FAIR RDM Bootcamp for Data Stewards: Building a Connected Community around FAIR Stewardship

The OpenAIRE FAIR Research Data Management (RDM) Bootcamp for Data Stewards marked another milestone in building a strong, connected community of early-career data professionals ready to advance Open Science in their institutions. Hosted on OpenPlato, this intensive four-day learning experience combined live sessions, applied exercises, peer discussions, and daily self-evaluations to strengthen participants' confidence and practical skills across all stages of the research data lifecycle.

Aims and Achievements

The Bootcamp was designed to help participants "think and act like data stewards", integrating FAIR principles, ethical reflection, and stewardship practice into their everyday roles. Each day focused on a specific theme and skill set.

Day 1: Planning for Stewardship:

Participants explored how data stewardship underpins the entire research lifecycle, mapping roles, responsibilities, and workflows across planning, collection, and preservation. Through interactive persona mapping and repository trust-building exercises, they learned to identify gaps in institutional support and to connect stewardship actions to real-world research challenges. As one participant reflected, "I now understand how many roles work together in FAIR data management; it's not just technical, it's cultural."

Day 2: Ethics in Action:

The second day brought data ethics and responsible sharing to the forefront. Using real-world scenarios, participants practiced writing policy statements for sensitive and commercial datasets and discussed how to balance openness with GDPR and contractual obligations. The activities prompted many to rethink institutional workflows: "I feel more confident facing ethical dilemmas now; this helped me see how to handle them systematically."

Day 3: From Metadata to FAIR-by-Design:

Day three shifted from policy to practice, with hands-on work in metadata curation and data cleaning. Using OpenRefine, participants learned how to transform messy data into shareable, well-described datasets ready for repositories and the OpenAIRE Graph. One comment captured the impact perfectly: "It was so useful to see how metadata quality and ethics connect; we can't have one without the other."

Day 4: Community Engagement and Peer Review:

The final day focused on sustaining stewardship through community. Participants took part in peer-review activities, "speed data coffee tables," and the LEGO® Data Classification Game, applying what they learned to collaborative, problem-solving contexts. Many highlighted this as the most inspiring day, especially having the chance to have coffee round table meeting the mentors and trainers from all previous sessions: "Meeting others who care about data the way I do gave me motivation to bring this back to my institution."

Learning on OpenPlato: A Structured, Reflective Environment

The OpenPlato platform was much more than a delivery tool, it was the backbone of the Bootcamp's learning experience. Each day followed a clear structure with an agenda, course materials, daily assignments titled "Think like a Data Steward", and reflective self-evaluation activities. Participants could access session recordings, complete interactive quizzes, and track their progress toward certification, creating a seamless blend between live engagement and self-paced learning. The integrated Glossary for Peer Review and Bootcamp Forum encouraged interaction beyond the live sessions, helping participants exchange ideas and build a shared vocabulary of stewardship concepts.

Many participants emphasized how this design supported their learning rhythm and accountability. They described the course as "well-organized," "intuitive once you get used to it," and "a great structure for combining theory with practice." The personalized LMS certificate with QR verification and digital badge were not just tokens of participation — they symbolized belonging to a verified community of FAIR data practitioners trained through OpenAIRE standards.

 Impact and Future Outlook

The Bootcamp achieved an impressive level of engagement and satisfaction. Participants rated the content quality at 4.5/5, the trainers at 4.4/5, and overall satisfaction at 4.4/5, with all respondents saying they would recommend the program to others. What they valued most was the combination of practical, hands-on work, inspiring trainers, and a supportive international community. Many participants reported that the Bootcamp gave them the confidence to take on new initiatives, from drafting institutional data policies to launching data management services and integrating FAIR practices into their teaching and supervision.

These results confirm that the Bootcamp succeeded in its mission: to empower data stewards as facilitators of ethical, FAIR, and trustworthy research. Participants leave not just with new tools and knowledge, but with a renewed sense of purpose — seeing themselves as connectors who bridge researchers, repositories, and policies within the broader Open Science ecosystem.

The Message Going Forward

The Bootcamp may have concluded, but its community continues to grow. Participants are encouraged to remain active on OpenPlato, engage with OpenAIRE's Training communities, and contribute to upcoming collaborative events and study cases. The connections made here, between data stewards, trainers, and institutions, form the foundation for lasting collaboration and mutual learning.

Together, we are shaping a FAIR-by-design research culture, one steward, one dataset, and one collaboration at a time.

We thank every participant, trainer, and organizer who helped turn the Bootcamp into a living example of Open Science in action, learning together, sharing openly, and building bridges that will last well beyond the event.

P.S. All materials are available for OpenPlato users here: 

Course: Research Data Management (RDM) for Data Stewards | OpenPlato

Written by Theodora Kavadia