Open Science Guide for Research Performing Organisations
The Guide on Development of RPO’s Open Science Strategy and the Guide on Advancing Open Science: RDM & FAIR Training Framework for RPOs aim to support the RPOs in implementing Open Science principles, aligning with European and global Open Science frameworks, and fostering research excellence and innovation. The guides are designed to assist the RPOs to foster a sustainable and inclusive Open Science ecosystem within their institutions, clearly supporting the European Commission’s broader objectives for research excellence, innovation, and collaboration. They serve as resources for institutions seeking to implement Open Science practices effectively and align with the evolving research landscape.
The Guide on Development of RPO’s Open Science Strategy
The European research landscape prioritises scientific and technological leadership, driven by excellence, talent, and supportive conditions to facilitate research discoveries and innovation. Key to this is the free movement of researchers, knowledge, and technology, ensuring European competitiveness. The EOSC and the EOSC EU Node play a central role in advancing Open Science. These initiatives enable researchers and innovators to access and share a vast array of open, reusable, and interoperable scientific publications, data, software, tools, and services. By adhering to FAIR principles, they foster innovation across Europe’s scientific ecosystem.
In that context, the Guide on Development of RPO’s Open Science Strategy is designed as a practical tool for decision-makers to establish a robust Open Science ecosystem within their institutions adapted to different institutional contexts. Its structured yet flexible approach allows RPOs to align their strategies with internal priorities and the broader Open Science landscape. This iterative, dynamic, and adaptable process recognizes diversity of institutional structures, and encourages RPOs to adapt the OS strategy to their organizational culture and goals while ensuring coherence with global Open Science trends, including UNESCO guidelines and EOSC developments and in alignment with the objectives of the ERA. The Guide is also informed and aligned with the broader European research policy frameworks, such as the European Research Area (ERA) Policy Agenda 2022-2024 and the European Commission’s Proposal for ERA Policy Agenda 2025-2027 that set key actions to strengthen Europe’s research ecosystem, emphasizing Open Science and EOSC particularly, knowledge circulation, and the development of a digital research infrastructure that supports collaboration and innovation across borders.
The Guide on Advancing Open Science: RDM & FAIR Training Framework for RPOs
The research ecosystem is undergoing a transformation driven by digital advancements, artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, and Open Science. Conducting excellent research requires using new research infrastructures, services and software as well as the adoption of new skills. This technological shift emphasises the need to recognise that, in the 21st century, groundbreaking research is based on the interplay between technology and the expertise of the project team — including researchers, support staff, and emerging professions such as data stewards.
This Guide on Advancing Open Science: RDM & FAIR Training Framework for RPOs addresses the growing need for upskilling across diverse roles within RPOs, ensuring effective engagement with Open Science and FAIR enabling infrastructures, services and practices. It supports the RPOs in addressing training needs by providing a framework for developing targeted training programs. Training needs, naturally, vary widely depending on the various roles within the institution (administration, research support, or scientific personnel), different career stages (students, early-career researchers, senior researchers), and scientific discipline. The guide outlines the best practices for designing and implementing tailored training initiatives, within the specific context of the RPOs and their organisational cultures. The Guide, inter alia, also provides useful references to best practices and implemented courses and data steward networks.