Open science

The Data Management Plan (DMP) is a strategic document that defines how research data will be managed throughout the entire lifecycle of a research project. It outlines the procedures for collecting, organizing, storing, documenting, preserving, and sharing data, ensuring efficient, secure, and responsible data management.

The DMP is aligned with the FAIR+I principles, guaranteeing that data are Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable, and Intelligible. Furthermore, it supports transparency, open science practices, research traceability, and the long-term reuse of research data and results.

The Lleida Biomedical Research Institute (IRBLleida) is firmly committed to the implementation of open science principles and to fostering public engagement in biomedical research through citizen science initiatives. These approaches aim to promote a more accessible, inclusive, transparent, and collaborative research model in which scientific knowledge is shared widely and contributes to addressing current health and societal challenges.

Within this framework, the institute has established an open science policy that promotes the dissemination and open access of research outputs, encouraging the sharing of scientific data, publications, and knowledge in line with international recommendations. This policy facilitates collaboration among researchers, institutions, and societal stakeholders, enhances knowledge transfer, and increases the visibility and impact of research activities. In parallel, citizen science initiatives encourage the active involvement of the public in different stages of the research process, strengthening trust in science and fostering research that is better aligned with societal needs and expectations.

The Procedure for the standardisation of institutional affiliation at IRBLleida establishes the requirement for all research staff at IRBLleida to use a uniform personal signature and institutional affiliation throughout their scientific output (original articles, reviews, editorials, letters, conference communications, book chapters, popular science and opinion articles, as well as patents and any other document), with the aim of ensuring the correct visibility, indexing and monitoring of the Institute's output.

Transformative agreements are an initiative promoted by Coalition S with the aim of fostering open access publication of research results. These agreements, negotiated between research institutions and scientific publishers, allow the combination of funds allocated to subscriptions with those for publication fees (APCs), thus reducing the financial burden on research groups while ensuring both access to reading and cost-free publishing in selected journals.

For the first time, the CERCA Institution has participated in the negotiations led by CRUE and CSIC to renew these agreements with publishers. Starting in 2025, CERCA centres will benefit from the following agreements:

• ACS and Elsevier: 4-year agreements (2025-2028) with unlimited APCs.
• Springer: 3-year agreements (2025-2027) with 120 APCs per year.
• Wiley: 4-year agreements (2025-2028) with 100 APCs per year.