MJFF advances Parkinson’s research through openness, transparency, and rigorous scientific standards. Our Open Science policy and commitment to research integrity ensure that funded studies are conducted ethically and that research results are made accessible to accelerate discovery.
As The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) is a public charity, research enabled by funds from MJFF must be conducted in the public interest. We believe that the results of all MJFF-funded research should be promptly published and broadly disseminated to accelerate innovation and foster collaboration toward our shared goal of new treatments and cures for Parkinson’s disease. To that end, we have adopted an open science policy for all published research that is funded, in whole or in part, by MJFF, including any publications, underlying data sets and related code (among other research outputs).
The overarching goal of MJFF’s Open Science Policy is for scientific findings that stem from MJFF funding to be accessible, verifiable and for the associated research outputs to be reusable. Practically speaking, this means that someone looking at a figure panel from an MJFF-funded study should be able to identify and reuse the data that underlie that figure and the code used to analyze that data. The lab protocol and key lab materials used to collect those data are encouraged to be openly shared as well.
This MJFF Open Science Policy is a detailed, external resource for grantees. It largely aligns with, and draws from, the ASAP Open Science Policy (Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s).
The MJFF Open Science Policy reflects three (3) key components:
- Sharing of research outputs. Data and code generated as part of an MJFF-funded study must be deposited in a community-recognized repository with accompanying information to facilitate reuse of those outputs and a license that allows for reuse. MJFF also encourages sharing of protocols and lab materials (i.e. research inputs) generated as part of an MJFF-funded study.
- Ensuring immediate open/public access. Preprints must be posted no later than the date a manuscript is submitted to a journal. Preprints and publications, such as journal articles, must be immediately, publicly and persistently available, with a CC BY license and include an Availability Statement outlining where all research outputs (Requirement 1, above) can be accessed.
- Acknowledging MJFF. Research outputs that were partially or fully funded by MJFF must acknowledge MJFF, via a funder acknowledgement statement which increases transparency and better enables MJFF to track the outcomes from its funded research.
Continual Improvement
We continually review and improve our policies and procedures to safeguard the integrity and openness of the research we fund. Our goal is to maintain the trust of the Parkinson’s community and to support research that holds the potential to improve the lives of those affected by the disease.
Frequently Asked Questions & Additional Information
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Where can I access the full open science policy?
The MJFF Open Science Policy can be accessed at: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18778012.
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Is additional guidance available?
Yes, please see our grantee Open Science Policy for more details. MJFF’s Data Community of Practice have also published an Open Science Guide which may answer some questions, including how to choose a repository, guidance on minting DOIs, among other common queries. Please note that the aforementioned guide is intended as generalist guidance and not considered formal MJFF policy.
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When should I post a preprint?
Preprints must be posted no later than the date a manuscript is submitted to a journal.
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What if my project doesn’t (or isn’t intended to) result in either a preprint or an article?
We recognize that not all projects will result in a preprint or in a journal article. That said, we still think it critical to share other research outputs generated in the course of your research project, and so requirements for return of some outputs remain. Please refer to the “Data Access” and “Software and Code Access” sections of the MJFF Open Science Policy linked to above, which dictate timelines for public sharing of those outputs (even in the absence of a publication resulting from the funded work). The requirements outlined in this policy remain in effect if you decide to publish a preprint and/or article based on MJFF funded research, regardless of whether or not publication takes place during the grant period.
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What if I am an awardee of an ASAP-funded grant or working on an ASAP-supported study, such as PPMI?
ASAP-funded research is governed by the ASAP Open Science Policy and ASAP grant contracts. This includes work within the ASAP Collaborative Research Network (CRN), Global Parkinson’s Genetics Program (GP2), and Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI). For questions, please refer to the contact email below.
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What if I had a grant that was contracted prior to March 15, 2026?
All MJFF grants that enter contracting on or after March 15th, 2026, must comply with MJFF's revised Open Science Policy. We encourage awardees of active MJFF grants contracted prior to March 15th, 2026 to comply with this policy as well, though they should refer to the terms of their grant for applicable policies at the time their grant award was made. You can also contact your Grants Manager or openscience@michaeljfox.org with any questions.
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How do I determine appropriate repositories?
Repositories should be open and ideally provide persistent identifiers (PIDs) such as Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs). The MJFF Open Science Policy linked to throughout this page provides guidelines and recommendations for choosing repositories appropriate to each output type.
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What is meant by public access? How is it different from open access?
The US White House Office of Science and Technology Policy says: “OSTP and federal agencies draw distinctions between the terms public access and open access. Public access refers to the free availability of federally funded scholarly materials to the public (including publications, data, and other research outputs) and is a policy term; whereas, open access refers to a broad set of publication sharing principles and practices, including those required by public access, as adopted by the scientific and publishing communities.”
UNESCO defines open access as: “Open Access means free access to scientific information and unrestricted use of electronic data for everyone.”
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Do I have to do the curation for sharing data, software and code?
Yes. Curation for underlying data is required to enable replication of results. Basic curation best practices include ensuring that the metadata (title, contributors, affiliations and persistent identifier) are all complete, that the dataset has clear headers or annotation and that software or code are documented and have a README file. Please refer to the Open Science Policy for additional guidance on sharing software and code guidelines.
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What if I still have questions about MJFF’s open science policies?
Please contact: openscience@michaeljfox.org.
Research Integrity and Ethical Conduct
Recipients of funding from The Michael J. Fox Foundation are required to adhere to our Open Science Policy. This policy mandates that all research results be broadly disseminated and accessible to the global research community for replication and further study. By enforcing these standards, we aim to foster an environment of transparency and accountability in the scientific community.
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How does MJFF handle grant funding and peer review?
Every investigator-initiated grant funded by MJFF undergoes a rigorous peer-review process. Continued support of a project depends on achieving predefined scientific milestones, and data tied to those milestones is reviewed by both internal and external scientific experts. Ethical approvals and relevant documentation are required as part of responsible research conduct.
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What are MJFF’s expectations around research conduct and transparency?
Recipients of MJFF funding are expected to uphold the highest standards of research conduct and transparency. This includes adherence to our open science guidelines so that results are broadly shared and accessible for replication, validation, and further discovery by the global research community.
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How does MJFF address concerns about research misconduct?
When concerns about research misconduct arise, they are generally investigated by the researcher’s home institution. MJFF cooperates fully in these investigations and requires that outcomes be shared promptly in order to determine any necessary follow-up.
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What conflict-of-interest safeguards are in place for grant review?
To ensure impartial evaluation of grant applications, MJFF has formal conflict-of-interest policies. Scientific staff and external reviewers with personal or financial ties to a proposal are excluded from reviewing or influencing decisions, safeguarding fairness and objectivity in awarding funding.
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How does MJFF ensure continual improvement in research integrity and oversight?
We continually evaluate and refine our policies and procedures to safeguard the integrity of the research we fund. This ongoing commitment supports trust from the Parkinson’s community and ensures that MJFF’s funded research contributes meaningfully to advancing science and improving lives.
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What if I still have questions about research integrity and ethical conduct?
Questions or concerns about research misconduct: openscience@michaeljfox.org.