After a project period of three years, the EU project Skills4EOSC has reached several important milestones in strengthening and coordinating competences in Open Science. The objective has been to build a common European ecosystem for training, skills, and professional roles related to data management.
“With so many countries and organizations involved, we’ve all gained a solid, collective picture of the needs and ways of working. We’ve had many opportunities to draw on each other’s expertise and support one another, and the European perspective is a real strength. Progress is not fast, but I can see how the different sub-projects within Skills4EOSC are making a positive contribution to development,” says Arin Tham Savran, who has been responsible for SND’s participation in Skills4EOSC together with William Illsley and Iris Alfredsson.
Key results achieved
Arin Tham Savran and William Illsley highlight three outcomes of particular importance for the ongoing advancement of Open Science, both nationally and internationally.
• New networks
One of the most significant results is the establishment of the Competence Centres Network (CCNet), which today comprises ten competence centres, with more set to join from countries including Tunisia and Turkey. Earlier this year, the Nordic Data Stewardship Network was also launched, strengthening Nordic collaboration in this field. The initiative came out of Work Package 6, where Olivia Ekman and Carolin Rebernig-Hedman at Umeå University played a driving role.
• Competence frameworks and training
The project has developed the Minimum Viable Skillsets (MVS) methodology to more clearly define core competences. This has resulted in, for example:
- A simplified curriculum for the data steward role.
- Data management training for researchers, with discipline-specific profiles.
• Increased visibility for SND
Through active participation in European and international forums, SND has strengthened its role in the European research infrastructure landscape, expanding collaborations and enhancing its visibility.
“Skills4EOSC has laid a solid foundation for data management that we can now build on. Some of the training material will need further review and adaptation to different national contexts, as well as to different scientific disciplines,” says William Illsley.
Next steps
Skills4EOSC has underlined the need for long-term funding and resources, as well as the importance of aligning CCNet’s work with established standards such as CoreTrustSeal. The hope is that the work will continue beyond the end of the project, so that the results can be sustained and further developed.
SND is already involved in two proposals within the EOSC collaboration: EOSC-CONNECT and Competence4EOSC. The latter is intended as a direct continuation of Skills4EOSC and will focus on developing training for both data stewards and researchers, regardless of their career stage.