On 30 August 2024, the Research Council of Lithuania (RCL) approved The Description of the Procedure for Open Access to the Research and Dvevelopment Results (Atvirosios prieigos prie mokslinių tyrimų ir eksperimentinės plėtros rezultatų tvarkos aprašas), which aims to ensure greater availability and dissemination of the results of research funded by the state budget. The Description implements the requirements of Article 51 of The Law on Higher Education and Research of the Republic of Lithuania and reflects the Council's aim to promote the Open Science movement in Lithuania.
The new legal act will apply to all calls for proposals for programmes administered by the RCL published after 1 January 2025, and calls launched before that date will continue to be subject to the existing Guidelines on OpenGuidelines on Open Access to Scientific Publications and Data, the validity of which has been extended until the end of 2028.
In order to ensure a smooth transition period, part of the provisions of the Description, which require additional preparation, will come into force from 1 January 2030. This solution will give the research community enough time to prepare and successfully adapt to the implementation of the open access principles.
The RCL also committed to prepare and approve by the end of 2026 a description of the arrangements for monitoring the open access to research and development results and an action plan that is to be developed in close cooperation with the research community, in order to ensure that the new provisions are practical and effective, and that the plan meets the needs of research and promotes the dissemination of its results both nationally and internationally.
The new legal act emphasizes the significance of open access to assure the accessibility, transparency and quality of research and development results, to promote the Open Science movement, to enhance the international visibility of Lithuanian research and to ensure a higher socio-economic return.
The Research Council of Lithuania (RCL) information.
Gintė Medzvieckaitė
2024-11-08