The University of Manchester’s Office for Open Research has published its 2026 Q1 Quarterly Plan, setting out 75 activities for the period from 28 September to 25 December 2026. The update says the plan is the office’s largest since the university introduced its new operating model, and it follows a quarter in which 36 of 50 planned activities were completed and a further seven were substantially progressed.
Key facts
- The 2026 Q1 plan covers 75 activities across services and strategic areas of work.
- The previous quarter delivered 86% of the office’s quarterly plan, according to the update.
- Research data management work will include responding to the new UKRI research data policy and completing migration of eScholar datasets to Figshare.
- Open access priorities include support for the new CRUK policy and further development of the University Open Access Fund framework.
- The office also plans work linked to REF 2029 compliance reporting, MORE development, and the next Open Research Fellowship cohort.
What does this mean for University of Manchester researchers and staff?
The plan signals a busy quarter for University of Manchester colleagues who rely on open research services, especially researchers handling data, publications, and compliance requirements. The office says staff can follow progress through its SharePoint site, while its services remain available through the office website.
Practical changes in the quarter include support for new UKRI research data policy requirements, implementation work for the new CRUK open access policy, and further development of the University Open Access Fund framework. The office will also continue work on tools and systems such as the Enquiry Triage Wizard pilot, OSF guidance, and Manchester Open Research Environment.
- Research Data Management: policy response, dataset migration, and AI/ethics/RDM issues.
- Open Access: CRUK policy support, fund framework development, and preparation for anticipated UKRI changes.
- Research Indicators: OpenAlex feasibility work, Scival communications, and engagement with schools and staff groups.
What is the 2026 Q1 Quarterly Plan?
The plan is the Office for Open Research’s roadmap for 28 September to 25 December 2026. It brings together service priorities and strategic work, with a focus on research data management, open access, research indicators, compliance reporting, responsible metrics, and systems development.
The office says the plan includes work to strengthen REF 2029 open access compliance reporting and supporting metadata, advance global rankings and responsible metrics support, recruit and onboard the next Open Research Fellowship cohort, and continue development and governance of Manchester Open Research Environment.
How many activities are in the quarter, and why does that matter?
The quarter includes 75 activities, which the office describes as its highest number since the new operating model was introduced. That matters because the update frames the operating model as helping the team manage capacity and move its open research goals forward while still leaving room to respond to changing needs.
Alongside the service priorities, the portfolio for the quarter includes a continued Enquiry Triage Wizard pilot, Open Research Systems development, updated OSF guidance, planning for an OOR LinkedIn pilot, an N8 Open Research toolkit, and a new approach to capturing quarterly service statistics.
What happened in the previous quarter?
According to the update, the Office for Open Research completed 36 of its 50 planned Q3 activities and substantially progressed seven more, bringing delivery or substantial progress to 86% of the quarterly plan. Recent work included new Research Data Management resources, refreshed Research Indicators training, and preparation for open access policy and funding changes.
The office also says it completed an initial Open Access compliance audit to support REF 2029 preparation, finalised the QS Global Report and highly cited research analysis, secured legal approval for the Research Software Policy, and began XML workflow testing for MORE.
Where can University of Manchester colleagues follow progress?
University of Manchester colleagues can follow progress on the office’s SharePoint site, where the full quarterly plan and recent-quarter updates are available. The office says it will report back at the end of the quarter.
The update also points readers to the Office for Open Research website for more information about its seven strategic areas of work and its open research services.
