While the movement for OS has gained momentum in recent years, there remain concerns about how to recognise researchers’ efforts in OS and how to change the research assessment systems toward more responsible and encompassing ones. Apart from some efforts being taken for example in the Netherlands, there are few examples how universities could embed OS into their incentivisation structures; a gap this project aims to cover. We present two proposals promoted by the YUFE alliance: an OS indicator toolkit for evaluating researchers’ performance in OS and an incentivisation initiative to foster open science at the research group level. These initiatives operate with different incentives (connecting OS performance in recruitment processes; tangible rewards, and advocating OS by showing off institutional forerunner research groups; symbolic rewards). The project provides new insights into the open knowledge landscape within the European YUFE alliance and beyond, and ways of promoting OS paths in the institutional framework.