Fostering an Open Science Community: Empowering Researchers in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Narcisse Mbunzama

Funding Area: Capacity building / Construcción de capacidad

Problem Statement: The project aims to establish and nurture an Open Science practicing community among researchers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Open Science is a movement that promotes transparency, collaboration, and accessibility in scientific research. By fostering an Open Science community, the project seeks to empower researchers, enhance scientific communication, and accelerate progress in various fields of study across the country. Objectives: The project's main objectives are as follows: a. Raise Awareness: Conduct workshops, seminars, and training sessions to raise awareness about the principles and benefits of Open Science among researchers, academics, and institutions in the DRC. b. Infrastructure Development: Establish an online platform or repository that enables researchers to share their work openly, including research papers, datasets, and other relevant resources. c. Collaboration and Networking: Facilitate collaboration and networking opportunities for researchers in the DRC to connect with their peers nationally and internationally. This will encourage knowledge exchange and interdisciplinary research initiatives. d. Capacity Building: Provide researchers with the necessary skills and knowledge to adopt Open Science practices, such as data management, data sharing, and using open-access publishing platforms.

Proposed Activities: Proposed Activities are : Needs Assessment (Duration: 2 months): Conduct a comprehensive survey and interviews with researchers in the DRC to understand the current state of Open Science adoption and assess the needs and challenges faced by the research community. Workshop and Training Sessions (Duration: 6 months, ongoing): Organize workshops and training sessions on Open Science practices, data management, open-access publishing, and research ethics. These sessions will be conducted regularly throughout the project to accommodate different researchers and institutions. Online Platform Development (Duration: 4 months): Design and develop an online platform or repository for researchers in the DRC to share their work openly. The platform will support various file types, including research papers, datasets, and other resources. It will be built with open-source technologies for transparency and scalability. Networking Events and Webinars (Duration: 6 months, ongoing): Host networking events, webinars, and conferences to facilitate collaboration and knowledge exchange among researchers in the DRC and beyond. International partners and experts will be invited to share their experiences and insights. Policy Advocacy (Duration: 4 months, ongoing): Engage with policymakers, institutions, and funding agencies to advocate for the adoption of Open Science policies at the national and institutional levels. Regular discussions and meetings will be conducted to push for policy changes that support open research practices. Community Outreach and Awareness Campaigns (Duration: 4 months, ongoing): Conduct community outreach programs and awareness campaigns to promote the benefits of Open Science among the wider public in the DRC. This will include media engagements, educational initiatives, and public events. Capacity Building (Duration: 4 months): Provide training and capacity-building sessions to equip researchers with the necessary skills and knowledge to adopt Open Science practices effectively.

Openness: The project is centered around the principles of openness at multiple levels: Open Infrastructure: The online platform or repository established as part of the project will be designed to be open and accessible to all researchers in the DRC. It will provide a centralized space for researchers to share their work openly, including research papers, datasets, and other resources. The platform will be built with open-source technologies, ensuring transparency in its development and allowing for potential contributions and improvements from the community. Engagement of Broader Community: The project will actively engage the broader research community in the DRC. Workshops, seminars, and training sessions on Open Science practices will be open to all researchers and stakeholders interested in participating, irrespective of their institutional affiliations. The team will collaborate with universities, research institutions, and local organizations to ensure inclusivity and encourage participation from various regions and disciplines. Knowledge Exchange and Networking: The project will facilitate knowledge exchange and networking opportunities for researchers. Networking events will be open to researchers and professionals both within and outside the DRC. Open Data and Research Outputs: The project will promote open data practices, encouraging researchers to share their datasets openly. This will increase data accessibility and potential for collaboration among researchers.

Challenges: Carrying out the work of Fostering an Open Science Community: Empowering Researchers in the DRC may face several challenges, including Limited Infrastructure: The DRC may have limited access to reliable internet connectivity and technological infrastructure, which could hinder the establishment and smooth functioning of the online platform and hinder researchers' engagement in Open Science practices. Awareness and Mindset: Open Science principles might be relatively unfamiliar to researchers in the DRC. Overcoming skepticism or resistance to adopting open research practices could be a challenge. Raising awareness and promoting a culture of openness may require persistent efforts. Language Barrier: The DRC is linguistically diverse, and communicating Open Science concepts in various local languages might be challenging. Effective translation and outreach strategies will be necessary to engage researchers from different linguistic backgrounds. Research Funding: Limited research funding in the DRC might pose challenges for researchers to implement Open Science practices effectively. Encouraging funding agencies to support open research initiatives can be an ongoing challenge. Digital Divide: Not all researchers in the DRC may have access to digital resources or skills required to participate in the Open Science community. Addressing the digital divide and providing training and support for researchers with limited technological resources will be essential.

Neglectedness: No, we have not applied for funding for this work before. currently, there are not other sources of funding available for this type of work in DRC.

Success: Measuring success for this project involves assessing various quantitative and qualitative indicators to gauge the project's impact on the research community, the adoption of Open Science practices, and the overall advancement of scientific knowledge in the DRC. Some key metrics to measure success of this project: Increased Awareness: Measure the number of researchers, institutions, and stakeholders reached through workshops, seminars, and training sessions on Open Science. Conduct surveys to assess the participants' understanding and awareness of Open Science principles before and after the events. Community Engagement: Track the growth of the Open Science community in the DRC, including the number of active participants, contributors, and members. Platform Usage: Monitor the usage statistics of the online platform or repository, such as the number of research papers uploaded, datasets shared, and resource downloads. Measure the platform's visibility and accessibility within the DRC research community. Collaboration and Networking: Measure the number of interdisciplinary research collaborations initiated through the project's networking events and webinars. Open Access Publications: Track the number of research papers from the DRC published in open-access journals. Monitor the increase in citations and visibility of DRC researchers' work in the global scientific community.

Total Budget: 15.000$

Affiliations: Digital Security Group

LMIE Carveout: Yes, this project fits within the LMIE carveout category. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is considered a Low and Middle Income Economy (LMIE), and our project primarily focuses on empowering researchers and promoting Open Science practices within the country. The project's working location includes the DRC, where our team will conduct workshops, seminars, and training sessions for researchers. Additionally, the project's community, consisting of users, contributors, and maintainers, will predominantly be based in the DRC, as we aim to create an Open Science practicing community specifically within the LMIE context.

Team Skills: Our team members have expertise in Open Science principles, data management, open-access publishing, and research ethics and are capable for effectively delivering workshops, training sessions, and promoting Open Science practices among researchers in the DRC. We also have experienced web developers capable to design, develop, and maintain the online platform or repository for sharing research outputs openly. Technical expertise is vital for ensuring the platform's functionality and usability. In addition, we have trainers and experts who can deliver effective capacity-building sessions on Open Science practices, data management, and research ethics will empower researchers with the necessary skills and knowledge to adopt open research practices.

Submission Number: 191