From 11.00: Registration and tea/coffee on arrival
Morning Session (11.30 - 13.00):
Welcome - Dr Sally Smith, Trinity College Dublin and Dr David O'Connell, University College Cork
ABOARD Position Paper - ABOARD co-leads Dr Sally Smith and Dr David O'Connell
Keynote Address - Professor Stephen Curry, Imperial College London and previous co-chair of DORA
13.00 - 13.45: Lunch
Afternoon Session 1 (13.45 - 15.30): "Why Open Research and Responsible Research Assessment matter"
Open Research and RRA as enablers for increasing trust in democratic institutions - Professor David Budtz Pedersen
Open Research and RRA as key drivers of positive research cultures - Dr Elizabeth Gadd, INORMS / Loughborough University
Enhancing efficiency, improving reputation & increasing collaboration - Professor Tim Newton, UK Reproducibility Network (UKRN) / King's College London
Panel Discussion - Panelists: Ms Stacey Grealis (Advocate for Public and Patient Involvement (PPI)), Dr Jennifer Brennan (DECC), Prof Tim Newton (UKRN), Prof David Budtz Pedersen - Chair: Dr Elizabeth Gadd
15.30 - 15.45: Coffee Break
Afternoon Session 2 (15.45 - 17.00): "How can we make it happen?"
International Best Practice in implementation - Dr Giovanna Lima, DORA
Insights from the Dutch Recognition and Rewards Programme - Dr Stefan Penders,Universities of the Netherlands
Panel Discussion - Panelists: Prof Joseph Roche (TCD), Prof Anita Maguire (UCC), Dr Kevin Daly (YAI), Ms Christine Brennan (University of Limerick) - Chair: Dr Stefan Penders
Stephen Curry is an Emeritus Professor of Structural Biology at Imperial College London. He previously served as the university’s first Associate Provost for EDI and as a University Consul. He is a senior strategic advisor at the Research on Research Institute (RoRI). For many years he has been a writer, campaigner and advisor on open access, research assessment, research funding, research culture and science policy. He has played prominent roles over the past decade or more in Science is Vital and the Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE); from 2017-23 he was chair of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA). He is a co-author of the Harnessing the Metric Tide report (2022) which recommended reforms of the Research Excellence Framework that should embrace a healthier understanding of research excellence. He was awarded the Imperial College Medal in 2024 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the life and work of the university.
Dr Elizabeth (Lizzie) Gadd is Head of Research Culture & Assessment at Loughborough University. She chairs the International Network Of Research Management Societies (INORMS) Research Evaluation Group and immediate past Vice Chair of the Coalition on Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA). She co-authored the UKRI-commissioned report, 'Harnessing the Metric Tide: Indicators, Infrastructures & Priorities for UK Research Assessment' and was the recipient of the 2020 INORMS Award for Excellence in Research Management and Leadership & the 2025 ARMA Award for Advocacy in Research Management.
Tim Newton is Dean of Research Culture, working within the Research Management and Innovation Directorate to create a culture where people thrive and are valued, a place where great research practice is our everyday norm, and an environment where innovation flourishes, impactful discoveries unfold and everybody feels part of a richly diverse community. His role encompasses working with teams dedicated to research governance, research integrity, research ethics and research culture.
Stefan Penders is policy advisor Internationalisation within the Recognition & Rewards programme, based at Universities of the Netherlands. He also acts as a senior programme manager at the Dutch Research Council, working on science policy and research-on-research.
Dr Giovanna Lima currently serves as the Program Manager for the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), a global initiative that campaigns for and supports the reform of research(er) assessment practices. Prior to joining DORA, Dr Lima worked with societal impact and Recognition & Rewards at Erasmus University Rotterdam (Netherlands) and Trinity College Dublin (Ireland). With a PhD and master’s in public administration, she was also research consultant for The Economist Impact and held a number of city level public management roles in Brazil.
David Budtz Pedersen is Professor of Science Communication and Impact Studies at Aalborg University, and Director of FRONTIER Center for Advanced SSH. His research focuses on the management, communication and evaluation of science and technology. He is a regular adviser to the European Commission, the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science, and a Member of the Norwegian Research Council. He takes a special interest in open, responsible and collaborative research focused on creating positive impact in society.
Venue, date and times
The event will be held at the Royal Irish Academy, Dawson Street, Dublin on March 27, 2026 (11.30 - 17.00).
There will be tea/coffee and refreshments on arrival (from 11.00), and we invite participants to join us for a glass of wine in the adjacent Council Room after the event has closed (from 17.00).
Who should attend this event?
We look forward to welcoming all members of the Irish Research community, especially:
Institutional Leadership
Senior Researchers / Principal Investigators
Early Career Researchers
Research Librarians
Research Managers and Support Professionals
Research Funding Managers
Policy makers
All colleagues interested in improving Research Culture in Ireland
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