Digital skills for FAIR and open science: Report from the EOSC Skills and Training Working Group

Digital skills for FAIR and open science are a cornerstone of the EOSC’s operations and future. An EOSC network of skilled professionals is essential to bring a culture change for sharing research outcomes, and to empower individuals and institutions to develop and maintain EOSC competences, capabilities and skills.

The EOSC Skills and Training Working Group provides a framework for building competence and capabilities for EOSC, focussing on four priority areas that form the major sections of the newly released report on Digital skills for FAIR and open science:

• Developing the next generation of FAIR and open science professionals: Presents a framework of ten EOSC actors (roles and related skills) in the EOSC ecosystem for whom skills and training is relevant.

• Collaborating to enhance digital skills for FAIR and open science in Europe: Reviews organisational approaches to implement training activities and programmes, through the concept of competence centres and provides suggestions of ways in which EOSC could assist in increasing training alignment and/or coordination. 
• Building a trusted and long-lasting knowledge hub of learning and training resources and related tools: Provides insights for an EOSC federated training catalogue as part of a sustainable training infrastructure that supports EOSC actors.
• Influencing national open science policy for skills by supporting strategic leaders: Analyses the framing of digital skills required in EOSC in the wider European agenda for skills, to provide recommendations for Member States and Associated Countries on how to support EOSC in national skills policies and strategies.

Our gap analysis demonstrates that significant work is still needed by a wide variety of stakeholders to not only achieve the vision of EOSC, but to maximise research impact internationally. Whilst this report identifies the next steps to overcome barriers and leverage opportunities to maximise vital skills and training development, a major focus is needed to continue to advance this area in the future. Our recommendations on next steps are as follows:

Main Recommendations

• Utilise the Framework of Actors in the EOSC Ecosystem in the development of initiatives, skills, training, reward and recognition frameworks and career paths necessary to support further development and mainstreaming of FAIR and open science.
• Coordinate and align relevant skills curricula and training frameworks by generating a consensus on a core European higher education curriculum to deliver FAIR and open science skills at university level.
• Encourage and support the competence centres approach as a framework for increasing coordinated provision of aligned training to support FAIR and open science.
• Facilitate increased integration of FAIR and open science courses with university qualifications.
• Build a learning and training catalogue utilising the specifications for development recommended by this WG to maximise interoperability.
• Include learning and training resources in the EOSC Interoperability Framework (EIF).
• Develop an EOSC Skills and Training Leadership Programme to:
  • Increase coordination of European and national policies, programmes and networks supporting the skills elements of FAIR and open science.
  • Develop and promote an EOSC Skills and Training Ambassadors programme to advise national decision-makers.
  • Advocate for the inclusion of skills and training of FAIR and open science into major European and national funding instruments.