Ireland's National Open Research Festival

NORFest 2025 – Call for Proposals is LIVE!

We’re looking for lightning talks and interactive workshops that will spark curiosity and inspire action.
Click here for more details and submit your proposal now!

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NORFest 2025 Timeline

7 May 2025: Call for proposals opened

27 June 2025: Submission deadline

September 2025: Notification of acceptance

September 2025: Preliminary Programme Published

October 2025: Registration Opened

6-7 November 2025: National Open Research Festival

A man in a suit and tie stands at a podium giving a speech at the Royal Irish Academy. A banner next to him reads "NORF - National Open Research Forum Ireland." The setting includes bookshelves and classical busts in the background, suggesting a formal academic environment.

Colm O’Reardon, Secretary General at the Department of Higher and Further Education, Research, Innovation, and Science giving the opening remarks at NORFest 2023.

NORFest

The National Open Research Festival (NORFest) is organised by Ireland’s National Open Research Forum (NORF) with the support of the Digital Repository of Ireland (DRI) and the Royal Irish Academy (RIA) and the expertise of the Festival Programme Committee. Funding for the event was provided by the Higher Education Authority (HEA).

Established in 2017 to drive the national agenda for open research, NORF provides a space for communication, consultation and cooperation among key stakeholders in the research system regarding strategic issues and overarching policies and procedures on open research. 

NORFest 2025 Theme: Synergies  

The Ireland National Open Research Festival will be held on 6-7 November 2025 at the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin. This two-day event will spotlight global open science, cross-cutting policy agendas, and emerging themes in open research and innovation.

The 2025 festival will centre on the theme of synergies, highlighting the interconnectedness of open research across national and international policy frameworks and research strategies. By fostering collaboration between researchers, policymakers, and innovators, the festival aims to strengthen the integration of open research principles into the broader research landscape. Through keynote addresses, panel discussions and interactive workshops, participants will explore how open research can drive meaningful change by aligning efforts across global and local research initiatives.

Event Objectives:

  • Foster collaboration and dialogue on open science initiatives.
  • Address policy agendas related to open research, research integrity, and research assessment reform.
  • Explore emerging themes such as open-source software, AI, and knowledge security.
  • Provide a platform for NORF-funded projects to share insights and progress.

Previous Festivals

NORFest 2023

Read about the inaugral National Open Research Festival here.