Portugal presents first report on implementation of Open Science to UNESCO

Portugal has submitted its first national report on the implementation of UNESCO's 2021 Recommendation on Open Science, an important milestone for advancing more transparent, inclusive and collaborative scientific practices in the country. The report, prepared by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), provides a comprehensive overview of the policies, initiatives and challenges faced by Portugal in aligning itself with UNESCO's principles.

UNESCO's Recommendation on Open Science establishes a global framework to promote open access to scientific knowledge, research data, educational resources, software and hardware. The aim is to democratise science, making it more accessible to all and fostering international collaboration to solve global challenges. The recommendation covers several aspects, including:

• Open Access: Making scientific publications and research data freely and unrestrictedly available.
• Open Infrastructures: Development of platforms and tools that support open science.
• Society Engagement: Involving citizens and other stakeholders in the scientific process.
• International Cooperation: Promoting collaboration between countries to advance open science.

The FCT report details Portugal's progress in adopting the principles of Open Science, covering several key areas. It includes an analysis of existing national policies and strategies, such as the National Open Science Policy and the National Programme for Open Science and Open Research Data. In addition, the document describes specific funding initiatives for open science, such as the Centres of Competence in Research Data Management. The report also addresses investment in human resources, training and digital literacy, as well as efforts to promote a culture of open science and align incentives for open science. Innovative approaches to open science at different stages of the scientific process and the promotion of international cooperation to reduce digital and knowledge gaps are also explored.

In this context, the University of Coimbra plays an important role. The report highlights various UC initiatives, consolidating its commitment to a more open and accessible science. UC was one of the organisations consulted during the drafting of the report, ensuring that the university's perspectives and practices were taken into account in the national assessment. Some of the actions included in the report are:

• The creation of the Open Science Communities event at the UC is mentioned as an institutional initiative, with the aim of promoting innovative practices, projects and reflections, facilitating the exchange of knowledge and collaboration between different disciplines and stakeholders within the University;
• Open Science Infrastructures: The UC contributes to bibliodiversity through platforms such as Mondaecus and the project of the Digital Joanina Library;
• ERA Chair EXCELScIOR Project: Led by UC, this Horizon Europe-funded project aims to develop the university's research potential by promoting reproducibility, interdisciplinarity and open science practices.
• TREASURE Project: The UC participates in this institutional pilot project that aims to reward master's and doctoral candidates for integrating reproducible, reusable and open research practices into their theses.
• PALOMERA Project: The UC is a member of this European Union-funded project (concluded in December 2024), which addressed the gap in Open Access policies for books and provided recommendations for increasing their inclusion in these policies.
• Involvement in OPERAS: UC is a member of the Executive Assembly of the OPERAS Research Infrastructure, which coordinates resources for open scholarly communication in the Social Sciences and Humanities in Europe. Among other initiatives, the infrastructure works to consolidate the Diamond Open Access publishing landscape through the European Diamond Capacity Hub (EDCH).

Next steps
The FCT report emphasises the importance of continuing to promote open science in Portugal, addressing challenges such as the need to raise awareness and expand the integration of open science practices into the academic and research landscape. The UC reaffirms its commitment to continue developing systematic approaches to capacity building and promoting a more open and collaborative research culture.