Building Trust in Science through Reproducibility

Empowering Funders to Drive Systemic Change in Research Reproducibility

The Open Science to Increase Reproducibility in Science (OSIRIS) project has released a new Policy Brief for Research Funders, outlining how funding bodies can play a leading role in strengthening research quality, transparency, and accountability across Europe.

Reproducibility lies at the heart of rigorous and trustworthy science; yet, current funding structures and evaluation frameworks often fall short of explicitly promoting it. OSIRIS findings reveal that while funders increasingly link reproducibility to open science and research integrity, it is rarely embedded as a direct requirement or incentive in grant policies.

Evidence-Based Insights Across the European Research Landscape

Based on a systematic literature review, interviews with researchers, stakeholder focus groups, and an audit of public funder policies using the Transparency and Openness Promotion (TOP) 2025 criteria, OSIRIS examined how research funders influence, or could better support, reproducible research.

Results show that:

  • Current funder policies are often vague and lack clear, enforceable criteria for reproducibility.
  • Integration of openness and transparency standards remains limited among EU public funders.
  • Capacity building and skills training for early-career researchers are not consistently supported.
  • There is uneven alignment between research integrity, open science commitments, and funding implementation.

These findings highlight a critical opportunity for funders to align policies, strengthen incentives, and create sustainable structures that reinforce trust in scientific outcomes.

Key Recommendations for Research Funders

To advance reproducibility across the European research ecosystem, OSIRIS recommends that funders:

  • Harmonise policies and support structures across Europe to ensure consistency and comparability.
  • Embed reproducibility criteria directly in funding calls, application templates, and evaluation processes.
  • Incorporate skills and capacity-building components into programmes, particularly targeting early-career researchers.
  • Co-invest in institutional infrastructure and support services that enable high-quality, transparent research.
  • Monitor and evaluate reproducibility outcomes to ensure continuous improvement of funding practices.

Through coordinated action, funders can lead a systemic shift towards open, reliable, and reproducible science, reinforcing public trust and maximising the societal impact of research.

Read and download the full OSIRIS Policy Brief for Research Funders HERE

About OSIRIS

OSIRIS (Open Science to Increase Reproducibility in Science) is an EU-funded project that explores systemic enablers of research reproducibility. It co-creates and tests evidence-based solutions with stakeholders to reform the research and innovation ecosystem, fostering transparency, collaboration, and trust in science.

Stay connected with OSIRIS as we continue to explore how open science practices can strengthen the foundations of reliable research. For news, upcoming events, and project updates, subscribe to our newsletter at https://osiris4r.eu/.

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OSIRIS “Creating Trust in Open Science & Reproducibility through Accessibility and Transparency!”