The BRAVO project, funded under the German federal code 16PW18012, set out to raise the quality of biomedical research carried out at university medical centres across Germany. Its core ambition was to benchmark and improve practices that underpin robust, transparent science—specifically the pre‑registration of trials, the timely publication of results, and the availability of data and publications through open‑access channels. The initiative was organised into two complementary strands. First, a systematic audit of quality‑assurance procedures was carried out, covering the entire research lifecycle from study design to dissemination. Second, the project examined how “Increasing Value” initiatives could be institutionalised, analysing existing policies, conducting a SWOT assessment of the BRAVO transparency framework, and exploring cultural and incentive mechanisms that could drive better compliance.

A key deliverable was an interactive dashboard that visualises the transparency of clinical trials conducted by German universities. The dashboard draws on data from the two principal registries—ClinicalTrials.gov and the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS)—and presents a range of metrics. In the 2014‑2017 cohort, 1,658 trials were identified. More than half (≈ 53 %) were prospectively registered; the remainder were entered after the first patient had been enrolled. Only 43 % of the studies published their results within 24 months of completion, a figure that highlights a persistent lag in dissemination. When a publication was available, 38 % of the studies included their registration number in the abstract, facilitating traceability. Linkage between registry entries and published papers varied markedly between platforms: 58 % of ClinicalTrials.gov entries contained a direct link to the publication, whereas only 23 % of DRKS entries did so. The proportion of publications that were openly accessible rose sharply over the decade, from 42 % in 2010 to 74 % in 2020. Nevertheless, 46 % of all publications were not available through either a journal or an open‑access repository, underscoring the need for stronger open‑access mandates.

The quantitative analysis was complemented by qualitative insights gathered through interviews with university leaders, clinical trial coordinators, and experts in responsible research. These conversations revealed a range of institutional barriers and facilitators, informing the design of targeted policy recommendations. In addition, the project examined internal academic policies related to degree programmes and career progression, identifying gaps that could hinder the adoption of transparent practices.

BRAVO’s findings and tools are openly shared on GitHub and the Open Science Framework, ensuring that other institutions can replicate the methodology. The project’s impact extends beyond Germany: BRAVO staff have partnered with three international research groups that have adopted the dashboard framework, and the team is a key contributor to a Canadian‑led Delphi study that is shaping core metrics for open‑science dashboards worldwide.

The project’s outputs have been disseminated through a series of peer‑reviewed publications, including a 2023 PLoS Medicine case study, a 2022 Clinical Trials article on automated pipelines for linking publications to registrations, and a 2022 Journal of Clinical Epidemiology paper that documents delayed and incomplete result dissemination. These works collectively provide a rigorous evidence base for policy makers, funding agencies, and academic leaders seeking to strengthen the integrity and impact of biomedical research.