Competence centers and user support networks

Summary of the Skills4EOSC. Report D7.3: Competence Centres and User Support NetworksAbout the documentThis report was prepared within the framework of the Skills4EOSC project and documents the establishment and development of a network of Competence Centres (CCNet) and a User Support Network (USN) that promote the implementation of FAIR and Open Science principles in Europe. The report includes recommendations for ensuring the sustainability of these networks after the end of the project funding.Competence Centres (CCs) and their network (CCNet)The Competence Centres Network is designed as a lightweight coordination structure that brings together expert organisations in the field of FAIR data, open science and digital research governance. At the time of writing, the network includes 9 centres from EU countries: Italy, Greece, Finland, Sweden, France, Poland, North Macedonia, Luxembourg and Germany.Objectives of the network:

• development of skills in FAIR and Open Science;
• sharing experiences and best practices;
• supporting countries without national Open Science coordination;
• training and consulting for researchers, data stewards, institutions.

The centers should:

• provide training based on Skills4EOSC materials;
• support FAIR-by-Design policies;
• have a team of trainers;
• be recognized by the research community at the national or sectoral level.

Network governance modelThe network has the following structure:

• General Assembly (GA) – the main decision-making body;
• Presidency – coordinates activities;
• Editorial Board – ensures the quality of resources and the development of open skills journals;
• Working groups – by areas (e.g. user support, training, infrastructure).

Participation is possible through:

• Signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU);
• Sending a Letter of Intent (LoI);
• Adherence to the CCNet Charter.

User Support Network (USN)USN brings together User Support Channels (USC) – groups that provide technical, advisory or training support to researchers. These can be supercomputing resource centers, repositories, cloud services, institutional helpdesks.USN goal:

• developing skills through practical support;
• sharing experiences and materials between USCs;
• forming a community of practice around EOSC.

Examples:

• supporting users of EGI, OpenAIRE, HPC centers;
• distributing FAIR-by-Design templates;
• helping with work with DMP, AI tools, publications.

Recommendations and sustainabilityThe report suggests:ensuring the continuity of CCNet operation at the expense of national or regional resources;creating infrastructure platforms for exchange (for example, a single catalog of educational resources);adapt tools (Dataverse, Moodle, OJS, DSpace, etc.) according to Skills4EOSC recommendations;maintain a communication network after the project ends (mailing lists, regular meetings).

Source: Skills4EOSC D7.3, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15262091