TIER2 is proud to announce the two awarded consortia based in Ukraine and Georgia who will receive the monetary awards from the Reproducibility Network open call this summer. Multiple scientific consortia from Horizon Europe “Widening Participation” countries submitted applications describing their plans and motivations for establishing a  Reproducibility Network in their home country which TIER2 would support with a €5000 prize. After a round of reviews, carried out by Thomas Klebel (TIER2), Luka Ursic & Nansi Bralic (Croatian Reproducibility Network), and a fourth reviewer, the two consortia were unanimously elected. The open call was spearheaded by Alexandra Bannach-Brown and Friederike Kohrs from the QUEST Center for Responsible Research at Charité/BIH, a TIER2 project partner. 

The Ukrainian consortium, from the Institute for Open Science and Innovation (INOSI), OPTIMA Project Consortium & Lviv Polytechnic National University, comprises researchers with a broad scientific background, ranging from informatics to chemistry and ecology. The core of the consortium has already experience working together in promoting Open Science in Ukraine, particularly within the OPTIMA project and within the Working Group on the National Plan for Open Science development in Ukraine. In response to what motivated them in participating in the open call, they state that: “Ukraine needs good science to make good decisions in all spheres. This is particularly relevant during the war and will be needed for the post-war recovery. Reproducibility (as a part of the Open Science concept) can boost the value of academic research in Ukraine making science a real game-changer for progress”. Regarding their future plans for the Ukrainian Reproducibility Network, they share: “In the short term, the ambition is to kickstart the network of experts, able to lead the discussion on reproducibility and become a role model on the national level. In the long term, the ambition is, of course, to make reproducibility in research a standard by default. This has to be supported by co-creation and sharing best practices, research on research, and making an impact on national policy. We hope that the network will be viable and ambitious enough to compete for international grant funding to achieve this”. With regard to the global state of reproducibility & scientific integrity, they say: “The progress on the global level is visible, but it's only the beginning of a long way forward. The key to achieving the goal is a strong research culture that is often missing in many academic communities. Openness and transparency in performing and communicating research are the basic things to be established.”

The consortium from Georgia, comprises three researchers from different institutions: the Department of Human Anatomy at Tbilisi State Medical University (TSMU), the Faculty of Medicine at Tbilisi State University (TSU), the Institute of Morphology, and the Scientific Department at Caucasus International University (CIU). Brought together as team members of a research group, they were drafting a proposal for a Horizon Europe (HE) project when their HE grant coordinator alerted them about the TIER2 open call announcement. The team was immediately drawn to it, sharing that: 

“During our individual and collective research endeavors, we frequently encountered challenges in reproducing experiment results, a phenomenon that was not isolated to our work but across the global research landscape. [...]  a consolidated effort was needed to elevate the state of research in our nation. [...] Moreover, the opportunity to foster a Reproducibility Network (RN) in Georgia provided a platform to unite our nation's fragmented research endeavors, drive standards in research methodologies, and integrate with the global scientific community”. Regarding their short-term plans after receiving the award, they list the following: “Organize the foundational meeting, bringing together stakeholders from various Georgian research institutions, to lay down the operational blueprint for the RN; Launch training sessions that cover core skills in reproducibility, data management, and research design; Conduct sessions in universities and community centers to educate and foster trust in scientific research: Set up an official RN website and leverage social media for real-time updates and engagements”. In the long term, the team envisions to “Establish partnerships with International Reproducibility Networks, facilitating knowledge exchange and joint research projects and collaborate with Georgian institutions to advocate for policies emphasizing reproducibility and transparency”. Their global vision for the state of reproducibility and scientific integrity “is one where every piece of research, irrespective of its domain or geography, stands the test of time and validation. We envision a scientific landscape where collaboration, transparency, and inclusivity aren't just ideals but are deeply integrated into research methodologies.” 

They share that the way forward is to prioritize 

“1)Education & Training: Equip researchers, especially the younger generation, with the necessary tools and knowledge to ensure reproducibility.
2)Open Science: Promote Open Access publications, making research universally accessible and subject to broader scrutiny.
3)Interdisciplinary Collaborations: Foster collaborations across disciplines, pooling expertise and resources to tackle complex research challenges.
4)Technological Integration: Leverage technology, especially AI and data analytics, to aid in ensuring research consistency and integrity.

If we could change one thing, it would be the isolated nature of scientific endeavors prevalent in many regions, like Georgia. We would foster a globally interconnected research network where findings, methodologies, and tools are shared seamlessly, accelerating scientific progress and ensuring its robustness”. 

Lastly, the Georgian consortium highlights what they would change in the global reproducibility landscape if they could: “1)Revise Academic Incentives: The current "publish or perish" culture sometimes prioritizes quantity over quality. We'd advocate for a system where researchers are rewarded for the reproducibility and integrity of their work, not just the volume. 2)Enhanced Training: Incorporate reproducibility and Open Science training at early academic stages, ensuring that upcoming researchers are well-equipped with the necessary skills and ethos. 3)Global Collaboration Platforms: Creation of digital platforms that facilitate global collaboration, data sharing, and mutual validation of research findings, breaking down silos and fostering a truly global scientific community.”

When we asked the reviewers what they would say to the awardees, Luka advised them to “keep to their ideas/goals with the networks. People still don't understand it well and there is a significant resistance among researchers. While this is a barrier, it's also a goal for them - we're attempting to change a culture, and it's not an easy task in any context”, while Nansi “would like to congratulate them on their well-deserved success and wish[es] them the best of luck in their future reproducibility endeavors”.

The TIER2 team joins them in congratulating the awardees and we are more than happy to continuously support the motivated consortia in their Reproducibility Network kick-off and beyond. 

Read more about the Open Call in the two Press Releases, published on EurekAlert and AlphaGalileo.