10 Accepted in Part

Require universities to model reproducibility culture and implement protected research time policy

Recommendation
Research institutions should model a culture of reproducibility by managing inordinate pressures on academics and encouraging the prioritisation of reproducibility in research outputs. This extends to encouraging openness around mistakes and their correction. In collaboration with the Higher Education Sector, Universities UK should implement a coordinated policy on minimum protected research time for research staff.
Government Response Summary
The government partially accepts the recommendation, stating it does not require a formal response from the government on some aspects. It highlights UKRI's extensive existing work to shift incentives in the research system, including changes to the REF process and a £4.5 million commitment to the UK Reproducibility Network (UKRN), to promote research integrity and reproducibility.
Paragraph Reference
72
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government Accepted in Part
We partially accept the recommendation (Paragraph 68) and the conclusion (Paragraph 127). 21. This does not require a formal response from Government. There are a number of ways in which UKRI are supporting the sector to address the issues highlighted. This recommendation rightly recognises the shared responsibility of the research community in promoting research integrity and reproducibility. There are many parties that have a role to play in driving forward action, and no single entity can achieve this alone. Action will require collaboration from various parts of the system, in many different ways. 22. UKRI has an extensive portfolio of work aimed at shifting the incentives in the research system away from pressures to publish quickly in high prestige journals. We have been working across the community to embed these changes. Examples include evidenced narrative CVs,3 changes to the REF process for 2028 and the UKRI People and Teams action plan.4 23. Recognising the need to support the research community on good practice, UKRI also hosts the Good research resource hub5 which brings together policies, standards and guidance on how to deliver excellent research and innovation and nurture an inclusive environment. 24. UKRI is working with DSIT to establish the Good Practice Exchange (GPEx), proposed in the Government’s R&D People and Culture Strategy as a mechanism to develop, test, evaluate and highlight initiatives to improve research culture. It will provide a space for the community to share best practice, collaborate and promote existing initiatives aimed at improving culture across the R&I sector while helping build an evidence base. 25. These deep research culture changes are crucial to reduce the pressures identified in the report and without them, the parallel interventions to support research reproducibility and integrity listed below will be unlikely to succeed. 26. UKRI funds the UK Reproducibility Network (UKRN) with £4.5 million through the Research England Development Fund6 and with support through the People, Culture and Talent programme. UKRN has initiated a peer-led movement to identify and address factors that prohibit reproducibility, raising the profile of this important issue. 27. UKRI welcomes the committee’s reflection that the research community needs to work together to continually improve research integrity and reproducibility. For example, as a signatory to the Concordat to Support Research Integrity,7 UKRI is actively working with the other signatories to raise awareness of the concordat and its commitments. The recently launched template for annual statements is being piloted to increase the number of organisations creating and publishing annual statements. 28. UKRI has established and supports the UK Committee on Research Integrity which, through its convening role, will be championing and promoting research integrity across the research community.
Addressee Bodies
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Timeline
Recommendation age 3.1 yrs
Report published 10 May 2023