Roadmap for Open Science to reduce barriers and speed up discovery

News release

Canada’s Chief Science Advisor delivers recommendations to make Canadian science open and accessible

February 26, 2020 – Ottawa, Ontario

Every day, Canadian researchers are coming up with new ideas with the potential to tackle some of the biggest challenges we face today. By freely sharing and collaborating on these innovations, we can ensure a dynamic and transparent research community. The Government of Canada can now bolster its efforts in making federal science open and accessible to all thanks to the Roadmap for Open Science -- a set of ten recommendations delivered by Canada’s Chief Science Advisor, Dr. Mona Nemer.

Under the guidance of an expert committee and through feedback received from federal departments, agencies and granting councils, the roadmap articulates overarching principles and recommendations. The principles revolve around people, transparency, inclusiveness, collaborations and sustainability.

By enabling others to build on previously validated research, Open Science will help speed up the pace of new discoveries ranging from small business innovations to new medical treatments with the potential to save lives. It will also foster quality and integrity in research by offering an opportunity for wider evaluation and scrutiny by the scientific community, and build stronger collaborations with Canada’s international colleagues. Open Science is also a means to communicate openly within the research community and with the public to enable greater trust and citizen engagement.

The Roadmap for Open Science corresponds with the Chief Science Advisor’s 2019 commitment to provide advice on the best way to make government-funded science accessible to all, while maintaining respect for privacy, security, ethical considerations and appropriate intellectual property protection.

Quotes

“On behalf of the Government of Canada, I would like to thank the Office of the Chief Science Advisor for leading on the development of this Open Science Roadmap. From growing our economy to protecting the environment, science plays a crucial role in tackling the most pressing challenges we face. Making federal research open and accessible will help us do just that.”
– The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry

“Solutions to the great challenges we face require more knowledge, more science and more applications of technology. Opening up federal science will help pave a quicker path to discovery and at the same time ensure that the results of research paid for by Canadians is fully available to them”
– Dr. Mona Nemer, Chief Science Advisor of Canada

“Open Science will accelerate progress towards solving society’s most persistent scientific problems. It is a catalyst for change - in the way we practice science, how we create opportunities for innovation, and in how we build new partnerships with industry. Open Science has the power to maximize the positive impact of Canadian science locally and globally. We commend the leadership of the Canadian Government in establishing a roadmap to make federal science open to all.”
– Dr. Guy Rouleau, Director of The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital), Chair of the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery of McGill University, Director of the Department of Neuroscience of McGill University Health Centre, and co-founder of the Tanenbaum Open Science Institute. In 2016 The Neuro became the first Open Science Institution.

Quick facts

  • Dr. Nemer was appointed as Canada’s new Chief Science Advisor on September 26, 2017. As Canada’s top scientist, she was asked to make recommendations to help ensure that government science is fully available and accessible to the public, and that federal scientists remain free to speak about their work.

  • The Roadmap for Open Science is a follow-up on the Chief Science Advisor’s work on the model Scientific Integrity Policy (2018).

  • The Roadmap for Open Science is a part of Canada’s 2018-2020 National Action Plan on Open Government.

  • The Government of Canada has committed more than $10 billion to science and research, including the largest investment in fundamental research in Canadian history.

Associated links

Contacts

Véronique Simard
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
343-291-1710
veronique.simard2@canada.ca

Media Relations
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
343-291-1777
ic.mediarelations-mediasrelations.ic@canada.ca

Stay connected

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Follow the Chief Science Advisor of Canada on Twitter: @ChiefSciCan

Follow Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada on Twitter: @ISED_CA

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