The uptake of Open Science practices and of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) requires dedicated, professional profiles for data curation and data management, as well as equipping researchers with adequate skills and supporting them for the sharing and re-use of FAIR research digital objects. However, at present, data stewards and related profiles lack well-defined career paths, and data sharing and other open science practices are not fully mainstreamed within the research community and are often not recognised in research assessment practices.

The objective of this topic is to foster a stronger culture of Open Science and to address gaps related to the professionalisation of data stewards and to the acquisition and recognition of open science and data management skills at all career levels. This requires the identification of consistent core curricula for data stewards, together with the further development and coordination of competence centres at the European level.

Proposals are expected to cover the following activities:

• Coordinating European-level actions to make data steward curricula management consistent and to propose mechanisms to monitor their suitability and possible evolution.
• Enhancing data steward and researcher curricula with Open Science and FAIR practices, ensuring adaptability at the different contexts, levels and scientific domains of applicability.
• Addressing diverse data steward levels, including support staff and researchers.
• Collaborating with existing competence centres to foster Open Science and FAIR networks.
• Leveraging national networks and related institutional initiatives for European-level coordination.
• Launching outreach programs targeting early-career researchers and less-structured communities.
• Offering support to countries and institutions that are underrepresented and bolstering national competence centre networks.

Proposals are expected to build on and align with the European Competence Framework for Researchers (ResearchComp)^[1] and with the revised Charter for Researchers^[2], which underline the importance of Open Science competences and practices in research careers. Proposals should also seek for synergies with the activities of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) in order to reach a better recognition of open, collaborative practices in research assessment.

To ensure complementarity of outcomes, proposals are expected to cooperate and align with activities of the EOSC Partnership and to coordinate with relevant initiatives and projects contributing to the development of EOSC. In particular, proposals should take account of the results of the Skills4EOSC and FAIR-IMPACT projects and interact with related initiatives aimed at developing competence centres and at improving FAIR data practices in different contexts, like in research infrastructures, research performing organisation and higher education institutions. In particular, cooperation is expected with project(s) funded by call topic HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-EOSC-02. Proposals are expected to propose adequate measures and tailor its support to different levels and contexts of data stewardship.

Proposals are expected to establish interactions with the operators of the EOSC Federation, in order to ensure alignment with the policies and practices of the EOSC Federation, notably on the area of data interoperability standards, persistent identifiers and others to identify useful tools and resources for the broad EOSC community. This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership for the European Open Science Cloud.

[1] https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/jobs-research/researchcomp-european-competence-framework-researchers_en.

[2] https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/hrexcellenceaward/european-charter-researchers.