Supporting our mission to improve open science

As part of our strategy to improve open science and research integrity, the University of Essex has become an institutional member of the UK Reproducibility Network (UKRN).

Joining at the same time as Nottingham Trent University and Leeds Beckett University, it means the UKRN now has 38 members - doubling its institutional membership in less than three years.

The UKRN aims to ensure the UK retains its place as a centre for world-leading research by investigating the factors that contribute to robust research, promoting training and disseminating best practice.

The network also seeks to understand the factors that contribute to poor research reproducibility and replicability, and develop approaches to counter these, to improve the trustworthiness and quality of research.

Professor Chris Greer, Pro Vice Chancellor for Research at Essex, said: “We are bringing a passion for open science and reproducibility along with a commitment to sharing our experiences and learning from others within the network. We are committed and eager to contribute to the UKRN mission, sharing its vision and promoting its objectives with Dr Osama Mahmoud promoting engagement with the network’s mission as our UKRN institutional lead.”

Dr Mahmoud, pictured above, added: “We are delighted that Essex has become a member of the UKRN. We believe that joining the UKRN aligns perfectly with our strategy and ongoing efforts to advance the culture of open science and research integrity.

“Fostering an environment that values transparency and reproducibility in research is a core focus of the senior research management at Essex. We are looking forward to engaging with the UKRN both intellectually and operationally.”

Professor Marcus Munafo, Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Culture) at the University of Bristol and chair of the UKRN Supervisory Board said: “UKRN’s model of collaboration to promote research rigour and transparency is attracting more and diverse institutions, even before the precise details of the People, Culture and Environment section of the next REF are known. We are thrilled to welcome Nottingham Trent, Essex and Leeds Beckett into the UKRN community of institutions, and look forward to further expanding and deepening the ways in which we work together to improve UK research”.