OpenAIRE launches FAIR RDM Bootcamp for Data Stewards

17 September 2025

From 13 to 16 October, OpenAIRE, will collaborate with DANS, UMinho, VPC (University of Latvia), and VINCA (University of Belgrade) to launch a comprehensive Bootcamp tailored for Data Stewards. Over the course of four days, early-career professionals engaged in research data management (RDM) and stewardship will participate in a hybrid programme comprising expert-led live workshops, real-world case studies, and self-paced learning via OpenPlato.

The Bootcamp is structured around five core pillars:

Defining the role of the data steward across the research lifecycle
Mastering metadata and tools like Dataverse
Applying FAIR principles through OpenAIRE services (Graph, Explore, Connect)
Navigating legal and ethical challenges
Building reflective peer-supported learning practices

The sessions are interactive, practice-oriented, and co-designed with leading European experts in Open Science and RDM. Participants will also explore certification frameworks such as CoreTrustSeal and acquire insights into policy, governance, and repository readiness.

DANS sessions highlighting the PATTERN project

DANS will host two sessions presenting training materials developed within the PATTERN project. The PATTERN Horizon Europe project develops training activities for researchers to enhance their transferable skills in Open and Responsible Research and Innovation. A strong emphasis on FAIR RDM fosters transparency, reusability, and impact in research.

As project leads for the FAIR RDM training, OpenAIRE and DANS apply a collaborative model, co-creating materials with partners across several countries. This approach embraces multidisciplinary and regional perspectives, while also producing multilingual training resources, thereby ensuring broad applicability across Europe.

Open session and closed workshop

The Bootcamp programme comprises both public sessions, open to all, and closed workshops requiring separate registration. The first DANS session, scheduled for Tuesday 14 October, is an open train-the-trainer event aimed at supporting educators and RDM professionals in reusing and adapting PATTERN’s FAIR RDM training. The session introduces ready-to-use materials suitable for a class room setting as well as for self-paced learning and encourages reflection on their integration into participants’ own training activities.

On Wednesday 15 October, DANS will lead a deeper dive into putting FAIR RDM into practice. This intermediate-level session will explore four foundational elements of FAIR RDM: metadata, Persistent Identifiers (PIDs), licences, and repositories. The workshop will conclude with a hands-on publishing exercise using platforms such as Zenodo or Dataverse.