This press release was originally published on EurekAlert! and AlphaGalileo.
A Serbian consortium receives seed funding to foster research practices and promote Open Science through the creation of a new Reproducibility Network.
Building on the success of the 2023 Open Call, where consortia in Georgia and Ukraine were awarded, the EU-funded project TIER2 is excited to announce the winner of the 2024 Open Call aimed at fostering the establishment of a third Reproducibility Network (RN) in “Widening Participation” countries - Serbia. The goal of Reproducibility Networks is to promote rigorous research practices, facilitate interdisciplinary collaborations and discussions, and enhance the trustworthiness of scientific work. The Serbian consortium will thus receive a €5,000 grant to organise an initial meeting, laying the groundwork for establishing an RN in their country.
About the consortium
The Serbian consortium, consisting of nine organisations – six institutes and three faculties –, brings together diverse academic backgrounds with a shared commitment to improving research culture in Serbia. They focus on integrating Open Science, reproducibility, and inclusive policies into institutions and education. The consortium has previously collaborated on initiatives like the Team for Open Science in Serbia and the Saige project, organising workshops and training to promote open science practices.
Motivated by challenges such as low research investment and a scientific system that prioritises quantity over quality, they believe establishing a Reproducibility Network will enhance collaboration and help to address these issues. In the short term, they plan to promote the network through conferences, a kick-off event, and online platforms. Long-term, they aim to integrate Open Science into curricula, incentivise reproducibility, support initiatives beyond major centers, advocate for policy changes, and build international collaborations.
Their vision for global reproducibility is one where research is transparent, ethical, and rigorous:
“In this ideal state, researchers across all disciplines adhere to principles of Open Science, ensuring that their methods, data, and results are accessible and reproducible.”
– Matija Zlatar on behalf of the Serbian consortium
They advocate for integrating these principles into education, establishing incentive systems, and fostering collaboration:
“We should integrate reproducibility and Open Science practices into university curricula and professional development programs to equip researchers with the necessary skills and knowledge to conduct reproducible research.”
– Matija Zlatar on behalf of the Serbian consortium
The reviewing team
The second open call was carefully evaluated by three independent reviewers, namely Barbara Leitner (TIER2), Marta Topor (Danish Reproducibility Network), and David Philip Morgan (German Reproducibility Network); and organised by Alexandra Bannach-Brown and Friederike Kohrs from the QUEST Center for Responsible Research at Charité/BIH.
Given the strong competition, we asked the reviewers what made the winning consortium stand out. They all highlighted the detailed, well-thought-out application, with Barbara Leitner (TIER2) indicating that “not only was their passion very clear but [so was] their explanation as to why it is important for their country”.
“They demonstrated a clear commitment to addressing Open Science and reproducibility including and beyond the natural sciences. Sometimes subjects such as the humanities or arts can be overlooked in this area – so it was great to see the applicants extend a hand towards bringing in those subjects on the conversation regarding Open Science and reproducibility”.
– David Philip Morgan, German Reproducibility Network
“They demonstrated extensive knowledge of challenges and barriers that they could face in their activities. Yet, they proposed interesting solutions evidencing dedication”.
– Marta Topor, Danish Reproducibility Network
The TIER2 team congratulates the awardees and is more than happy to continuously support the motivated consortium in their Reproducibility Network kick-off and beyond.
Consortium members:
1. University of Belgrade - Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy - National Institute of the Republic of Serbia (ICTM), Belgrade, Serbia - lead institution.
2. Institute for Vegetable Crops, Smederevska Palanka (IVC), Serbia
3. Institute of Technical Sciences of Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Belgrade (ITS SASA), Belgrade, Serbia
4. University of Belgrade - National Institute of the Republic of Serbia - Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences (VINČA), Belgrade, Serbia
5. Institute of Virology, Vaccines and Sera "Torlak" (TORLAK), Belgrade, Serbia
6. University of Belgrade - School of Electrical Engineering (ETF), Belgrade, Serbia
7. University of Belgrade - Faculty of Philosophy and LIRA Lab (LIRA Lab), Belgrade, Serbia
8. University of Belgrade - Institute for Medical Research - National Institute of the Republic of Serbia - University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
9. University of Kragujevac - Faculty of Science, Kragujevac, Serbia
Further details about the Reproducibility Network Open Call can be found on the Open Call webpage.
