Open research refers to a process by which research data, methods, and findings are made accessible and available to all — regardless of affiliation — free of charge. Templeton World Charity Foundation supports open research and open access to research for two reasons.

First, we seek to support discovery science within Sir John Templeton’s mandate — using science to understand the deepest realities of human nature and the physical world.  Such research can have a significant impact, but only if it can earn the trust of the broader scientific community. This is particularly vital for projects that aim to make impactful or contrarian discoveries because they carry a higher burden of proof.

Second, TWCF has embraced a global commitment to support projects wherever they can have the greatest impact. It is crucial for this vision that the outputs of our projects are openly accessible to anyone with an internet connection.

What is Our Approach?

Taking inspiration from the Center for Open Science’s comprehensive approach to changing research culture, we seek to promote open science in multiple domains so that we can reach the full spectrum of stakeholders - from the early adopters to the late majority. This means that we seek to support open science through multiple approaches such as building infrastructure, developing a community of inquiry, realigning incentives, and changing policy.

Our Policies

Our Open Research Policy aims to ensure that knowledge and discoveries resulting from our funding are shared and used in a way that maximizes their benefit. In an effort to maximize the potential impact of the research we fund, we want to recognize all scholarly contributions of scientists at every stage of the discovery process. To this end, we have signed on to the principles of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) and have implemented a Research Assessment Policy.