The Open Research Funders Group (ORFG) is a network of philanthropies committed to the open sharing research outputs. Since its inception in 2016, it has been singularly focused on making articles, data, code, protocols, and a range of other materials more rapidly accessible and reusable for as many people as possible. While openness is a laudable goal, in 2020, in the wake of George Floyd’s killing and the subsequent wave of protests, the ORFG came to the belated realization that we need to be much more actively engaged in building a just, inclusive world. 

 

​In 2020, the ORFG launched an Equity & Open Science Working Group in conjunction with the Health Research Alliance (HRA). The Working Group includes representatives from four ORFG members and seven scholars, scientists, and activists working at the intersection of open research and marginalized communities. 

After some working sessions to explore various ways to leverage open research practices to create a more transparent, welcoming, and collaborative research ecosystem, the Working Group, along with the ORFG and HRA, have determined that to rapidly and visibly champion a more equitable and open research environment, philanthropies should leverage the best asset they bring to the research conversation – their grantmaking capabilities.

The Working Group, the core operations team and the funder's cohort will disseminate their findings so that funders, researchers, and engaged citizens alike can benefit from the project. 

This program is generously funded by: