Progress towards engagement in EOSC: a report on the activities and impact of the Upskilling TF

Relevance

Although Open Science initiatives are gaining traction across Europe, the level of engagement with EOSC remains variable. Sharing knowledge on significant EOSC developments and best practices across countries enables countries to learn from each other’s successes and challenges, ultimately accelerating their progress towards effective engagement in EOSC.

Scope

Deliverable provides an overview of the activities conducted by the TF on sharing the knowledge on significant EOSC developments at the EU Member State level and Associated Countries to Horizon Europe – with a focus on widening countries – as well as other EOSC members and observers, as well as within research performing organizations, research infrastructures, and disciplinary groups.

Activities include knowledge sharing by presenting country and discipline/domain use cases, delivering presentations at the EOSC related events, engaging with the community such as researchers, Research Infrastructures and organisations, policy makers, funders and others at various workshops. In addition the TF have engaged in writing and sharing blogposts as well as creating a roadmap for Widening Countries.

Main highlights

Throughout its work, the EOSC TF Upskilling Countries to Engage in EOSC  has gained valuable insights into how to provide guidance for future endeavours and contribute to the continuous improvement of engagement with EOSC:

• Context matters: Each country has its unique context, including different research landscapes, infrastructures, and policies. It is essential to recognize and understand these contextual differences to tailor strategies and support mechanisms effectively. Considering the specific needs, challenges, and strengths of individual countries allows for a more targeted and impactful approach to engaging with EOSC.
• Flexibility and adaptability: The EOSC landscape is constantly evolving, and new developments and initiatives emerge regularly. The TF learned the importance of flexibility and adaptability to respond to changing environments effectively. Establishing communication channels and working models that allow for agile decision-making and rapid adjustment of strategies is crucial to staying relevant and addressing emerging challenges and opportunities.
• Collaboration is key: The success of engaging countries in EOSC relies on strong collaboration among various stakeholders, including national representatives, research-performing organisations , policy-making bodies, and funders. Building a strong and inclusive community around EOSC is vital for its success. The TF recognized the importance of a community-driven approach, actively involving stakeholders and encouraging their participation.
• Knowledge exchange accelerates progress: Sharing experiences, best practices, and lessons learned across countries, disciplinary groups, and organizations greatly accelerates progress towards effective engagement with EOSC. Creating platforms for knowledge exchange, such as presentations and blog posts, helps disseminate information and facilitates learning from one another’s successes and challenges.

Key recommendations

Based on discussions and sharing, the TF has developed a series of recommendations for

EOSC engagement strategies. These are listed below:

• Co-organise stakeholder events: for example, tripartite events, EOSC coffee/cafes, retreats or festivals.
• Provide opportunities for learning and sharing: including summer schools, hackathons, retreats, knowledge exchange workshops, gamification, train the trainers’ programmes.
• Build a network of ambassadors/champions: through an ambassadors’ program or train the trainers’ initiative.
• Provide financial support: such as adoption grants or prizes.
• Communicate effectively: community blog posts, official communications materials for reuse, real-life case studies, and tailored communications for your country/community.
• Join EOSC-structured communities: such as Task Forces or project expert groups to find out about activities in other countries.

Roadmap for EOSC and widening countries (Annex of the deliverable) provide a gap analysis identifying areas for development in certain European countries towards the successful implementation of EOSC and provide recommendations to address these points, which could be supported in future funding calls, such as those under the WIDERA programme.