarly Communications Team is pleased to lead the first University of Sunderland Open Research Competition.
Sponsored by our colleagues in the Research and Graduate School, we are looking forward to reading your applications and be able to celebrate and rewards the ways in which our staff and students engage with Open Research.
Open Research aims to make the research process more transparent, ensure reproducibility, encourage collaboration, recognise a range of research activities and outputs.
With this opportunity we want to encourage researchers in the institutions to consider how they have engaged with open research so far,but also how they might do it in the future.
Details of the competition are below. We are looking forward to see the many ways in which our staff and research students engage with Open Research:
This competition aims to reward and recognise researchers in our institution who are adopting open research practices and are making their research discoverable, accessible and reusable by a wider audience.
Prize:
PGR/ECR category:
£400 first prize, £100 runner up
Research staff category:
£400 first prize, £100 runner up.
Prize money can be spent on conference attendance, network event organization on campus, equipment to support research, open research data deposit costs.
The Prize winners will commit to act as champions for Open Research practices in the institution. They will provide a case study that will be circulated through various channels to promote OR practices in the institution. These case studies will be hosted on the Open Research and Scholarly Communications Library Guide and contribute to advocacy for OR.
Eligibility:
All researchers (staff and postgraduate research students) can apply. Entries may be submitted by individual or by teams. We encourage applications from researchers from all disciplinary areas and from a diverse range of backgrounds, identities and communities.
Researchers at the University of Sunderland, including staff in research-related and/or support roles
Application Process
Applicants are invited to write a short case study (600-750 words) describing how they have engaged in open research, the challenges they have faced, the benefits realised, and the lessons learnt from participating in Open Research.
The case study should include the following:
Introduction, providing a brief description of the case study.
Description of the research context in which open practices were employed.
What open practices were used and why?
What barriers and challenges the researcher(s) encountered, how these were handled?
What lessons have been learnt from the experience?
What benefits were realised, and for whom as a result of using open practices?
Conclusion, summarising the main take-away message.
In the case study, applicants should be able to demonstrate their engagement in open research in one of more of the following areas:
Publishing research outputs (including data, software, protocols, monographs…) under an open license.
Participating in new open publication and peer review models - for example, by posting preprints, publishing in a diamond journal or with a diamond publisher, or one that uses open peer review, formally pre-registering a study design, publishing on an open platform such as Octopus.ac or F1000, or publishing a registered report.
Reusing existing open research outputs and repurposing these using open methods.
Creating tools or technologies that facilitate open research and re-use of research data, code, or material.
Using open and participatory methods including open notebooks, co-production, participatory action research and citizen science.
Disseminating research using accessible outputs such as blogposts, podcasts, animations, infographics, interactive applications and more.
Teaching open research practices or advocating for open research in the community.
[1] ECRs: Within eight years of their PhD award (this is from the time of the PhD ‘viva’ oral test), or equivalent professional training. Within six years of their first academic appointment (the first full or part time paid employment contract that lists research or teaching as the primary function). These periods exclude any career break, for example due to family care, health reasons, or reasons related to COVID-19 such as home schooling or increased teaching load.
The Research and Scholarly Communications Team is pleased to lead the first University of Sunderland Open Research Competition.
Sponsored by our colleagues in the Research and Graduate School, we are looking forward to reading your applications and be able to celebrate and rewards the ways in which our staff and students engage with Open Research.
Open Research aims to make the research process more transparent, ensure reproducibility, encourage collaboration, recognise a range of research activities and outputs.
With this opportunity we want to encourage researchers in the institutions to consider how they have engaged with open research so far,but also how they might do it in the future.
Details of the competition are below. We are looking forward to see the many ways in which our staff and research students engage with Open Research:
The University of Sunderland adopted an Open Research Statement and a Reponsible Use of Metrics Statement in September 2024. Both statements support the adoption of open research practices and the recognition of a wide range of research outputs including and beyond the traditional research article. The University is also a Case Study institution in the UKRN led Open and Responsible Researcher Reward and Recognition (OR4).
This competition aims to reward and recognise researchers in our institution who are adopting open research practices and are making their research discoverable, accessible and reusable by a wider audience.
Prize:
PGR/ECR category:
£400 first prize, £100 runner up
Research staff category:
£400 first prize, £100 runner up.
Prize money can be spent on conference attendance, network event organization on campus, equipment to support research, open research data deposit costs.
The Prize winners will commit to act as champions for Open Research practices in the institution. They will provide a case study that will be circulated through various channels to promote OR practices in the institution. These case studies will be hosted on the Open Research and Scholarly Communications Library Guide and contribute to advocacy for OR.
Eligibility:
All researchers (staff and postgraduate research students) can apply. Entries may be submitted by individual or by teams. We encourage applications from researchers from all disciplinary areas and from a diverse range of backgrounds, identities and communities.
Application Process
Applicants are invited to write a short case study (600-750 words) describing how they have engaged in open research, the challenges they have faced, the benefits realised, and the lessons learnt from participating in Open Research.
The case study should include the following:
Conclusion, summarising the main take-away message.
In the case study, applicants should be able to demonstrate their engagement in open research in one of more of the following areas:
Applicants should include:
reference to the Contributor Role Taxonomy (where appropriate)
To apply fill in the linked form.
Deadline for submission: 9th May 2025
Prize announced: 16th May 2025
Winners should spend the money before 31st July 2025
For any questions get in touch with the Research and Scholarly Communication Team: sure@sunderland.ac.uk
You can also refer to our Open Research and Scholarly Communications Library Guide.
Judging criteria:
[1] ECRs: Within eight years of their PhD award (this is from the time of the PhD ‘viva’ oral test), or equivalent professional training. Within six years of their first academic appointment (the first full or part time paid employment contract that lists research or teaching as the primary function). These periods exclude any career break, for example due to family care, health reasons, or reasons related to COVID-19 such as home schooling or increased teaching load.