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Currently, Open Access and Open Science receive limited support through the Romanian National Strategy (SNCDI 2014-2020) and National Plan for RDI (PNCDI III – 2015-2020). The National Strategy mentions ensuring and supporting open access to research results as one of its priorities, which can be obtained through the following two types of activities:

  • Ensuring access to scientific research from mains streams, for all research organizations;
  • Encouraging the publication of Romanian research results, financed by public funds, according to gold "open access" standards.

Prospectives: In September 2019, UEFISCDI, having as a partner the Ministry of Education and Research started a process of developing a national strategic framework for open science (until the end of 2020), as part of a larger project of strategic developments regarding the RDI national system. The goal of the process is to identify the main strategic options and actions for a transition to OS, involving in consultations the main actors in the country. Among the recommendations/ options identified so far to be included in a national plan are the core themes of OS – aligned with the European recommendations and practices: ensuring OA to the all the publicly funded research publications (starting 2021) and introducing RDMPs requirements (including FAIR) for all publicly funded projects. The process is led by the team involved in the Open Science Hub Romania (inside UEFISCDI), who is the Romanian OpenAIRE NOAD as well.

Aditional actions at national level supporting Open Science policies adoption - the Open Government Partnership:
On the 15th of November 2018, the Romanian Government approved the 2018-2020 National Action Plan as part of the Open Government Partnership. Compared to its previous versions, the new Plan included a section dedicated to Open access to research results. As stated in the document, the Romanian Government commits to adopt a national Open Access strategy for research results, by implementing pilot programs and substantiating research and public consultation.
More specifically, the following actions were proposed:
  1. Identify and support a pilot public institution (ministry, agency, university, research institute) which will adopt a policy of publishing, communicating and valorisation on all scientific results financed by public funds with Open Access.
  2. Identify a domain with lower potential for commercial re-use controversy; the development of rules on the publication of open research results under an open license; implementation of these rules for acquisitions of central public institutions or projects funded by them. Create a repository for the data resulted from these projects.