Facilitating Open Science Training for Europe: Reaching the next level with FOSTER Plus

FOSTER Plus starts now!

This new phase of FOSTER focuses on the practical implementation of Open Science in Horizon 2020 and beyond. In the next two years, eleven partners from all over Europe will collaborate on creating training and e-learning activities targeting academic staff, young scientists and policy-makers. Disciplinary partners from the life sciences, social sciences and humanities have joined the consortium to step up domain-specific materials and training capacities for the practical adoption of Open Science. In particular, a multi-module toolkit, a trainers’ bootcamp and a training handbook will be created collaboratively.

The Open Science Toolkit will provide training materials and e-learning courses which cover all angles of Open Science, including key topics such as responsible research and innovation, research data management, software carpentry, text and data mining, reproducible research and open peer review. Working together with a variety of disciplinary communities, the developed exercises, practical examples and handouts will be tailored to the specific needs of each domain.

The Open Science Trainer Bootcamp aims to build and sustain Open Science training capacities. Trainers from all over Europe will be equipped to deliver FOSTER Plus training modules within their domains, institutions or regions. Holding a high multiplier potential, the bootcamp cohort will provide the basis for the FOSTER Plus trainers’ network. We will continue to use the FOSTER portal for interaction and communication, while improving and extending its functionalities. Gamification, e.g. in form of digital badges and awards, will further encourage valuable contributions and interactions.

During the lifetime of the project we will collect together methods, background information and example training outlines in an open, living handbook on Open Science training. This handbook will support FOSTER Plus Open Science trainers and seeders. Institutions, individuals or communities can use this key resource to implement or intensify the training of Open Science multipliers.

The project partners are:

  • The University of Minho
  • Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
  • The Open University
  • Stichting eIFL.net
  • Digital Curation Centre, University of Edinburgh
  • Digital Curation Centre, University of Glasgow
  • Danmarks Tekniske Universitet
  • Stichting LIBER
  • Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas
  • GESIS – Leibniz –Institute for the Social Sciences
  • Fundacio Centre de Regulacio Genomica

We look forward to collaborating with you to develop advanced-level material and promote a change in Open Science culture.
Stay tuned. More information on how you can contribute to these activities will follow soon.


Submitted by nancypontika on Thu, 04/05/2017 - 16:23

Creative Commons badge Unless otherwise stated, all materials created by the FOSTER consortium are licensed under a CREATIVE COMMONS ATTRIBUTION 4.0 INTERNATIONAL LICENSE.



EU flag This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement no 612425.
This project has also received funding from the European Union's Horizon2020 programme for research, technological development and demonstration under agreement no 741839.