Search Website
Open Science at the Western Institute for Neuroscience
Open Science at the Western Institute for Neuroscience
Open Science at the Western Institute for Neuroscience
The Western Institute for Neuroscience (WIN) has pledged its commitment to adopting open science across the institute. Our open science framework will guide the way WIN researchers do science.

What is Open Science?
The WIN is Western University’s first institute to partner with McGill University’s Tanenbaum Open Science Institute (TOSI) in a commitment to make open science a guiding concept across the institute. Our open science framework will shape the institute’s identity and guide research, training and programming at the WIN.
Open Science Framework
WIN’s open science framework was shaped by extensive community consultations to identify needs, strengths and barriers. The final framework includes six guiding principles that will support WIN researchers who want to integrate open science into their projects from start to finish. Together, these principles ensure that research is more transparent, collaborative, and impactful for the people and communities it aims to serve.
Open Design
We will embed open science practices directly into research from the very start – at the experimental design phase. By planning for openness at the design stage, researchers can make choices that lead to more transparent, rigorous, and science that is beneficial for the wider community.
Open Physical Resources
We will encourage the responsible sharing of physical materials, such as samples provided by participants or tools created by researchers, so that others can build on this work. This helps discoveries move further and faster, while ensuring these resources remain valuable and usable over time.
Open Digital Tools and Software
We will promote making digital tools and resources (such as algorithms, software code, and hardware schematics) openly available with minimal restrictions on reuse. This allows others to reuse, adapt, and improve these tools for the benefit of the wider research community.
Open Data & Information
We will support researchers in sharing their data and related materials through trusted open repositories. This will lead to better reproducibility, reusability, and more discoveries.
Open Access Publications & Knowledge Mobilization
We will work towards making all publications freely accessible online, so anyone can read and learn from them. Researchers are also encouraged to share their findings in clear, accessible language so that community members, partners, and people directly affected by the research can understand and meaningfully engage with the results.
Open Intellectual Property
We encourage reducing unnecessary restrictions on research outputs so that new knowledge and tools can be used, shared, and built upon more broadly—whether the work involves academic partners, non-profits, or industry collaborators.