According to the World Health Organization (WHO), global influenza epidemics are estimated to result in about 3 to 5 million cases of severe illness and upwards of 650,000 respiratory deaths annually. Despite its continued global impact, gaps still exist in our understanding of influenza which we can only begin to solve by making more research – including replication studies and null results – publicly available.
To help encourage open science practices in influenza research, the Center for Open Science (COS), with funding from the Flu Lab, is awarding prizes up to $2,000 USD to early and mid-career researchers in influenza and related research fields (e.g., virology, public health, and epidemiology) to encourage open science practices among their peers. The Opening Influenza Research project aims to create a community of influenza researchers sharing knowledge and practices in improved open science and develop a subsequent body of research that is more credible, less affected by publications bias, and more verifiable through the increased adoption of open science practices.
The primary focus of the work must be related to influenza, though the specific discipline or methodology may be biomedical, behavioral, epidemiological, or interdisciplinary. Types of proposals eligible for funding include:
- Creating open science guides ($500 USD)
- Giving departmental talks about open science ($100 USD)
- Hosting webinars about open science ($500 USD)
- Funding conference travel for relevant presentations ($1,000 USD)
- Publishing a replication or null results report ($2,000 USD)
The open science movement aims to accelerate the discovery of knowledge, solutions, and cures. The Opening Influenza Research project invites the influenza community to bridge knowledge gaps by contributing to a comprehensive aggregation of open and accessible influenza findings.
If you are planning on attending an upcoming conference, interested in pursuing replication research, or are just looking to empty your “file drawers” and revisit previously unpublished knowledge in pursuit of promoting open science practices, consider applying for an award today.
Visit the website for more information or pre-submit an inquiry to confirm eligibility.
