Open Science at the Scuola Normale

As of June 1st, 2020, the Scuola Normale Superiore has adopted the regulation on open access to scientific literature, according to which the lecturers and researchers of the Scuola Normale Superiore are required to deposit publicly funded publications in the IRIS research institutional repository and make them accessible to open access, where permitted.

As of October 1st, 2025, the Scuola has adopted a regulation for the FAIR management of research data, aimed at establishing a support framework for research data management in line with the principles of Open Science and international best practices for their collection, archiving, and preservation.

Networks and initiatives in which Scuola Normale Superiore participates, contributing to the development of a more open, transparent, collaborative, and responsible research system:

• European Open Science Cloud – EOSC Association (since 2020): An association involved in the governance and development of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), a European initiative aimed at creating a federated and interoperable ecosystem for sharing, accessing, and reusing research data and resources. It promotes collaboration among scientific communities, research infrastructures, funding organisations, and institutions, encouraging the adoption of FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and the development of services and tools supporting open research.
• Italian Computing and Data Infrastructure – ICDI (2020–2025): A national coordination forum bringing together Italy's leading research and digital infrastructures to promote a shared strategy for developing data and computing infrastructures supporting research. ICDI facilitates coordination between national initiatives and the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), strengthening Italian representation and participation in European activities and policies concerning research data, computing, and services.
• Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment – CoARA (since 2022): An international coalition promoting the reform of research assessment systems by moving beyond approaches primarily based on quantitative indicators and bibliometric metrics. CoARA advocates recognising the diversity of research contributions and activities, placing greater emphasis on quality, impact, collaboration, interdisciplinarity, and Open Science practices.
• Associazione Italiana per la promozione della Scienza Aperta – AISA (since 2022): An association promoting the adoption of Open Science principles and practices in Italy through studies, research, training, outreach activities, and initiatives aimed at raising awareness and encouraging dialogue within the research community and institutions. It also addresses issues related to research assessment, copyright, and intellectual property.
• Software Heritage (since 2022): An infrastructure that collects, preserves, and provides access to publicly available software source code, recognising its value as scientific and cultural heritage. Software Heritage aims to ensure long-term preservation, traceability, citation, and reuse through a universal archive and a system of persistent identifiers. It is an important resource for research reproducibility, transparency in scientific processes, and recognition of software as a research output.
• OpenAPC (since 2022): An international project that collects, analyses, and openly shares data on the costs incurred by research institutions for Open Access publishing, particularly Article Processing Charges (APCs) and Book Processing Charges (BPCs). OpenAPC promotes transparency in publishing costs, supports the monitoring of institutional expenditure, and enables comparisons between institutions, contributing to more informed and sustainable management of resources allocated to Open Access.
• Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information (since 2025): An international initiative promoting a shift in how research information is produced, managed, and used, advocating a transition from closed, proprietary information systems to an open, transparent, and collaborative ecosystem. The Declaration encourages the use of open and accessible information on publications, funding, institutions, researchers, and research activities, while promoting sustainable and interoperable infrastructures.
• OpenAIRE (since 2026): A European network supporting the transition towards Open Science through the development of infrastructures, services, and tools for managing and increasing the visibility and value of research outputs. OpenAIRE facilitates the collection, linking, and monitoring of information on publications, research data, software, and other research outputs, promoting their interoperability and reuse.

For information on

• possibilities of open access publication
• the management of research data and the creation of Data Management Plan
• constraints related to open access/FAIR data by external lenders
• research evaluation
• Copyright

write to svr@sns.it.

For support for filing in the IRIS research catalogue, write to iris@sns.it.

IRIS STAFF: Barbara Allegranti, Arianna Andrei, Stefano Bonanni, Alessandro Cignoni, Cristina De Ranieri, Elisa Fiocchi, Daniele Marotta, Caterina Misuraca, Elisa Panicucci, Donatella Tamagno, Marco Tomassini, Chiara Vichi