Open Science Competence Network – Data Steward PL

Full Name of the Institution: brak afiliacji, otwarta i niezależna grupa

The Open Science Competence Network – Data Steward PL is a community of individuals typically affiliated with Polish universities, research institutes, and research centers, who professionally engage with issues related to Open Science, particularly research data. This group includes librarians, researchers, IT specialists, and administrative staff. The network emerged as a grassroots initiative driven by the need to create a national forum for exchanging ideas and experiences in research data management.

From 2021 to 2023, the network, then known as the Data Stewardship Competence Centers PL – Polish Working Group, was affiliated with the Gdańsk University of Technology Library and the international GO FAIR Implementation Network initiative. In January 2024, the group underwent a name change and shifted its operational model. Currently, the Open Science Competence Network – Data Steward PL is not affiliated with any specific research institution and functions as an open, independent group.

A Steering Committee has been selected from among its members, tasked with organizing meetings and overseeing the group’s ongoing activities. Membership in the Open Science Competence Network – Data Steward PL is free and voluntary.

The group’s online meetings take place on the first Wednesday of each month, except for July and August. In-person exchanges of ideas among network members occur during conferences and thematic seminars. The most recent in-person meeting of the network was held on February 14, 2025, in Poznań, prior to the start of the seminar “Open Research Data – Polish Perspective ‘25.”

Author of the text: Maria Kuczkowska, University Library in Poznań

Authors of the photos: Agnieszka Wiktor-Sass, Maria Kuczkowska, University Library in Poznań