The Public Library of Science (PLOS) today announced a new partnership with the Einstein Foundation Award for Promoting Quality in Research.
The Einstein Foundation Award will honor researchers, institutions, collaborations, and organizations that, among other things:
- have made substantial contributions to fostering research integrity through outstanding measures that increase the quality and reliability of research, e.g. by improving transparency, access to research results (‘Open Science’), overcoming the fragmentation of research (‘Team science’);
- have delivered groundbreaking research that identifies opportunities for improving research practice, have generated evidence for potential interventions, and have developed metrics and policies that incentivize the adoption of best research practices;
- have significantly contributed to increasing the diversity of research by taking into view aspects such as gender, race/ethnicity, geography, career stage, etc.;
“By establishing a global award to honor established researchers as well as early career researchers, collaborations and institutions, the Einstein Foundation Berlin is making an important statement: rigor, reliability, and transparency are to be recognized and rewarded as they directly influence increased quality in research,” said Dr Veronique Kiermer, Chief Scientific Officer, PLOS. “We are excited to contribute to global awareness of this award and encourage all interested parties to nominate and/or apply in the relevant categories.”
“We are proud and honoured to have PLOS – a true and original pioneer of Open Science – as another outstanding partner at our side,” said Professor Ulrich Dirnagl, Award Secretary and Founding Director, QUEST Center for Responsible Research at the Berlin Institute of Health. “Together we aim to stimulate activities that foster research quality and to raise awareness among scientists, institutions, funding bodies, and policymakers.”
“We are especially pleased to partner so soon with an organization based in Berlin,” said Dr Anke Beck, PLOS Regional Director for Publishing Development, Europe. “PLOS GmbH is a new entity and we look forward to engaging with the Einstein Foundation Berlin, and other European organizations, at a local level, and helping to amplify such mission-driven initiatives to a global audience when we can.”
PLOS is a longtime advocate for quality in research and is well known for developing policies, standards, features, and encouraging behaviors that support a more rigorous open research ecosystem. These activities all enhance the quality and reliabilityof research, and, consequently, trust in research.
The Einstein Foundation award website contains all the details, including the criteria, categories, eligibility, and a list of the jury and prior winners. The deadline for applications and nominations is April 30th, 2022 at 10:00 pm UTC. Winners will be announced in December, 2022.
