Open access and open research data in Horizon 2020
The European Commission has published guidelines for open access to publications and research data under the new research framework programme Horizon 2020.
external pageHorizon 2020 is the European Union’s new framework programme for the promotion of research and innovation (see article “Kick-off for the World Cup in cutting-edge research”). It governs the allocation of EU research projects from 2014 to 2020, replacing the 7th Framework Programme for Research (FP7) under which current EU projects are funded.
Within the scope of FP7, the European Commission had launched a pilot project requiring participating research groups in selected disciplines to publish their research results open access. Based on the experiences gained through this pilot project, the EU has developed a comprehensive open access policy for Horizon 2020.
Making publications accessible
In Horizon 2020, all peer-reviewed publications that stem from EU-funded projects have to be deposited on a scientific repository. The publications are to be made freely accessible no later than six months after their initial publication (or twelve months in the humanities and social sciences).
It remains to be seen how scientific publishers that demand longer embargo periods will react to the new guidelines: will they reduce their embargo periods? Or will they use the new EU requirements to strengthen their own open access business models based on author fees?
Moreover, the EU Commission asks researchers to make accessible the primary data that the publications are based upon. Researchers whose projects in certain disciplines are part of the pilot project “Pilot for Open Research Data” will be required to adopt a sustainable approach towards handling research data. This includes drawing up a data management plan and depositing the data in a repository for research data.
More information is available in the guidelines provided by the Commission:
ETH-Bibliothek offers support
The E-Publishing (e-mail: ) and Digital Curation (e-mail: ) Offices at ETH-Bibliothek will gladly offer you help and support in realising the publication requirements imposed by the EU.
The service portfolio includes:
- Advice and information on open-access publishing: Open Access at ETH Zurich
- The document server ETH E-Collection, upon which members of ETH Zurich can make their research papers and other documents available open access
- Support in managing and publishing research data: Digital Curation at ETH Zurich
- The operation of the ETH Data Archive as infrastructure for the medium and long-term preservation of research data
Information order with Euresearch renewed
Horizon 2020 – the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation started on 1 January 2014. The budget is approx. EUR 80 billion with a term of seven years (2014-2020). Switzerland will again be involved as an associated member.
A corresponding agreement on the seamless further involvement is currently being negotiated, as the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) in charge informed on Tuesday (4 February 2014). Researchers in Switzerland can also now get involved in Horizon 2020 projects and submit project applications, informs the SERI.
As a national accompanying measure, the SERI funds an information service for motivating, informing and advising researchers in Switzerland, who want to collaborate in European research projects. To this end, the SERI has concluded with Euresearch a service level agreement in the amount of CHF 17.6 million for 2014-2016.
The Euresearch information network consists of an office in Berne and regional advice centres at all major universities in Switzerland. This network also includes the EU GrantsAccess advice centre, which supports researchers of ETH Zurich, the ETH area, the University of Zurich, universities of applied sciences and arts as well as private and public research institutions in the cantons of Zurich, Aargau, Glarus, Schaffhausen and Zug when filing research applications.