On the 7th of October 2024 the EOSC Support Office Austria hosted a webinar to share the outcomes of the former Task Forces. The aim was to inform the community about the achievements.
Tereza Kalová from University of Vienna was part of the Task Force Data Stewardship, Curricula & Career Paths. Her task force operated from 2022 – 2023, focused on enhancing data stewardship across Europe. The group included representatives from universities, organizations, and projects such as Skills4EOSC, CLARIAH, and BBMRI-ERIC. Their work emphasized the roles and training of data stewards, with two key workstreams: curriculum development and career path alignment. The task force’s report offered recommendations, including harmonizing competencies, promoting accredited training, and integrating data stewardship skills into degree programs. They also highlighted the need for clear career progression for data stewards and suggested establishing a permanent expert group and a professional network to support long-term development.
Miguel Rey Mazón from TU Graz was part of the Task Force Financial Sustainability. The Task Force, composed of diverse experts in policy, research data management (RDM), legal, and funding aspects, including notable contributions from Austrian institutions like AUSSDA and Open Knowledge Maps, tackled the challenge of sustaining the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). Formed in November 2021, the group focused on providing actionable proposals for EOSC’s financial sustainability, avoiding specific business models in favour of high-level principles. Their work built on earlier efforts like the Fair Daily Report and the concept of a “minimal viable EOSC.”
Key milestones included an interim report in 2022, a community consultation in early 2023, and a final report published in April 2024. The task force proposed eight core principles for long-term funding, emphasizing the importance of coordination between the European Commission and member states, reducing participation barriers, and leveraging existing research services.
After the insight from the two former members of the task forces, the audience was able to ask questions and to learn more about their achievements.