Government of Montenegro, Ministry of Science

At the meeting held on June 25, 2020, the Government of Montenegro adopted the “Open Science” principles implementation program in Montenegro with an Action Plan (2020-2022).

The program is based on several national strategic documents and represents the first phase of aligning Montenegro’s research ecosystem with the principles of Open Science in the European Research Area (ERA), where Open Science becomes the default mode of operation for researchers, funders, and other stakeholders, all with the goal of creating a favorable environment to strengthen scientific research activities in Montenegro.

The implementation of Open Science principles should contribute to the greater utilization of results obtained through scientific research, better connections between science and the economy, or science and society as a whole, thus fostering the development of new research for the benefit of society.

The goals of Open Science are realized with full protection of ethical norms, copyright, and intellectual property rights.

Primary components of Open Science in Montenegro’s scientific research environment, which need to be further developed, include open access to publications, open access to research data, and open access to research infrastructure, which is a key element for advancing research and innovation development and networking with potential users from the academic, business, public, and civil sectors.

In this regard, the program foresees:

Ensuring open access to peer-reviewed scientific papers;
Ensuring direct open access to national academic publishing;
Enabling open access to research data in line with the principle “as open as possible, as closed as necessary”;
Encouraging the preparation and submission of data management plans within the research process;
Ensuring the availability of research infrastructures (spaces, devices, and digital infrastructure) if their procurement or establishment is financed with public funds, as well as the interoperability of digital infrastructures with international digital research infrastructures;
Raising awareness, strengthening skills, and conducting training in the field of Open Science for all Montenegrin actors in the scientific process;
Recognizing the practice of Open Science when evaluating research.
The implementation of the “Open Science” principles program in Montenegro will contribute to the realization of Montenegro’s vision aimed at greater openness of research activities to serve society as a whole, as well as the need for efficient and transparent public spending directed towards financing research activities. Open Science should therefore not only be seen as a way of opening up the research process, but also as an instrument for driving innovation, strengthening integrity and inclusiveness in the research sector, and creating better connectivity and collaboration among all actors within the scientific research process.

The “Open Science” principles implementation program in Montenegro with the Action Plan (2020-2022) can be downloaded HERE.

Source: Ministry of Science