This is the first of a six-part online programme, bringing together funders, publishers, infrastructure providers, researchers, and research professionals to drive coordinated cross-sector action and make open research a reality in the UK.

See the full programme here: Open Research Webinars 2026-27

This session explores research data planning and review, focusing on the upstream practices that shape how research data and materials are managed, shared, and reused across the research lifecycle. Using the recent Sustainable and TrAnsparent Research data (STAR) Study Report as a starting point, this session will bring together perspectives from across the sector to reflect on the report’s recommendations, paying particular attention to its concluding recommendation on the need for formalised open research review mechanisms.

Participants and attendees will be invited to consider the barriers to and enablers of the practical adoption and implementation of the report’s recommendations, and identify where coordinated action has the greatest potential to make open research the norm rather than the exception. The session will also look ahead to the rest of the programme, connecting planning and review with themes including FAIR data and repositories, open research monitoring and indicators, skills and capability development, and incentives and recognition, setting the agenda for the collaborative work to follow.

Hosted by University of Sheffield.

There will be subsequent webinars in November, December, January, February and March, so watch this space!