Collaboration

Open Science at the HBI

Collaboration. Information Sharing. Research Progress

Open Science at UCalgary

What is Open Science?

Open Science principles encourage the global scientific community to collaborate and share information, infrastructure and tools towards the goal of greater discovery and cooperation.

Diseases of the brain are among the most complex to understand and difficult to treat. Traditional research practices aren’t always sufficient to produce truly effective and novel treatments for most neurological diseases. An Open Science approach to brain research facilitates wide collaboration and information sharing to accelerate the pace of discovery and bring solutions more quickly to patients with neurological disorders.

The Hotchkiss Brain Institute thanks Larry Tanenbaum and the Larry and Judy Tanenbaum Family Foundation for their support of this important initiative. 

HBI and the Tanenbaum Open Science Institute

The University of Calgary’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI) is the first to partner with McGill University's Tanenbaum Open Science Institute (TOSI) and The Neuro in a commitment to adopting Open Science approaches across its research and innovation efforts. This major endeavour is supported by a $2M commitment from the Tanenbaum Open Science Institute and the Larry & Judy Tanenbaum Family Foundation.

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Five Principles

As part of the agreement to participate in Open Science, HBI adheres to the following five principles. These principles guide all research conducted using HBI resources.

The HBI and its members will release positive and negative research findings, including observations, models used, data sources, reagents, algorithms, software, and other scientific resources. This research data shall be made publicly available no later than the publication date of the first article that relies on these data or resources. The HBI recognizes and prioritizes the responsibility of its members to safeguard the dignity and privacy of research participants and respect the rights and duties owed to them through the informed consent process.

All research data and scientific resources generated through investigator-initiated research partnerships that are supported by the HBI – whether with commercial, philanthropic, or public sector stakeholders – are to be released on the same basis as set out in Principle 1, unless a contractual agreement requires that the release of data from a given project be delayed. In such cases, the project data shall be made public as soon as all contractual obligations (such as review by the partner) are satisfied. Partners shall be informed and agree to the HBI’s Open Science Principles at the outset of joint investigator-initiated research ventures

 

The HBI leads knowledge creation and innovation through the support of its Brain and Mental Health Teams and NeuroTechnology Platforms. Open Science, as set out in these Principles, will be supported by these HBI Teams and Platforms in so far as their activities are supported by the HBI.

The HBI and its members respect and support the need to translate research discoveries to improving human health. However, the institute will ensure intellectual property and patent concerns do not hinder the HBI Open Science Principles.

The HBI supports the autonomy of its stakeholders - including but not limited to: researchers, staff, trainees and participants - through recognizing their right to decline to participate in research and associated activities under an Open Science framework.

Dr. Richard Frayne, Deputy Director of HBI, explains open science

HBI and TOSI partner on Open Science approach to research

Find a Home for Your Data | Decision Aid

20* Questions to Find a Home for Your Data is a decision aid for finding an appropriate place to host your data. The decision aid will ask you several questions about your data and the goal of your dataset. Once all of the questions are answered you will be provided with a list of three repositories that may be suitable places to host your data. The questions are crafted for the needs of researchers at the HBI, ensuring the repositories suggested are relevant for hosting neuroscience data.

Access the Decision Aid Questions?

Frequently Asked Questions

NeuroConnect-IN is designed for HBI trainees, including graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. Some opportunities are also available to the broader HBI community, including staff and past trainees previously connected to the Institute.  

Start by:

  • Exploring upcoming NeuroConnectIN and REALISE events.
  • Joining the HBI Community LinkedIn group.
  • Reaching out to the HBI team with questions about career development and support.
  • Applying for mentorship, innovation and experiential learning opportunities that match your interests and career goals.

Most NeuroConnectIN activities are offered for free as part of HBI’s trainee development programming. Specific external events or programs may have their own participation requirements or costs. Review the details of each opportunity and reach out to realise@ucalgary.ca if you have any questions.

NeuroConnectIN brings together three HBI programs, building on our flagship REALISE program to expand the ways we support trainees:

  • REALISE – Career development, professional skills training and mentorship.
  • Innovation – Entrepreneurship and innovation-focused learning opportunities.
  • Community Network – Networking, professional connections and opportunities to stay connected with the HBI community.

Innovation is about learning to think differently, approach problems creatively and communicate your ideas effectively. These skills can support your research and study design, help you explore entrepreneurship or a start-up, and prepare you to be a creative, effective problem-solver in any career. No matter where your career takes you, Innovation training can help you build skills that are highly valued across fields.

No. Innovation programming is designed to help you develop creative problem-solving, leadership and innovation skills that are valuable across many careers, including academia, healthcare, industry, government and the non-profit sector.

Innovation is about learning to think differently, approach challenges in new ways and strengthen your problem-solving skills. You can participate in Innovation-focused modules and larger programs like evolve to Innovate (e2i) without having a commercialization goal or plans to start a company.

NeuroConnectIN brings together a curated list of internship, entrepreneurship and experiential learning opportunities from the University of Calgary and external partners. Explore these opportunities to gain practical experience, build your skills and learn more about career paths that interest you.

Explore internship and experiential learning opportunities →

Research FAQ

Open Science provides the opportunity for your research to inform and support further research in similar fields, faster and with impact on a scale that is broader than it might be otherwise. This allows research to have the potential to progress more quickly with less duplication and greater collaboration.

The HBI acknowledges the autonomy of its stakeholders - including but not limited to: researchers, staff, trainees and participants - through recognizing their right to decline to participate in research and associated activities conducted under an Open Science framework. That said, any HBI research Teams or Platforms supported by the HBI will endeavour to support Open Science principles insofar as their activities are supported by HBI. See Principle 5.

To learn more about how TOSI is promoting Open Science across Canadian neuroscience research, visit their webpage here.