The mission of the European Open Science School (EOSS) is to develop competencies in open science, research data management and digital research methods among researchers, technical staff, research support administrations and data sector professionals. The school supports the transformation of scientific institutions towards a modern, data-driven and responsible research model, in line with European open science standards, FAIR and CARE principles, as well as with the requirements of law, research ethics and data security and sovereignty.
EOSS’s activities respond to the dynamic changes taking place in the scientific system, where the importance of research data, advanced digital tools, research infrastructures and artificial intelligence is increasing. Modern scientific research is increasingly carried out in the digital environment, based on shared data resources, distributed computing infrastructures and international cooperation platforms. This requires new competences from both scientists and specialists supporting the research process.
In this context, the EOSS pursues the following objectives:
- development of digital competencies in the science and administration sector, including skills related to research data management, the use of research infrastructure, and modern analytical tools and artificial intelligence,
- supporting the implementation of Open Science policies in research institutions, in accordance with the directions of development of the European Research Area (ERA), European data and artificial intelligence strategies for science, as well as the national National Scientific Policy and the Open Access to Research Data Policy,
- educating specialists in the field of research data management, in particular the development of new professional roles, such as data stewards, data managers, data librarians, data coordinators and other experts supporting the data management process, who support researchers in planning, organizing, managing, archiving and sharing research data in accordance with best practices and applicable standards
- building an international community of data management experts, with particular emphasis on cooperation between the so-called Widening Countries, which face similar challenges of digital transformation of science, as well as enabling them to cooperate and exchange experiences with more experienced partners from European countries and outside Europe
- supporting the integration of national science systems with European research infrastructures and data ecosystems, including initiatives such as the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), the European Data Spaces and new initiatives related to the use of artificial intelligence in science
Through its activities, the EOSS contributes to strengthening the competencies of scientific institutions, increasing the quality of research data management and building a European science ecosystem based on data, collaboration and responsible use of digital technologies. These objectives are pursued by building human capital, raising the level of competencies of university employees – in particular researchers, technical staff and research support administration – as well as through networking activities fostering cooperation, exchange of knowledge and good practices between scientific institutions, research infrastructures and experts on a national and international scale.