Open Science & Research Data Management
NIMSB is committed to making research more transparent, accessible, reproducible and reusable. We integrate Open Science and responsible Research Data Management throughout the research lifecycle, while protecting personal data, confidential information, intellectual property and other legitimate restrictions.
Open and responsible research at NIMSB
Open Science strengthens research quality, collaboration and societal impact by making knowledge and research outputs accessible and reusable whenever appropriate. At NIMSB, Open Science is supported by responsible data management, research integrity, Open Access, FAIR principles and the long-term preservation of research outputs.
Our approach is aligned with European and national Open Science expectations and with initiatives including Horizon Europe, the European Open Science Cloud, OpenAIRE, FCT and national research infrastructures. Openness is implemented responsibly, taking account of ethical, legal, contractual, security and intellectual property requirements.
Areas of action
Open Science strengthens research quality, collaboration and societal impact by making knowledge and research outputs accessible and reusable whenever appropriate. At NIMSB, Open Science is supported by responsible data management, research integrity, Open Access, FAIR principles and the long-term preservation of research outputs.
Our approach is aligned with European and national Open Science expectations and with initiatives including Horizon Europe, the European Open Science Cloud, OpenAIRE, FCT and national research infrastructures. Openness is implemented responsibly, taking account of ethical, legal, contractual, security and intellectual property requirements.
Open
Access
Supporting open access to scientific publications and the responsible dissemination of research results.
FAIR Research Data
Promoting data that are Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable throughout the research lifecycle.
Responsible Sharing
Enabling research outputs to be shared and reused while respecting ethical, legal and legitimate access restrictions.
Reproducible Research
Encouraging clear documentation, metadata, protocols, software and workflows that support transparency.
Skills & Engagement
Building Open Science and data management awareness through guidance, training, collaboration and public engagement.
Supporting the research data lifecycle
Responsible data management begins when research is planned and continues through data collection, documentation, storage, analysis, sharing, preservation and reuse. NIMSB is developing a coordinated framework to support researchers across these stages.
01. PLAN
Define responsibilities and data needs.
02. COLLECT
Record methods and provenance
03. ORGANISE
Apply structured naming & documentation.
04. STORE & PROTECT
Use appropriate storage & access controls.
05. SHARE & PRESERVE
Select suitable repositories & licences.
06. REUSE
Support discovery & new research.
Building the foundations for better research data
Implementation Active
Electronic Laboratory Notebooks
NIMSB is implementing eLabFTW as its institutional Electronic Laboratory Notebook solution. Electronic laboratory notebooks can strengthen experimental documentation, traceability, collaboration and reproducibility by connecting protocols, samples, observations and related research outputs.
Structured documentation & sample traceability
Implementation Active
FAIR Data and Metadata
NIMSB promotes high-quality metadata, persistent identifiers (PIDs) and appropriate domain standards to improve the discovery, interpretation, citation and reuse of research outputs across global biomedical networks.
Standardized schema & persistent identifiers
Implementation Active
Trusted Repositories & Preservation
Research outputs should be deposited in appropriate trusted repositories whenever possible. Priority is given to discipline-specific repositories (bioimaging, genomics, proteomics), followed by national, institutional and trusted multidisciplinary platforms.
Domain-specific & national repository alignment
FAIR Principles at a Glance
Operationalizing data stewardship across four core dimensions.
F
Findable
Described with rich metadata and persistent identifiers (DOIs, ORCIDs).
A
Accessible
Retrievable by standard protocols under clear authorization conditions.
I
Interoperable
Structured using controlled vocabularies and open formats.
R
Reusable
Documented with precise provenance and clear usage licences.
Our policies and commitments
NIMSB’s public deliverables describe the institutional framework for Open Science and Research Data Management. Together, they set out our principles, responsibilities, implementation direction and commitment to responsible, FAIR and reusable research.
Public Deliverables Status Note
These public deliverables reflect NIMSB’s current implementation framework (2024–2029) and will be updated as institutional services, technical platforms, and policy guidelines develop.
Public Deliverable 2024–2029
Data Management Plan
The institutional framework for planning, organising, documenting, storing, protecting, sharing and preserving research data at NIMSB.
Public Deliverable 2024–2029
Open Science Policy and Guidelines
NIMSB’s principles and commitments concerning open research practices, Open Access, research integrity, training, public engagement and research assessment.
Open Science and Data Management at NIMSB
Open Science and Research Data Management activities are coordinated through NIMSB’s Data Management and Research Computing support function. For institutional information, collaboration opportunities or questions concerning NIMSB’s public Open Science and data management framework, please contact us.
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