Call for Scientific Advisers for Joint Project with ADBU

Posted: 29-01-2021

We are looking for two LIBER members to serve as scientific advisers for a joint project with ADBU titled, ‘Science and Knowledge Openness – Developing Open Science Skills and Competencies in the Academic World’.

Is your institution a member of LIBER and are you interested in serving as a scientific adviser, or do you have any questions about the project? Send an email to liber@libereurope.org by the 5th of February 2021.

 

LIBER wants to reinforce its connections to national library networks. One of the ways to do this is to collaborate with national ‘twin’ associations. It has therefore been decided, during the LIBER Executive Board meeting in June 2020, that a pilot project could be set up together with the French National Library Association, ADBU.

 

Proposal

LIBER has been eager to develop more content-oriented collaborations with its partners. Therefore, it was proposed to start the ADBU-LIBER partnership by means of a joint study on ‘Science and Knowledge Openness – Developing Open Science Skills and Competencies in the Academic World’.

The context of this study would be very relevant, given the content of the following programmes and initiatives:

  • the strategic priorities of the Horizon Europe programme;
  • Universities’ 2030 strategy;
  • the general framework for the development of digital skills;
  • European strategies related to the circulation and economy of knowledge and data;
  • The Open Education initiative launched by SPARC-Europe;
  • The UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science.

 

Project Description

The study will be conducted by an external research agency in two languages (English and French). It will be coordinated by a Management Committee, comprising representatives from LIBER and ADBU. It will be overseen by academics from the ADBU and LIBER networks who together will form an Advisory Committee. The study will present key indicators on the comparative performance of countries and the major current trends, together with prospective recommendations.

This study will:

  • consist of a complete bilingual English-French study with detailed annexes;
  • include a bilingual English-French executive summary;
  • include a scientific communication device in the form of presentations, posters and taglines;
  • apply a CC-BY licence for all deliverables;
  • provide a handover of all the datasets collected with an explanation of the statistical instruments used;
  • ensure the reproducibility of the data processing for possible updates by the LIBER and ADBU, who have full ownership of the data, processing, and analyses conducted.

 

Objectives

In terms of scientific content, this study seeks to:

  • synthesise the maps of competences necessary for concerted development of Open Science in Europe, also by highlighting the key stakeholders;
  • benchmark current strategies, leadership, and progress in developing the skills needed to implement effective Open Science practices in higher education and research institutions and scientific networks in Europe;
  • propose prospective recommendations in terms of the methods, actors, and content for the development of Open Science skills in the academic and research professions;
  • propose forward-looking recommendations in terms of Human Capital and Talent Management to accelerate the implementation of Open Science policies and practices in higher education and research institutions and scientific networks in Europe;
  • present key indicators of comparative performance and trend indicators across countries.

 

Role of the Adviser

A Management Committee consisting of representatives of both ADBU and LIBER will handle the legal and logistical parts of the study. An Advisory Committee will take care of the scientific side of the studies, prepare the tender, and hold an overview of the research carried out. For this Advisory Committee, we are looking for two members from the LIBER Network with an interest in the abovementioned study.

 

Budget

ADBU and LIBER will each contribute €10.000 per year for the external research agency and for the duration of the proposed study.

 

Provisional Timeline

  • 5th February 2021: First meeting of the Advisory Committee & Management Committee
  • From 8th February – 15th March 2021: Draft of the tender proposal by the Advisory Committee
  • Week of 15th March 2021: Meeting of the Advisory Committee & Management Committee – Finalisation of the Tender
  • 29th March– 3rd May 2021: The Tender is live
  • 3rd May – 1st June 2021: Consultancy selection process
  • 2nd June – 7th June 2021: Meeting of the Advisory Committee with the Consultancy selected
  • 8th June – November 2021: Consultancy starts working on the research project.
  • Beginning of December 2021: First preliminary results to be presented

 

Note: The abovementioned outline is meant to serve as the project description and not as the final document to be used in the tender.

 

[Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash]