Open Universal Science

Project Information

OPUS

Grant agreement ID: 101058471

DOI

10.3030/101058471

Project closed

EC signature date 7 April 2022

Start date 1 September 2022

End date 31 August 2025

Funded under

• Reforming and enhancing the European R&I System

Total cost

€ 1 726 898,00

EU contribution

€ 1 726 898,00

Coordinated by

CONSORCIO PARA EL DISENO, CONSTRUCCION, EQUIPAMIENTO Y EXPLOTACION DE LA PLATAFORMA OCEANICA DE CANARIAS
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - OPUS (Open Universal Science)

Reporting period: 2023-09-01 to 2025-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The Open and Universal Science (OPUS) project develops coordination and support measures to reform the assessment of research and researchers at Research Performing Organisations (RPOs) and Research Funding Organisations (RFOs) towards a system that incentivises and rewards researchers to take up Open Science practices.
The project is focused on achieving six main objectives to steer all project activities:
1. Conduct a comprehensive state-of-the-art on literature and initiatives for Open Science
2. Develop comprehensive interventions to implement Open Science at RPOs and RFOs
3. Develop realistic indicators/metrics to monitor/drive Open Science at RPOs and RFOs
4. Test the interventions and indicators/metrics via action plans in pilots at RPOs and RFOs
5. Use a stakeholder-driven feed-back loop to develop, monitor, refine, and validate actions
6. Synthesise outcomes into policy briefs and a revised model for researcher assessment
OPUS contributed to transforming the European research assessment landscape by shifting from a publication-centred model to one that values openness, collaboration, and integrity. The project’s activities supported the implementation of the ERA Policy Agenda actions on research assessment reform and Open Science culture.
Its main expected impacts were:
• Institutional change: RPOs and RFOs piloted and integrated new assessment approaches that reward Open Science behaviours.
• Cultural change: Researchers and managers developed a shared understanding of responsible and transparent research practices.
• Policy alignment: The project informed European and national policy discussions on research assessment reform.
• Equity and inclusion: Gender equality, career precarity, and diversity were embedded as core dimensions of responsible assessment.
• Sustainability and uptake: Through the development of OS-CAM2 and the RAF, OPUS delivered practical tools and frameworks for long-term adoption across Europe.
The project produced several key exploitable results that were shared with the research and innovation community to support continued progress towards Open Science and responsible research assessment:
• State-of-the-Art on Open Science Literature and Initiatives, providing an updated overview of global practices and policy trends.
• Indicators, Metrics and Interventions for Researcher Assessment, offering concrete tools for institutions to evaluate and reward Open Science engagement.
• Action Plans and Mutual Learning Exercises to Implement Pilots, demonstrating effective approaches for organisational change through collaborative learning.
• Revised Open Science Career Assessment Matrix (OS-CAM2), providing an updated framework for evaluating research careers in alignment with Open Science principles.
These results ensured that OPUS outcomes extended beyond the project’s duration, fostering long-term institutional and policy transformation in research assessment systems across Europe.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The Open and Universal Science (OPUS) project was implemented to drive a fundamental reform of how research and researchers are assessed within the European Research Area (ERA), promoting a shift from traditional, metric-based evaluation models toward systems that recognise, incentivise, and reward Open Science practices. Through a coordinated, evidence-based, and participatory approach, OPUS brought together research-performing and funding organisations, policy actors, and experts to co-develop practical tools and frameworks for responsible research assessment. In the framework of the activities of the second period, the project conducted a review of the comprehensive state-of-the-art analysis of global initiatives and literature, developed and tested interventions, indicators, and metrics for Open Science evaluation, and implemented them through pilot actions and mutual learning exercises across diverse institutions. Its main scientific outcomes — the OPUS Researcher Assessment Framework (RAF) and the Open Science Career Assessment Matrix 2 (OS-CAM2) — provide concrete, scalable instruments for embedding openness, collaboration, and societal value into research evaluation systems. By the end of the project, OPUS had demonstrated effective pathways for institutional and policy change, contributing significantly to the ERA’s reform agenda and to the long-term transition towards a more open, fair, and impactful research ecosystem in Europe.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The OPUS project went beyond the state of the art in researcher assessment by developing the first Research Assessment Framework (RAF). The state of the art had confirmed that existing assessment systems were overly reliant on bibliometrics, focusing primarily on peer-reviewed publications and citations, while lacking a comprehensive altmetric approach covering research and non-research, open and closed, quantitative and qualitative dimensions. OPUS addressed this gap by producing a RAF structured at two levels: meta-interventions providing overarching guidance for organisational implementation, and indicator-level interventions tailored to each metric to facilitate practical application. The framework was guided by ten principles ensuring universality, coverage of the full spectrum of researcher activities, integration of quantitative and qualitative assessment, and flexibility for RPOs and RFOs in selecting, refining, and prioritising indicators and interventions. The RAF was translated into a workable tool, supported by concrete interventions and clear guidelines, and piloted in three RPOs and two RFOs, with stakeholder consultations throughout its development. By combining comprehensive indicators, actionable interventions, and adaptability across organisational contexts, OPUS provided a unique, evidence-based, and implementable framework to incentivise and reward Open Science practices, offering a clear path for systemic reform of researcher assessment.

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