Appendix 8 Open Science, PhD policy & training academic culture Human Resource policy & ethical review

Appendix 8 | Open Science, PhD policy & training, academic culture, Human Resource & ethical review

Amsterdam Neuroscience is the research institute for neuroscience of the three knowledge institutes: Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and University of Amsterdam. Therefore, Amsterdam Neuroscience aligns its strategic plans and policy guidelines with the overall strategy of these three organizations. For Open Science, PhD policy, academic culture and team science, Human Resources, diversity and inclusion policy or ethical review, Amsterdam Neuroscience gives consent to policies of its universities and the affiliated university medical centers.

Open Science

The international Open Science movement aims to implement a new approach to the scientific process based on cooperative work and sharing of knowledge. In this context, research data and other research processes are freely available, under terms that enable reuse, redistribution and reproduction of the research and its underlying data and methods. Open Science improves trust among researchers as others can verify research findings, it promotes the reuse of research data, it is associated with more attention and higher citation rates, and it promotes building of new collaborations.

As part of Open Science, Amsterdam UMC encourages Open Access (OA) publishing and the reuse of data for future research by other groups. Over the past few years, OA deals have been made with publishers and journals that enable Amsterdam UMC researchers to publish their articles OA at discount rates (up to 100%). Support and information regarding OA publishing is provided by the Medical Library for location AMC and by the UBVU for location VUmc.

For the reuse of data, it is a prerequisite that research data is stored in a FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable) way. The Research data management department can facilitate the creation of FAIR datasets by providing researchers tools for and support with drawing up Data Management Plans. Amsterdam UMC researchers can use various open data repositories (e.g., Figshare for location AMC and DANS for location VUmc) to share and openly publish their research FAIR data sets. Support regarding storage and archiving is provided by the Research Data Management Helpdesk or the Medical Library for location AMC, and the Research Data Management Department or the UBVU for location VUmc.

PhD policy and training

As a PhD degree is obtained at a university, distinct doctorate regulations apply for the University of Amsterdam (location AMC) and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (location VUmc). In Amsterdam UMC location AMC, PhD support is centralized and provided by the Doctoral School, and for PhD candidates at location VUmc, PhD support is provided by both the involved research institute and by the Doctoral School . Support services entail; information provision, administration, PhD education- and training program and support and advice. All processes relating to the PhD trajectory, from enrolment to thesis submission, are administered using the registration system Doctor at location AMC, or by the involved research institute (in collaboration with the office of the dean) using the registration system Hora Finita at location VUmc.

A central objective of graduate education at Amsterdam Neuroscience is to train the next generation of excellent researchers. In doing so - both at the Amsterdam UMC, the VU Amsterdam and UvA - we follow a set of so-called PhD regulations, that were agreed upon. At the start of each PhD project the head of department, or one of its team members appoints a main (co-)supervisor to instruct the PhD candidate on the standard operating procedures.

Part of this protocol is also that at the start of each project, the PhD candidate files a mandatory Training and Supervision Plan (TSP; that each PhD candidate should file at the beginning of the project) to be evaluated and monitored by the PhD supervisors up to the moment of graduation. The director of the institutes authorizes the TSPs on behalf of the dean. Amsterdam Neuroscience participates in the Graduate School Neurosciences Amsterdam Rotterdam (ONWAR), led by Professor Guus Smit.

Academic culture

Amsterdam UMC takes measures to ensure openness, (social) safety, inclusivity and research integrity. The office of the ‘ombudsman’ is responsible for the social safety policy and the complaints procedure. This office aims to improve social safety and combating unethical and/or undesirable behavior, to increase ownership and responsibility of employees and managers regarding (safety) signals and to promote an open reporting culture. Moreover, Amsterdam UMC develops an active diversity and inclusion policy (see for more details Human Resources policy).

Regarding research integrity, Amsterdam UMC aims to provide an academic culture in which researchers are stimulated and supported to perform research to the highest ethical standards. Elaborating on the European and the Netherlands Code of Conduct for Research Integrity, that articulates broad values and principles characterizing research integrity, our Research Code defines local expectations and guidelines for researchers when conducting research at Amsterdam UMC. Since Amsterdam UMC performs various types of research - preclinical, observational, clinical - we have to adhere to numerous standards, rules and regulations and have a quality framework in place. Within this quality framework, Amsterdam UMC has elaborated a so-called Research Roadmap, that clearly states the steps that need to be followed to carry out research in different settings (i.e., preclinical research, clinical trials, research involving human subjects (WMO)); from experimental design and collection of data, to closure and publication of the results. Dedicated Research Support teams are in place to provide hands-on support and help researchers comply with integrity and quality requirements.

The executive boards have appointed several independent confidential counselors focusing on research integrity. Any employee or external party involved in research at Amsterdam UMC who has a question about research integrity or suspects research misconduct can discuss this with the confidential counselors. They can mediate and advise about whether or not to file a complaint. Furthermore, they can support the submission of a formal complaint to the research integrity committees, that are established by the executive boards of the UvA and VU Amsterdam (because the universities hold responsibility for research done in their institution, including the medical faculties). Moreover, the confidential counselors provide research integrity training, for instance for clinical investigators as part of the BROK course. As part of the PhD trajectory, research integrity training is offered to PhD candidates.

Human Resource policy

Amsterdam UMC is convinced that science is best pursued with a wide diversity of staff members and teams: individual talented people who each bring their own knowledge, values and experiences to the task and respect each other.

Amsterdam UMC has an active PhD association called ASAP. ASAP offers a professional and social network for PhD candidates at Amsterdam UMC by organizing symposia, workshops, and networking events. Furthermore, ASAP is involved in the training for PhD candidates. They also represent Amsterdam UMC PhD candidates in the employee’s council, in the Amsterdam UMC Research Board, and national

PhD student associations. Apart from that, both universities have PhD a council: the VU PhD council and the Central PhD Council of the UvA.

Amsterdam UMC has a Principal Investigator system that challenges individual scientists to take up leadership, develop their own research lines and gain visibility. The criteria are: publications over the last 6 years as first or last author that demonstrate one’s own line of research, active research funding of >€200,000 as main applicant, and supervision of >1 PhD candidate as co-promotor. Principal Investigators are appointed annually by the executive board. The Principal Investigator system originated in location AMC, has been adopted in location VUmc in 2017 and is harmonized within Amsterdam UMC since 2019.

Within Amsterdam UMC, several talent programs are offered. The Amsterdam UMC Fellowship (formerly AMC Fellowship) is a five year program that provides (external) highly talented mid career level researchers the opportunity to set up their own research group. The Tenure track (location AMC and VUmc) is a five year program that guides mid career level researchers to advance to a tenured position. The Career track (location VUmc) is a three to five year program that supports exceptional talents towards professorship. Amsterdam UMC is working on harmonizing Human Resource policies and aims to develop an integral Talent policy focusing on the perspectives of researchers throughout the various levels of their career. Furthermore, both locations of Amsterdam UMC have an incentive scheme for acquisition of prestigious research grants, to stimulate, retain or attract researchers at mid or high career level.

Amsterdam UMC is currently developing new policy on the Recognition and Rewards of research and scientific researchers. Within this new recognition and rewards policy researcher’s performance is being evaluated on five domains: academic research, education, patient care, valorization and leadership. Researchers are expected to show excellence in research and education, but also in at least one of the other domains. Because different combinations of domains are possible in an academic career, and they can also change with time, this new policy aims to give more attention to the context, to consider the time requirements and the needs of the academics themselves. New measures established within this new policy are for example, more mentoring offered for young researchers, promoting of evidence-based CV for recruitment and selection and funding in the form of fellowships or grants.

Diversity & inclusion policy

Amsterdam UMC has endorsed the Charter ‘Talent to the top’, by which it committed itself to improve the gender balance in (sub) top levels. The Gender Equality Plan (GEP) of Amsterdam UMC, which is in line with EU policy guidelines, goes a step further by expressing the vision of becoming an inclusive organization that represents the cultural and sexual diversity of its environment. The D&I Talent Fellowship is also to be seen in this light. With the ‘Action Plan for 2021 and after: Diversity & Inclusion at Amsterdam UMC: Differences make us stronger together’, policies and measures were introduced to increase the participation of women and individuals from underrepresented groups in Amsterdam UMC, by incorporating the principles of inclusiveness, gender balance and diversity into its talent and career policies. Next to that, dedicated researchers, educators and clinicians, including nurses, include Diversity and Inclusion perspectives in research, education and patient care.

To help female researchers progress to higher levels on the career ladder, part of the NWO Aspasia Grant funds have been transferred to the Women in Science Fund, financially supporting young female scientists to go on international work visits.

Ethical review

Medical research involving human subjects, human material or laboratory animals has to be carried out according to national law and regulations. Dedicated ethical committees review research protocols to ensure human and animal safety, and research quality. Both Amsterdam UMC locations have an accredited independent MREC; METC AMC and METc VUmc. MRECs have to approve medical scientific research in which human participants are

subjected to (medical) procedures or are required to follow rules of behavior (WMO research). Research proposals are only approved if the MREC establishes that the risks and burden for participants are in balance with the potential benefit for medical science or health care. Research with humans that is not subject to the WMO (nWMO) (e.g., research with medical data or interviews) has to satisfy important legal and societal preconditions. A dedicated review board under the responsibility of the MREC assesses in principle all nWMO research proposals according to predefined ethical and legal criteria. Applicable legislation and regulations include the Medical Treatment Contracts Act (Wet Geneeskundige Behandelingsovereenkomst; WGBO), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR or AVG in Dutch), the Code of Conduct for Responsible Use and the Code of Conduct for the Use of Data in Health Research. The two Codes describe rules of conduct for care providers and researchers who wish to use patient material (biomaterials or data).

Dedicated Biobank Review Committees (BTC at location AMC or TcB at location VUmc) review proposals for research involving setting-up a biobank or conducting research with material from an existing biobank. This kind of research has to be reviewed for legal and ethical aspects following the Code of Conduct for Responsible Use.

Moreover, research involving the processing of personal data is regulated by the GDPR. The Amsterdam UMC research data management department, the legal research support department, or the privacy- or data protection officer support researchers with proper handling and organization of research data, ownership of data and data protection.

Besides ethical committees that focus on protecting humans who participate in scientific research, animal experiments committees (Dierexperimentencommissie, DEC) focus on protecting laboratory animals. The Experiments on Animals Act stipulates that animal experiments can only be conducted after authorization by the national competent authority (Centrale Commissie Dierproeven, CCD). A proposal for research on laboratory animals is made by a ‘Section 9 officer’ from the research department, in which the effects of the interventions and the number of animals should be kept to a minimum. This proposal is submitted to the CCD and ethically reviewed by a DEC, which advises the CCD accordingly. The DEC weighs the degree of animal discomfort caused by the procedures and decides if this is proportional to the scientific and/or social benefits of the study. The CCD will decide whether or not to grant the permit after taking into consideration the ethical review by the DEC.

Organization & policy

Amsterdam University Medical Centers (Amsterdam UMC) are combined one of the most prominent research institutes in the Netherlands, as well as one of the largest academic hospitals. Amsterdam UMC comprises two Faculties of Medicine: the faculty of the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and faculty of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. These faculties joined forces in June 2018 in an administrative merger. This merger enables Amsterdam UMC to further develop its core business together: complex patient care, scientific research, and education and training.

The Amsterdam UMC research organization The Amsterdam UMC Executive Board consists of five members. Professor Chris Polman is chair and dean of the VU Amsterdam Faculty of Medicine, Professor Hans van Goudoever is vice-chair and dean of the UvA Faculty of Medicine, Ms Frida van den Maagdenberg is the Chief Financial Officer, and the other members are Professor Mark Kramer and Dr. Karen Kruijthof (see Figure 8.1, p. 107). Besides the combined Executive Boards, Amsterdam UMC also shares a research policy advisory organ, called the Amsterdam Research Board (ARB). The ARB advises the Executive Board on major policy issues regarding scientific research. Professor Mat Daemen, vice-dean Research of Amsterdam UMC, is the chair of the ARB. The ARB further consists of 1-2 research institute (RI) directors per RI, some positional members: the director of Research Support, Dr. Jessika van Kammen, the vice-dean Valorisation of Research Professor Arjen Brussaard and the chairs of the Committee Talent and Appointments, Professor Yvette van Kooyk and of the Good Research Practice committee, Professor Arnon Kater, as well as

six independent researchers. Both deans are attendant members of the ARB. Together, these people oversee all fundamental, translational and clinical research within Amsterdam UMC. The training and supervision of PhD candidates are coordinated by the Amsterdam UMC Doctoral School, which is chaired by Professor Christa Boer. The Doctoral School board has six members, one of whom is a PhD candidate.

The research structure is organized in a matrix with divisions and research institutes. Amsterdam UMC has ten divisions, each headed by a division chair, and encompasses multiple departments and sub-departments. Each department/sub-department head has integral responsibility for patient care, education and research, as well as for management and finances. The ten current divisions are: 1. Specialisms in Medicine, 2. Surgical Specialisms, 3. Heart Center, 4. Mother and Child Center, 5. Neurosciences and Psychiatry, 6. Operating Centre and Intensive Care, 7. Imaging Specialisms, 8. Outpatient Clinics, 9. Laboratory Specialisms and 10. Primary Care, Public Health and Methodology.

Research Institutes

To enhance focus and stimulate interdisciplinary collaboration between departmental research groups as well as between both faculties there are eight research institutes, namely Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam Gastroenterology Endocrinology and Metabolism, Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Public Health, Amsterdam Reproduction and Development, Cancer Center Amsterdam and Amsterdam Neuroscience. Each research institute covers the whole spectrum from basic biomedical research, through translational and clinical research to the assessment of innovations in actual clinical practice (see Amsterdam UMC Research). Each institute has its own Board of Directors, a four-year project plan and an annual budget of €500,000 to stimulate innovation based upon the specific project plan. The directors discuss progress and strategic issues during the ARB meetings.

Figure 8.1 Organizational structure of Amsterdam UMC research.

Research Support

Amsterdam UMC has a central support organization to create an environment in which researchers can excel, both by contributing to a stimulating context and by providing practical advice. This organization – Research Support – is comprised of the following units: Research Policy Office, Research Grants Support, medical research ethics committee (METc) bureau, Research Data Management, Clinical Monitoring Center, Legal Research Support, Project administration, Medical Library and output registration and Innovation Exchange Amsterdam (IXA) as depicted in Figure 8.1. (p.107) The Management Team of Research Support is chaired by Professor Mat Daemen, who is also chair of the Amsterdam Research Board. The other members of the Board of Research Support are Dr. Jessika van Kammen, who is also a member of the Amsterdam Research Board, and Mr. Jan Brand. The double positions of Professor Daemen and Dr. van Kammen are intentional and help to align the development and the execution of research policies, and vice versa: namely the development of policies that respond to the needs of researchers. Research Support provides hands-on support to researchers, from the development of early ideas into fundable research proposals to the implementation of the outcomes.

Amsterdam UMC research policy

The following parties are involved in Amsterdam UMC’s research policies: • Executive Board: In general, strategic research decisions are made by the Executive Board.

Specifically, this holds for the appointment of professors, major research investments and strategic participation in national and international initiatives. For particular topics, such as advice on the awarding of fellowships and scholarships for PhD candidates, special committees have been set up by the Executive Board. • Division chairs and department heads: Nomination of candidates for Principal Investigator appointments or professorships/associate professorships, are the responsibility of the department heads. Content issues, such as the definition of new and existing research lines and the formation of centers are discussed in the matrix: division and departments together with the research institutes. Additionally, division chairs and department heads can stimulate research activities by, for example, investing in equipment and laboratory facilities. • Amsterdam Research Board: Important topics for the Amsterdam Research Board are for example talent policy, societal impact and visibility of research, quality of research and the development of policies on scientific integrity. • Research Policy Office: The Research Policy Office plays a role in preparing most central research policies, including the alignment with (inter)national developments and the research policies of the University of Amsterdam and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.