Do not cut back on open science
The proposed budget cuts in higher education will directly impact funding for open science. But if the goal is to work more efficiently, now is precisely the time to invest more in open science, argue Caspar van Lissa and Michèle Nuijten.

The planned cuts to higher education have (rightly) sparked heated debates. Many arguments against these cuts have been raised: universities are under extreme pressure due to structural overwork and burnout, the position of the Netherlands as a knowledge economy is at risk, and according to the main lines of the coalition agreement, ‘innovation’ is crucial to addressing societal challenges. Can you innovate without education and research?
Yet, budget cuts are not inherently bad; they can also promote efficiency. Efficiency is not a panacea; since academics work at the intersection of existing knowledge and new insights, there is no clear path to success. Still, there are gains to be made.
A lack of transparency can delay research and education. Imagine that your research results contradict a published study, but you cannot verify where the discrepancy arises because the data, code, and methods are inaccessible. Or imagine having to develop presentations for twenty lectures while your predecessor, or a colleague from another department or university, taught a nearly identical course, with slides gathering dust on an old laptop.
This is a guest column by the Tilburg Young Academy (TYA). Each month, a different member of TYA highlights developments in the academic world.
If efficiency in higher education is a goal of the proposed cuts, it is concerning that funds for Open Science are explicitly being reduced. Open Science is based on the principle of sharing: findings, research methods, code, software, data, and even teaching materials are made freely accessible so that others can verify and build upon them.
Openness promotes efficiency in several ways. First, it reduces redundant work (so-called ‘research waste’). When researchers share their data, methodologies, and code, others can build upon them instead of constantly reinventing the wheel. Every reused dataset, analysis code, and adapted lecture slide represents a direct saving of time and money.
Second, Open Science fosters collaboration (see also the recent report Towards a Vision for Team Science at Tilburg University). By encouraging shared contributions and open access, it creates a network of researchers united by common goals and shared resources.
These networks not only increase productivity but also provide support and social cohesion during times of financial pressure. A cohesive academic community equipped with shared tools and knowledge is better prepared to tackle challenges, including those imposed by budget cuts.
Third, Open Science enhances the societal value of research, as stakeholders gain access to open research findings, and involving societal partners in designing and conducting research aligns with Open Science practices.
Open Science is not an abstract ideology but a concrete method to maximize the scientific value and societal impact of limited resources. It enables faster, more verifiable, cooperative research, reduces unnecessary work, and alleviates workload.
If the goal of the cuts is to make Dutch academia more efficient and cost-effective, reducing funding for Open Science is a misstep. Cutting back on Open Science undermines efficiency; investing in Open Science means building a more resilient, effective, and sustainable academic future.
Caspar van Lissa is an Associate Professor of Methodology and Statistics, researching the added value of machine learning methods for summarizing research results and developing new theories. He is co-chair of the Tilburg Young Academy and chair of the Open Science Community Tilburg.
Michèle Nuijten is an Assistant Professor of Methodology and Statistics. She researches statistical errors in psychological literature and their relation to the likelihood of successful replication. She is co-chair of the Tilburg Young Academy and Faculty Ambassador for the Open Science Community Tilburg.