Science Library Pad

2023 G7 Science Ministers’ Communiqué

G7 meeting in Japan.
G7 Science and Technology Ministers met in Sendai May 12-14, 2023.

Official website is

https://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/english/others/2023/g7_2023_en.html

You can also find copies of the documents from the Toronto G7 Research Group

http://www.g7.utoronto.ca/science/

2023 Communiqué and Annexes

G7 Science and Technology Ministers' Communique（PDF format：524KB）

Annex 1: G7 Open Science (OS) Working Group（PDF format：337KB）

Annex 2: G7 Security and Integrity of the Global Research Ecosystem (SIGRE) Working Group（PDF format：424KB）

Annex 3: G7 Future of the Seas and Oceans Initiative (FSOI) Working Group（PDF format：392KB）

Annex 4: The Group of Senior Officials on Research Infrastructures (GSO)（PDF format：477KB）

G7 BEST PRACTICES FOR SECURE & OPEN RESEARCH (May 2023)（PDF format：280KB）

Previously:
June 14, 2022  2022 G7 Science Ministers’ Communiqué

2022 G7 Science Ministers’ Communiqué

German G7 Meeting
Frankfurt am Main, 12-14 June 2022

G7 Science Ministers’ Communiqué - BMBF

Directly link to PDF: Microsoft Word - G7 Science Ministers Declaration_20220613 (bmbf.de)

Canada is represented by Dr. Mona Nemer, the government's Chief Science Advisor.

Selected highlights related to open science.

1. Promoting and protecting freedom, integrity and security in science and research

...

We ... have decided to explore a Working Group to strengthen the cooperation between the G7 partners on
effective science communication. The focus is on the promotion of an evidence
informed development of science communication practice and enhanced science
literacy.

We support the work and results achieved so far by the G7 Open Science Working
Group. The group has made noticeable progress in examining data-sharing
infrastructures, research evaluation policies and open science incentives, and lessons
of research on research, and has identified barriers, challenges and enablers for
practicing open science that deserve and require common action (see Annex). We
encourage the group to continue its exploratory work and follow up with tangible
recommendations based on good practices and guiding principles.

Annex to the G7 Science Ministers` Communiqué 2022

https://www.bmbf.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/de/2022/220613-g7-annex.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=3

II. Open Science and Open Science Working Group (OSWG)

 

We will continue to promote open science with open and rapid sharing of knowledge,
data and tools. We recognize and reacknowledge the importance of our universities,
research organisations and science academies, as well as the industrial sector and civil
society groups. We jointly pursue these common goals, with renewed vigour and
determination in the continuation of previous declarations on international
cooperation in research and innovation.

We recognize open science as an essential enabler of scientific integrity and good
science communication. Making scientific research available to scientists, innovators,
students, educators, government and non-government entities, the private sector,
and the general public therefore providing the transparency necessary to build trust
in science. It also helps to ensure that scientific results are communicated in ways
that are open and equitably accessible to all based on mutual trust and confidence.

 

...

 

Departmental Open Science Plans for the Government of Canada

Government of Canada science departments are to create Open Science Plans, per the Chief Science Advisor's Roadmap for Open Science.

These plans are linked on the Government's science.gc.ca site:

Departmental Open Science Action Plans

Roadmap for Open Science from the Chief Science Advisor of Canada

Canada's Chief Science Advisor, Dr. Mona Nemer, has released her Roadmap for Open Science.

This roadmap is a set of ten recommendations to the Government of Canada.

To understand the sequence of what happens next, Recommendation 3 specifies the creation of departmental Open Science Action Plans.

departments and agencies should develop action plans for Open Science by October 2020

It's those action plans that will determine departmental implementations of the recommendations.

That being said, the Roadmap calls for common government-wide approaches for recommendation 4 on open access and recommendation 5 on FAIR data.

federal science community should use a common approach to achieving [these] recommendation[s]

These recommendations read, in part

4. Federal departments and agencies should make federal science articles* openly accessible by January 2022 and federal science publications* openly accessible by January 2023, while respecting privacy, security, ethical considerations and appropriate intellectual property protection.

This recommendation aims to achieve Open Access by default without an embargo period.

5. Federal departments and agencies should develop strategies and tools to implement FAIR data principles to ensure interoperability of scientific and research data* and metadata standards by January 2023, with a phased plan for full implementation by January 2025.

There is a proposed governance mechanism, which reads in part

8. ... a new high-level Open Science Steering Committee co-chaired by the Chief Science Advisor and either or both the Chief Information Officer of Canada and the President of Shared Services Canada.

The terms of reference and relationship structure with departments and agencies should be developed by June 2020.

The Roadmap is available online in both official languages:

• Roadmap for Open Science - or direct PDF download / Feuille de route pour la science ouverte - document PDF

There was a press release: Roadmap for Open Science to reduce barriers and speed up discovery / Feuille de route pour la science ouverte visant à réduire les obstacles et à accélérer les découvertes.

SIDEBAR: Both the Roadmap for Open Science and departmental Open Science Action Plans are milestones in the Open Science commitment in the Government of Canada's 2018-2020 National Action Plan on Open Government.  END SIDEBAR

Disclaimer: I worked on the Open Science commitments in the National Action Plans on Open Government from September 2014 to October 2019.

Previously:
January 10, 2019  Open Science in Canada's 2018-2020 Open Government Plan

Open Science project of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada

Open Science can be found on page 30 of the PDF, in the section The Year Ahead - New Projects in the Chief Science Advisor of Canada's 2018 Annual Report.

Read the report for the full text.

The project includes a commitment to an Open Science Roadmap

For its part, Canada needs a roadmap for open science, with a plan that moves beyond an incremental approach drawing on existing resources. In the coming year, my office will be working with senior leadership from federal science-based departments and agencies, in coordination with the federal granting agencies, to create a roadmap by July 2019.

This commitment is also in Canada's 2018-2020 National Action Plan on Open Government.

Previously:
September 29, 2017  Chief Science Advisor - Government of Canada

Open Science in Canada's 2018-2020 Open Government Plan

Following a public consultation process, the final version of Canada's 2018-2020 Open Government Plan for the Open Government Partnership has been released.

https://open.canada.ca/en/content/canadas-2018-2020-national-action-plan-open-government

This includes a commitment on open science, the third Canadian open government plan to have such a commitment.

Commitment

The Government of Canada will make federal science, scientific data, and scientists more accessible. We will:

• develop a Canada Open Science Roadmap to provide a plan for greater openness in federal science and research activities
• provide a platform for Canadians to find and access open access publications from federal scientists
• raise public awareness of federal scientists’ work and of open science
• promote open science and solicit feedback on stakeholder needs
• measure progress in implementing open science and the benefits it can provide

You can see the Canadian federal Open Government website for the full details of Commitment 5 Open Science and associated milestones.

Disclaimer: I work on the open science commitment.

The commitment is focused on federal governmental internal ("intramural") science.  There are many other open science related activities in Canada, including the work of the research funding Tri-Agencies (NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR) on Open Access and Research Data Management, as well as IDRC work on international open access, open data for development and open science.  Canadian universities and research organisations also have a variety of open access, research data and open science activities.

Previously:
July 15, 2016 - Open Science in Canada's 2016-2018 Open Government Plan

Chief Science Advisor - Government of Canada

The Government of Canada appointed Dr. Mona Nemer as Chief Science Advisor on September 26, 2017.

This fulfills a commitment in the mandate letter for the Minister of Science, as well as one of the items in the Open Science commitment in the 2016-2018 Open Government Plan (in both it is described as "Chief Science Officer").

The Office of the Chief Science Advisor is hosted at Innovation, Science and Economic Development.  Although the website lists a brief mandate, more detail on the key functions of the position can be found in the backgrounder to the Prime Minister's announcement:

The Chief Science Advisor’s key functions will be as follows:

• provide advice on the development and implementation of guidelines to ensure that government science is fully available to the public and that federal scientists are able to speak freely about their work;

• provide advice on creating and implementing processes to ensure that scientific analyses are considered when the Government makes decisions;

• assess and recommend ways to improve the existing science advisory function within the federal government; and

• assess and recommend ways for the Government to better support quality scientific research within the federal system.

Furthermore, the Advisor will:

• deliver an annual report to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Science on the activities of the Office of the Chief Science Advisor and the state of federal government science, including the federal science workforce and federal scientific infrastructure;

• provide and coordinate expert advice to the Minister of Science and members of Cabinet, as appropriate and requested, on key scientific issues, including the preparation of research and foresight papers for public dissemination; and,

• promote a positive and productive dialogue between federal scientists and academia, both in Canada and abroad, and raise awareness of scientific issues relevant to the Canadian public.

I have highlighted "guidelines to ensure that government science is fully available to the public" due to its overlap with Open Science.

The annual report mentioned above will be made public (this is stated in the Prime Minister's announcement).

This is primarily an advisory role to Cabinet.  The Chief Science Advisor reports to both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Science.  The term of office is three years.

Contact information for the Office of the Chief Science Advisor is available on the office website.

Dr. Nemer has also begun tweeting using official account @ChiefSciCan

Previously:
March 23, 2017  Chief Science Advisor in Budget 2017
December 5, 2016  Canadian National Chief Science Advisor competition announced

Ontario seeks Chief Scientist

The Province of Ontario is seeking a Chief Scientist.  They are using an executive search firm.

The Chief Scientist will advise on the long term vision and strategic research agenda for Ontario and provide scientific expertise on a range of provincewide issues including the aging population, transformative technologies and climate change. They will also work to ensure the province remains a top destination for global research talent and help advance Ontario's reputation as a jurisdiction that believes investing in knowledge and science is the key to success and economic prosperity.

from Ontario Recruiting First Chief Scientist - July 20, 2017

In the proposed mandate, the Chief Scientist reports to the Minister of Research, Innovation and Science on an ongoing basis and to the Premier on key scientific matters.

Sidebar: This is my 2400th blog post.

Previously:
December 6, 2016  Ontario Chief Science Officer

Chief Science Advisor in Budget 2017

Canada's Chief Science Advisor and associated office get a mention in Budget 2017.

Budget 2017 proposes to establish an annual budget of $2 million for the Chief Science Advisor and related secretariat.

There's some additional text but nothing substantially beyond what has already been established in mandate letters and the job advertisement.

As part of her/his mandate, the Chief Science Advisor will provide advice on how to ensure that government science is open to the public, that federal scientists are able to speak freely about their work, and that science is effectively communicated across government.

The Chief Science Advisor will be responsible for providing advice to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Science, and will serve primarily in an advisory and coordinating capacity.

above from Budget 2017 - Strengthening Science in Government

Previously:
December 5, 2016  Canadian National Chief Science Advisor competition announced

Ontario Chief Science Officer

In the Ontario September 2016 Mandate letter: Research, Innovation and Science it provides some information about the Chief Science Officer (CSO):

• Defining the role of the Chief Science Officer to lead the government’s efforts to advance both basic and applied science and working with the Secretary of the Cabinet to recruit that individual by spring 2017. Consulting with and engaging the scientific community and the broader public as you develop the mandate of the Chief Science Officer.
• Working with educators, communities, other ministries and the Chief Science Officer to promote science literacy throughout the province.

The Ontario provincial Chief Science Officer is expected to be supported by team.  The competition (recruitment) for the CSO has not yet been announced.

See also:
December 5, 2016  Canadian National Chief Science Advisor competition announced

Canadian National Chief Science Advisor competition announced

Canada's Minister of Science Kirsty Duncan has announced the competition is open for the position of Chief Science Advisor (CSA) to the Canadian government.

Applications can be made through the Governor in Council appointments process.  Closes January 27, 2017.

The news release provides additional information:

• The Chief Science Advisor will report to both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Science.
• The Chief Science Advisor will be responsible for providing scientific advice to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Science and members of Cabinet.
• The office [of the CSA] will be supported by a team of scientists and policy experts.

Video of the announcement is available on Facebook.

The role of the CSA (formerly called "Chief Science Officer") is as indicated in the Ministerial Mandate Letter.

The letter says "Create a Chief Science Officer mandated to ensure that government science is fully available to the public, that scientists are able to speak freely about their work, and that scientific analyses are considered when the government makes decisions."

The job posting says "The Chief Science Advisor's main function will be to advise the government on how to ensure that government science is fully available to the public, that scientists are able to speak freely about their work, and that scientific analyses are considered when the government makes decisions."