Background and Overview

The advancement of Open Science and Open Access is reshaping the global R&D landscape, making research outputs more accessible, transparent, and impactful. In the context of "Aligning Science-Technology-Innovation (STI) Indicators for Effective R&D Governance," this session on Open Science and Open Access seeks to explore how these frameworks can enhance R&D governance through improved access to knowledge, fostering collaborative innovation, and supporting sustainable research ecosystems.

Session Overview: This session will feature keynote presentations, panel discussions, and case studies, organized around three central themes:

1. Advancing Open Science, Open Access, and Knowledge Sharing Initiatives in R&D: This theme will focus on strategies to promote Open Science and Open Access as integral to R&D. It will explore how these initiatives can enhance research visibility, reproducibility, and global collaboration. The session will also revisit the present Open access model in the inclusivity context as the present model is contingent on authors pay for APC (Article Processing Charge). Thus on one hand Open Access is providing researchers to facilitation knowledge access but on the other hand it is an exclusion model in terms of author’s participation in research publication. This exclusion is more visible in South countries due to limited resources of authors and institutions to pay APC charges. Participants will explore models for sustainable Open Science practices that can be adopted by institutions to maximize impact while minimizing resource duplication.
2. Panel Discussion: Institutional Repositories as Hubs for Knowledge Sharing Institutional repositories play a pivotal role in the dissemination of research outputs. This panel will examine the role of repositories as central knowledge-sharing platforms, addressing best practices for repository management, policy frameworks that enable open access to institutional research, and ways to ensure compliance with global Open Access mandates.
3. Case Studies on Leveraging Data Repositories for Enhanced Research Outcomes Through real-world examples, this segment will illustrate the transformative role of data repositories in boosting research impact. By showcasing case studies across disciplines, the session will provide insights into creating interoperable and FAIR-compliant (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data repositories. Discussions will highlight the importance of a data-sharing culture within institutions, as well as practices that encourage reusability and data-driven innovation.

Expected Outcomes

• Open Access Policy Framework: Practical guidelines for establishing Open Access policies aligned with R&D governance.
• Repository Management Best Practices: Effective strategies for building and maintaining institutional repositories.
• Data Repository Utilization Models: Actionable models to foster data-sharing cultures within institutions, supporting FAIR principles and maximizing research impact.