GW4 Open Research Week

GW4 Open Research Week 2026

The third annual GW4 Open Research Week returns from 20–24 April 2026, with Cardiff University taking the lead this year. The week-long celebration will showcase the many ways open research practices make scholarship more accessible, transparent, reproducible and visible.

A packed programme of online events will welcome GW4 academics, staff and researchers, offering practical insights and real-world examples of how to embed open practices across the community. Full details will be announced the end of January.

In the meantime, you can catch up on highlights from last year’s sessions via GW4’s YouTube channel.

Promotional graphic for GW4 Open Research Prize. It shows logos of the universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter. The background is navy, with brightly coloured pink arrows.

GW4 Open Research Prize 2026 – Now Open!

The 2026 GW4 Open Research Prizes recognise and reward researchers who have used open practices throughout the research process to make research more accessible, transparent and reproducible.

A prize of £250 per category will be awarded.

To recognise the importance of open research practices in every stage of research career, separate prizes for Early Career Researchers and Research Enablers are being offered this year. Each prize will be judged based on the same criteria, with certain categories being weighted more or less depending on the prize category.

A shortlist for the GW4 Open Research Prizes will be identified by the end of March 2026 and all shortlisted applicants will be asked to share a short summary of their application either via a pre-recorded video or live presentation at the virtual awards event during GW4 Open Research Week 2026 (20-24 April 2026)

Applications close 5pm on 20 February 2026.