Training for open science
The EU supports the notion of open science, whereby the general citizenship can freely access publicly funded research data and scientific publications. Nevertheless, the policy remains incompletely implemented, while facing important knowledge gaps and technical obstacles. The EU-funded FOSTER(opens in new window) (Facilitate open science training for European research) project coordinated the various stakeholders. The initiative fostered adoption of open access in context of the ERA and in compliance with Horizon 2020 policies. FOSTER addressed its aims by targeting young researcher training and strengthening the capacity of ERA institutions to provide such training. The team also facilitated the adoption of open access policies of other European research funders. The consortium established and supported more than 100 training events in 28 countries, with a total participation of over 6 000 individuals. FOSTER's portal collated and made available more than 1 800 separate training items. The project offered 11 e-learning courses, delivered via modes including online self-learning and moderated classes. Topics included open access, open data and open science. The training reached communities from many fields of research, and provided practical advice, support and help. The FOSTER project developed European researchers' understanding of the EU's open science requirements and compliance with such regulations. Thus, EU research will be more open in the future.