Join our OSC-NL Board

Join the OSC-NL Board!

Following the new OSC-NL governance, there is an opening for three new Members for the OSC-NL Board from November 1st, 2025, for a 2 -year term. We are very happy that three members, namely Anna van ‘t Veer (Chair), Anita Eerland and Vera Heininga will stay on the Board for the sake of continuity, and we thank Alexandra Sarafoglou, Raul Zurita-Milla and Caspar van Lissa for their engagement during their term as members of our board!

The OSC-NL network of open science communities is governed by the OSC-NL board, consisting of six representatives of local OSCs. You can find our full new governance structure, including responsibilities of the various roles in our network, on this page.

If you want to nominate yourself, please let us know via the form below before Sept 15. In this form you are asked to give a short motivation for joining our board. We also expect you to shortly present yourself at the first Assembly of the Members on October 10th, which will take place in Utrecht/online. There, participants will vote to appoint new Board Members.

The goals and responsibilities of the OSC-NL Board are:

OSC-NL Board Members

 The OSC-NL Board is responsible for all central decisions of OSC-NL.

The minimal effort requested from Board Members is to attend the periodic Board Meetings, an annual meeting with the Advisory Committee (not established yet) and the yearly Assembly of the Community Members online, and to prepare for those meetings by reading the topics on the Agenda and its related documentation. Additional requests can be to participate in panels, to present OSC-NL at events or to give input on policy as an OSC-NL representative. Estimated effort is 56 hours/7 days a year.

Board Members:

  • Meet at least five times a year (online or f2f)
  • Their participation on the board is voluntary and unpaid ( but there is budget to cover travel costs when you represent OSC-NL)
  • They all represent a Local Open Science Community
  • They stay on the Board for a two year term, and can get re-elected

OSC-NL Board Periodic Meetings

The Board shall meet regularly and at least five times a  year or as often as the Chair or other Board members deem appropriate. Board meetings can only take place when at least half of the Board members are present.  A Board member may be represented at the meeting by a fellow Board member authorised by them in writing. A Board member may represent a maximum of one co-Board member at a meeting. The representing Board member should make this clear at the beginning of the meeting.

The Chair oversees the preparation of the agenda of Board meetings. Both members of the Board and the  Executive Team can suggest agenda points. For all agenda points it is noted whether a decision is needed. If a decision is needed, a clear proposal should be presented to make it easier to discuss and reach a decision based on consent decision making. The role of secretary will be taken up by someone from the ET. 

Board decisions may be taken outside a meeting, provided that all Board members are given the opportunity to voice their opinion and raise objections to a proposal. In the event of an indecisive Board, the Chair can cast the decisive vote.

NEW: The OSC-NL Open Consultation Panel

One of the aims of OSC-NL is to provide input to policy, infrastructure and services on a national level. We vocalise the opportunities and needs of those who put OS to practice. National stakeholders in the OS landscape ask us to provide input to policy, infrastructure and services but we also start up consultations or petitions ourselves if we feel this is needed.

Therefore, OSC-NL has opened up an open consultation Panel page, where requests for input with the broader Open Science Community in the Netherlands are shared. These can differ from policy consultations, ideas for national working groups, petitions and surveys to sticker slogans.

If you want to join this panel, and to see which consultations are open at the moment, got to the Panel Page

Looking back on ‘Making scholarship look like the world looks: A workshop day on Openness, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Academia’

On May 12th 2025, we gathered at Radboud University in Nijmegen for a day full of insight, learning, and awareness. The goal of this workshop day was to equip participants with know-how to make their research, research support, and/or events (such as presentations, training, engagement activities) more open, participatory, and inclusive in the broadest sense of the word.
Participants came from both within and beyond Dutch borders to participate in this event, representing all stages of academic careers, from research assistant and PhD candidates to support staff, researchers and professors. Once everyone had arrived, the day began with opening speeches stressing the importance of this event, both seen from the organizers side as well as the participants’ motivation for coming to discuss and learn how to put Equity, Diversity and Inclusion into our (Open Science) practices.

Following this, participants could choose to partake in two out of three workshops:

A) Leveling the playing field for careers in science & measuring marginalization by Afreen Khalid and Ze Freeman

B) Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion in the research lifecycle by Thomas Gültzow and Hanne Zimmermann

C) Inclusive events, work environments and building ally skills by Esther Plomp and Melanie Imming

In Khalid and Freeman’s workshop, the focus was on navigating the research world as a member of a marginalised group. They shared research-based insights on how to support others with similar diverse backgrounds who are pursuing a career in science. The presentation emphasised the importance of privacy and critically assessing when data collection is truly necessary. One example discussed was booking a Eurostar train ticket — should the options go beyond “Mr” and “Lady” (the literal choices provided), giving a whole list of options to give everyone the feeling of being seen, or should the question be removed altogether? How do we ask these questions in our research? And will we actually use all the answer options or lump them into ‘other’ anyway (in which case just providing an ‘other’ option at least tells the participant how their data is used, and ‘not listed’ would be even better as it also prevents ‘othering’ language). At the end of the workshop, participants were asked to imagine themselves as part of a marginalized group, consider a potential challenge they might face, and then develop a possible solution. Want to reflect on these topics more? The slides will soon be added as a next step resulting from the grant proposal.

Gültzow and Zimmermann’s workshop focused on ensuring diverse and inclusive representation throughout the research process. On the list of covered topics was: the research team, population representation, reflexivity, and transparency regarding researchers’ positionality. All topics boiling down to how Open Science practices, such as pre-registration (pre-study documentation of hypotheses, methods, or analyses), can help make research more diverse, inclusive, and transparent. The key takeaway may be that conducting research on diverse groups is not enough–people from these groups must be actively included in the research (process). Moreover, even small design decisions can significantly influence how inclusive a study is. Find this session’s slides here, and find a paper with inclusivity and diversity elements for preregistration here.

Plomp and Imming’s session highlighted how we can drive change in situations where we have more privilege and power than others. As an example, they mentioned how members of the Open Science Communities could act as change agents by modeling inclusivity. Participants were encouraged to train and use their ally skills, for instance by speaking up for others. They also shared resources on how to organise accessible, inclusive initiatives. Find the slides including exercises, resources and tips for basic ally skills here.

The day concluded with a closing speech that highlighted how discrimination can take hidden forms, and shared examples of misconduct where it might be least expected, even within one’s own department. The main takeaway was a call for humility: we may not always know the best way to be inclusive on an individual level, but we shouldn’t be afraid to try, ask and learn how to do better. It was a fitting end to a workshop day that encouraged honest reflection and practical conversation. Big thanks to the organisers for creating this event that gave us this opportunity.

Written by members of the community, including Signe Glæsel, Melanie Imming, Esther Plomp, Thomas Gültzow, and Anna van ‘t Veer.

participants of the workshop

Making scholarship look like the world looks:

A workshop day on Openness, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Academia

Check out this workshop that brings together knowledge and skills for a more inclusive, diverse, equitable and therefore more open academia, co-organised by OSC-NL. 

The values described in the UNESCO Recommendations on Open Science (OS) aim to ensure ‘equitable, fair and reciprocal access to science for all…’ and ‘embracing diversity of knowledge, practices, workflows, languages and research topics and outputs’.

The research community is far from embodying these values in everyday research practices and work environments. Therefore, the goal of this workshop is capacity building by equipping participants with know-how to make their research, research support, or events (such as presentations, training, engagement activities) more open, participatory, and inclusive in the broadest sense of the word.

This workshop offers three different interactive sessions:

1) Leveling the playing field for careers in science & measuring marginalization (Afreen Khalid, Ze Freeman)
2) Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion in the research lifecycle (Thomas Gülzow, Hanne Zimmermann)
3) Inclusive events, work environments and building ally skills (Esther Plomp, Melanie Imming)

The OSCNL Barcamp: New ideas in a historic setting

Last week, the picturesque city of Maastricht played host to the satellite event of the Open Science Festival—an unconference that brought together over 100 open science enthusiasts and professionals. Held in a venue steeped in history, with plenary sessions in an awe-inspiring aula that once served as a church, the day radiated excitement, blending tradition with the forward-looking spirit of open science.

The event started with a lively voting session, where participants pitched topics on the spot, with ideas ranging from citizen science initiatives to the integration of generative AI in research. Attendees cast their votes for the pitches that resonated with them, a total of 24 sessions were held throughout the day. Each session leader, or “chair,” was then given a dedicated classroom, where they guided deep dives into their chosen topic, sparking discussions and collecting fresh perspectives.

Here’s a glimpse at the session topics:

  • Using generative AI for research summaries
  • Designing an open access game called ‘Legacy’
  • Bridging the gap between researchers and data professionals
  • Citizen science
  • How to get institutional support
  • Creating a knowledge base for the open science communities (OSCs)

The aim of these session is for the community to continue to work on these projects. Participation after the Barcamp is also open for people that did not attend the Barcamp. You can explore all sessions in this Etherpad (Open Source alternative for Google Docs).

This diverse lineup of sessions allowed participants to explore new ideas and challenges in open science, each conversation contributing to our collective efforts.

The unconference format was perfectly suited to foster collaboration, allowing attendees to build on each other’s ideas, challenge assumptions, and propose novel solutions. This free-flowing structure allowed every participant to feel not just included but integral to the day’s outcome, giving rise to new collaborations and projects that extended well beyond the walls of the conference rooms.

As the day wound down, everyone gathered in the main hall for well-deserved pizza, where conversations continued to flow, and connections were solidified. This informal closing was a fitting end to a day rooted in spontaneity, creativity, and shared passion.

The barcamp proved that moving open science forward isn’t just about technology or tools—it’s about people coming together, sharing visions, and building a community committed to a future where knowledge is open and accessible to all. So be on the lookout and be sure to join next year’s barcamp!

Celebrating OSC-NL Open Science Week: Highlights from OSC Twente, OSC Amsterdam, and OSC Leiden

During the OSC-NL National Open Science Week, local Open Science Communities across the Netherlands organized engaging events aimed at promoting open science practices and enhancing collaboration among researchers. Here are some of the highlights.


OSC Twente: Fostering Connections and Building Awareness

OSC Twente had a bustling week filled with eight events aimed at advocating for open science practices at the University of Twente (UT) and Saxion University of Applied Sciences.

  • 🔍 Information Booths:
    OSC Twente organized six information booth events—five at UT, one at Saxion. Here, researchers and support staff could learn all about OSC Twente and sign-up to become a member.
  • 🔗 CodeCheckNL Event:
    OSC Twente participated in the CodeCheckNL event, which fit seamlessly under the OSC-NL umbrella to raise awareness about open science practices. In this event, participants checked and verified each other’s research findings, starting from the raw data and the scripts that were used for analysis.
  • 🗣 Panel Discussion:
    The week culminated in a successful panel discussion held as part of the Emerging Technologies & Societal Transformations Conference 2024. This discussion brought together various stakeholders, enabling an enriching dialogue about open science involvement and its relevance amidst evolving technological landscapes.

OSC Amsterdam: Addressing Scientific Integrity

The Open Science Community Amsterdam took a significant step by hosting the Scientific Integrity Symposium on September 23. This event served as a platform for discussing essential issues surrounding the quality and integrity of scientific research—especially pertinent in an era where AI and emerging technologies introduce new challenges.

  • 🗝 Opening and Expert Talks:
    The event began with a keynote from UvA Open Science coordinator Frans Oort. This was followed by insights from international and national experts such as Elisabeth Bik, Ben Mol, Mariëtte van den Hoven, and Gerben ter Riet. Their talks focused on the prevalence of scientific misconduct and the urgent need for enhanced measures to ensure research integrity.
  • ⚠️ Shocking Statistics:
    The symposium highlighted concerning statistics, with Ben Mol estimating that around 30% of randomized controlled trials in women’s health may be fabricated. Elisabeth Bik identified over 3,000 potentially fraudulent articles in biomedical research. Such revelations emphasize the crucial need for openness and transparency in the research cycle.
  • 🌱 Encouraging a Culture of Integrity:
    Despite the challenges presented, the symposium provided a hopeful perspective by emphasizing the importance of fostering an environment that supports research integrity. Panels led by experts encouraged researchers to speak up and engage in training provided by initiatives like the Dutch Research Integrity Network (NRIN) and join their local Open Science Community.

OSC Leiden: Making support for taking your next step in Open Science visible

OSC Leiden contributed to the Open Science Week with a series of events focused on making the existing support for open science practices visible.

  • 🏫 Information Booth: The OSCL Information Booth visited different faculties each day of the OS week. At this booth, people were inspired to take their next steps with the relevant support in that particular faculty readily present to answer any questions.
  • 📚 Lecture on FAIR Implementation Profiles:
    A key event at OSC Leiden was a lecture on FAIR Implementation Profiles (FIPs). The sessions explored how researchers can improve the reusability of their data by adhering to FAIR principles, fostering a culture of better data management.
  • 🤖 Open Science and AI Discussions:
    Another focus at OSC Leiden was the intersection of open science and AI, exploring how AI technologies can both aid and challenge open science initiatives. Participants discussed the ethical implications of using AI in research and how AI could be leveraged to make science more transparent and accessible.

Conclusion

The OSC-NL National Open Science Week was a remarkable showcase of how local OSCs are making strides in promoting open science. The blend of practical engagement, collaborative initiatives, and thought-provoking discussions set a strong foundation for continued growth and awareness in the scientific community.

For those interested in exploring the full program of events, OSC Twente has a detailed list available here, and slides from the OSC Amsterdam symposium can be found on their OSCA repository here. The full program of the activities of OSC Leiden can be found here

Let’s continue the momentum and work collectively towards a more open scientific community!

OSC-NL National Open Science Week from 23 to 27 September 2024

To celebrate and recognize the crucial role of Open Science in the advancement of science, the Network of Open Science Communities in the Netherlands (OSC-NL) organises its first OSC-NL National Open Science Week from 23 to 27 September 2024.

Although Open Science contributes to more transparent and inclusive research, its practical implementation is often challenging.

This Open Science Week aims to address these challenges by raising awareness of the various support services and structures that exist, such as local and thematic Digital Competency Centers, Open Science Programmes, Open Science Communities (OSCs) etc. Designed to facilitate the application of Open Science principles, these resources provide researchers and research supporters with the tools and funding necessary to adopt more open and collaborative research practices.  Read more

OSC-NL Knowledge Exchange Day – July 5th

On 5 July, 2024 OSC-NL hosted its second Knowledge Exchange Day – what a day it was! Representatives from eight Open Science Communities traveled from all corners of the Netherlands to join the event.

The morning started with an engaging Faces of Open Science workshop, led by Susanna Bloem and Marc van Mil. Everyone tapped into their creativity as we created puppets and told animated stories on different persona in open science. We discussed their approaches to open science practices and where their focus lay (on collective or individual efforts, inside or outside of institutions). We even tackled some controversial statements from the perspectives of these persona. It was eye-opening and a potential tool to bring back to local communities to spark discussions on diverse perspectives and motivations in open science.

After lunch, we broke into groups to discuss plans for the OSC-NL Open Science Week, funding opportunities, and workflows for knowledge exchange. 

A few developments to take note of:

  • At the Open Science Retreat in March this year, a new narrative for sustainable open access was discussed. This led to the creation of a Call to Commitment, which anyone interested in the future of Open Access in the Netherlands can endorse. More information will follow.
  • The OSCNL executive team will work on launching a new cohort for the incubator program for new communities as well as a toolkit for managers

On the whole, the day was a great opportunity to see where local communities stand and share approaches. The workshop and discussions were a good reminder that everything we do in the open science communities is a collective effort. We look forward to working together again soon—perhaps at OSF24, if not sooner.

For now, enjoy the summer, and let’s keep the momentum going!

Impulse for national network organisation Open Science Communities-NL

The Open Science Communities-NL (OSC-NL) network will receive a grant of 400,000 euros for a period of four years. This was decided by the Open Science NL steering committee on 17 May.

OSC-NL will use this to work on knowledge exchange, community management and sustainability of our bottom-up network. Professionalisation and expansion are also on the programme.

OSC-NL’s grant application outlines their plans for the next four years. The application is openly available here. The plans are divided into four work packages, each led by one of the members of the Executive Team.

  • Networking
  • Knowledge management
  • Increase visibility and findability of local Open Science Communities and open science expertise
  • Organisational embedding and perpetuation of OSC-NL after the project period

SURF will facilitate the Open Science communities as a partner in open science, to realise the ambitions in the exchange of knowledge, community management and embedding the Open Science Communities in a sustainable way.

For more information, see the formal announcement of OpenScienceNL.

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