Open Research Awards
Recognising colleagues and students who have helped to make research more open.
Open Research Awards 2024
The Newcastle University Open Research Awards recognise colleagues and students who have used open practices to make research more accessible, transparent or reproducible, and demonstrate an understanding of the aims of open research.
The awards are open to all students and colleagues working in any research-related role, at any stage, within any area of the University. Prizes will be awarded as vouchers to the winner of the Open Research Award (£500), second place (£250) and third place (£100). Additional prizes may be awarded at the discretion of the panel. This year we are also encouraging nominations for prizes of £50 each to recognise those who have helped to make research more open, but do not wish to submit a full case study.
These awards were made possible thanks to Newcastle University’s Enhancing Research Culture Project Fund in support of our Research Culture Action Plan.
Important Dates (2024)
| Submission opens | February 19th |
| Submission closes | May 31st |
| Panel shortlisting | June 12th |
| Celebration event | June 19th (14.30-16.00) |
How to apply for an award
Applications for an open research award must be submitted as a brief case study (no more than 750 words) describing how open practices were used in a research context, focussing on the benefits and the challenges faced. Submissions should be written for a general audience, and avoiding overly technical language.
Case studies should be structured as follows:
- Title;
- Introduction, providing a brief description of the case study;
- Brief description of the research context in which the open practices were employed;
- What open practices were used and why;
- What benefits were realised, and for whom, as a result of using the open practices;
- What barriers or challenges were encountered, and how these were handled;
- What lessons have been learnt from the experience;
- Conclusion - what is the main take-away message?
Examples of open practices that we would expect case studies to describe include:
- sharing research outputs under an open licence, including publications (articles, monographs), creative outputs, data, code and software;
- disseminating research findings as preprints, either independently or as part of a journal’s open peer review process;
- using alternative models of publication and review to make the dissemination and certification of research faster and more transparent;
- providing open peer review services for papers submitted under a formal review process managed by a publisher;
- creating a public pre-registration of a study design or publishing a study as a registered report;
- publishing a data paper or software paper under an open licence;
- incorporating open and participatory methods into research, e.g. open notebooks or ‘citizen science’ approaches;
- introducing open research principles and practices into teaching and learning;
- supporting data collection, management and preparation of data for sharing;
- using digital tools and approaches to make scientific research more transparent and reproducible;
- combining or repurposing datasets and other research outputs from different locations or disciplines;
- undertaking activities to help shape a culture of Open Research, within the university or wider community.
Applicants may also wish to refer to the winning case studies from previous awards.
Entries must be submitted by 17:00 on May 31st 2024.
Submitted case studies will be reviewed by a panel of researchers and professional services staff with representation from across the faculties and career stages. Entries shortlisted for an award will be invited to present their case studies at a celebration event on June 19th 2024, where the award winners will be announced.
Prizes will be awarded as vouchers to the winner of the Open Research Award (£500), second place (£250) and third place (£100). Additional prizes may be awarded at the discretion of the panel.
How to nominate someone for a prize
We are also accepting nominations for open research prizes (£50 each) for colleagues who you feel deserve recognition for helping to make research more open and transparent, but who would not wish to submit a full case study for an award. For example, technical or administrative colleagues who have provided excellent support with open research practices or researchers making their first steps to adopt an open research practice that is uncommon in their discipline.
To nominate someone click the link below and tell us in ~200 words why you feel they should receive an open research prize. Nominations will be reviewed by the panel and those selected for a prize will recieve a £50 voucher.
Nominations must be submitted by 17:00 on May 31st 2024.
Celebration Event
Join us at the Open Research Awards 2024 celebration event to hear presentations from those shortlisted for an award, to find out who the award winners are and enjoy celebratory drinks after the event!
- Date: Wednesday 19th June
- Time: 14.30-16.00 (followed by drinks reception)
- Venue: Boiler House
If you plan to attend the event we’d be grateful if you could complete the booking form to allow us to cater for the appropriate number of people and for any special requirements: