Ralf Rebmann (Wikimedia Commons), CC BY-SA 4.0

Driving forward open science

As the society for the promotion of Free Knowledge, Wikimedia Deutschland tries to apply Wikipedia’s basic principles to all aspects of society. Our Open Science Fellows Program therefore provides support to young researchers for making their methods, data and results freely available for anyone to use. The idea is that fellows will not only themselves learn to practice open science, but also share their knowledge within the institutions. Thus, we are promoting a more open approach in scientific research and teaching.

The Open Science Fellows Program, which was founded in 2016 by Wikimedia Deutschland and the Stifterverband, continued to a second round in 2017. It links young scientists with experts who pass on the theoretical and practical foundations of taking the open approach to science. The second year of the program saw the addition of the VolkswagenStiftung as an important partner, allowing us to double the number of supported fellows compared to the pilot round from 10 to 20.

Conditions 20 young scientists have been supported by the Open Science Fellows Program (twice as many as last year).

The supported projects cover a wide range of fields from Islamic science to neuroscience and climate research. The practice of research work focuses firstly on transparency: Processes and collections of data are documented and freely accessible. Secondly, it is about fostering an exchange with communities beyond academic fields. The “Ring a Scientist” project, for example, creates a link between researchers and schools. Teachers use an Internet-based platform to arrange video conferences with scientists and, for example, allow students to take part in a live experiment that can only be carried out in a specially equipped lab. Students can experience scientific work being done in an entirely new way.

The second round of the program ends in June 2018 with a public event where the fellows will present their projects and results. 2018 will again see up to 20 young scientists supported by the Open Science Fellows Program.

The Open Science Fellows Program is a joined project by Wikimedia Deutschland, the Stifterverband and the VolkswagenStiftung and is targeted towards young scientists that want to open their research process. Fellow-Programm Freies Wissen (Open Science Fellows Program), camera: Ian Delú, Joana Kauer, editing: Joana Kauer for Wikimedia Deutschland, CC BY-SA 4.0

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In the Open Science Radio, the two program managers at Wikimedia Deutschland, Sarah behrens and Christopher Schwarzkopf, talk about the idea and motivation for the Open Science Fellows Program, its successfully completed first round as well as the ongoing second round and the future of the program.