The Tanenbaum Open Science Institute (TOSI) is proud to welcome the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education (BARE) in its alliance of Open Science institutions. BARE becomes the ninth partner of this network, marking another important milestone in the alliance鈥檚 expansion across Canada and reflecting its continued momentum and growth.听听
Located at Baycrest in Toronto, the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education is dedicated to research and education on aging and neurodegeneration. Its integrated approach brings together the Rotman Research Institute (RRI), an internationally recognized research centre and the Centre for Education, which provides extensive training programs, connecting scientific research, education, patient care and innovation.听
Founded at The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Hospital-Institute), TOSI has been developing this alliance of partners to support research institutions in Canada and beyond in developing open neuroscience practices that reflect their specificities. Through ongoing collaboration, each partner develops its own framework adapted to their institutional realities in research, training and patient care. Through a comprehensive buy-in process, BARE developed its 鈥�鈥�framework and launched TOSI-compatible Open Science and Scholarship principles听at the end of 2025.听听
BARE joins the alliance with an already significant Open Science expertise, which the buy-in process helped translate into institutional principles. This commitment was born from the recognition that collaboration is crucial to tackle the complex challenges of aging and stemmed from several grassroot initiatives led by researchers and trainees at the Rotman Research Institute.听
This momentum quickly grew into a broader institutional effort, based at first on transparency and data sharing, eventually leading to the creation of an Open Science Committee. This Committee works closely with Baycrest鈥檚 Research Ethics Board to support the implementation of ethical Open Science practices more widely across BARE, and throughout the whole research lifecycle. Concrete initiatives already underway include the development of template consent language for data sharing and the integration of Open Science directly into ethics applications, ensuring that openness is addressed from the onset of the project.听听听 听听听
BARE鈥檚 longstanding commitment to Open Science made joining the alliance a natural next step. 鈥淥辫别苍 鈥�S鈥�cience reflects Baycrest鈥檚 core values of innovation, collaboration, and advancing brain health and aging research for the benefit of society,鈥� said Dr. Lei Wang, Reva James Leeds Chair in Neuroscience and Research Leadership, recently appointed Vice President, Scientific Affairs of BARE, and Senior Scientist at the Rotman Research Institute. 鈥�We are committed to leading in ethical Open Science by embedding openness across the research lifecycle in ways that uphold respect for participants, responsible data stewardship, and scientific rigor. By joining this network of partners, we are strengthening our commitment to collaboration and the exchange of best practices to ensure our discoveries have the greatest possible impact.鈥濃��听
This partnership is supported by a $1M endowment from TOSI as part of its National Incentive Fund. This amount, matched by BARE, ensures an annual source of funding available in the long term, dedicated to a coordinated and sustainable implementation of Open Science at 鈥�BARE鈥�.听
What makes BARE鈥檚 contribution to the alliance particularly distinctive is its integrated approach connecting Open Science directly to care and community engagement. Within Baycrest鈥檚 ecosystem, research operates alongside patient engagement, such as brain health and wellness initiatives that provide concrete tools and support for people living with dementia and other neurodegenerative conditions, as well as their caregivers. This gives the opportunity to researchers and trainees to directly engage with patients and community members, creating an environment where collaboration extends beyond research, a core value shared by the Neuro, founding member of this alliance.听
鈥淥辫别苍 Science has been a true enabler for us at The Neuro, building on Dr. Penfield鈥檚 original vision of uniting patient care, research, and education within the same walls,鈥� said Dr. Guy Rouleau, Director of The Neuro and TOSI Co-founder. 鈥淏y empowering patients to actively contribute to research and sharing data and materials, Open Science allows us to fulfil our mission to accelerate knowledge creation and development of treatments. We are thrilled to welcome BARE in our alliance, increasing our collective impact.鈥�听
As this network grows, each new partnership strengthens a national movement toward more transparent, collaborative, and impactful science. This milestone will be formally celebrated during a launch event at BARE in May 2026.听
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