Open Science (OS) is a central concept to the advancement of science in Europe through the 21st century. To promote a more transparent scientific agenda, scientists need to attain interdisciplinary and transversal skills beyond their specialisation. Researchers need to be experts in research management, aware of the diversity of intercultural research groups and disciplines, and manage stressful steps in their research. Importantly, researchers also need to be able to engage broader audiences, being confident, capable communicators. The OEduverse Strategic Partnership builds off the successful EDUWORKS MCA-ITN, aiming to establish a consortium focused on addressing this key labour market skills shortage. As such, the project is built on three central pillars: 1). The development of psychological support training best practices; assisting researchers to understand the stresses of academia and develop positive cognitive frameworks to face the stresses of OS. 2). Development of OS training; innovative teaching focused on publishing, understanding privacy and ethics, project management, all against the backdrop of the contemporary issues in OS. 3). Promotion of OS and Engagement; focusing on developing storytelling ability of scientists through training in performance art, expanding their abilities to engage with non-scientific communities. Context/Background OS skills are critical to academia and the corporate sector in the 21st century. Researchers need to be confident, capable communicators, experts in research management, aware of the diversity of intercultural research groups and disciplines, manage stressful steps, but remain open and innovative at the same time and integrate fundamental IT skills to support the analytical of their work. Together they are OS skills. The OEduverse project aims to establish a personalised training framework, to provide the foundations of OS skills training to early stage and experienced researchers, which reflects labour market needs. Objectives OEduverse will create and deliver high quality training content for groups of researchers active in diverse and interdisciplinary environments, in order to: 1, Encourage lifelong learning to bridge the gap between individuals, education and the labour market. This will be accomplished via the development and the deployment of innovative courses organised into a learning programme, informed by timely embedded research. These courses include the development of a number of labour market critical skills, supporting OS like communication (effective communication and use of tone and breath), intercultural skills to understand and manage cultural differences, psychological skills to avoid stress and burnout and scientific communication skills. 2, While encouraging continued education in this fields, we also aim to integrate a network of professionals, engaging a range of stakeholders from academia, industry, and governmental institutions, in order to create diversity and further inspire continues education. 3, Raise awareness for the implications of a data-driven society (by using data science) in education, and work both, at organizational and policy level, and for the implications on OS training and the employment of researchers in the 21st century. Consortium The University of Siegen (USI) has expertise in projects in the domain of applied knowledge management, intelligent systems, machine learning, and software development with a strong application, educational and analytical focus. The Technische Informationsbibliothek (TIB) supports specialist and research communities in their learning and work processes and is actively involved in activities that put forward the full switch of scientific publishing to Open Access, as envisioned by (among others) the European Commission. SciLink’s has expertise in the systematic approach to train transversal skills in a complex interdisciplinary and intercultural setting. SciLink organizes high quality workshops for groups of researchers (both early stage and experienced researchers) active in diverse and interdisciplinary environments. The Trinity Student Counselling Services (TCD), is empowering students to develop personal, interpersonal and academic skills as well as promotes positive student mental health, well-being and resilience, supporting students with their academic, personal and continuing professional development. MCAA is one of the largest European researcher alumni communities. Its members are high profile researchers and researchers in training. MCAA operates multiple internal European transnational working groups, in which the needs of research master and graduate students are researched. SPACE is an international performance group, having wide experience in immersive collaborative storytelling, documentary theatre, installations and flexible formats of ‘out of the box’ thinking, future scenarios, change management, team-building, and communication and negotiation skills.
The OEduverse project believes it is vital to have agency over your research environment, to own your story and to get a hold of your career and mental health. Our stories are inseparable from the environment we live in and we can not always change our environment. However, we can change the tools we use and the understanding of ourselves and of our environment. These tools for us are the transversal skill areas open science, mental health, and immersive storytelling, which OEduverse brings together in an innovative summer school training programme, that combines training and flipped, interactive phases. With the training, with your story, and in interaction with trainers and peers, we believe we can overcome limitations. Understanding is not only the base but a conduit for change. The programme and the lessons learned are made for shaping your research environment. Training is only the beginning. It is about creating the space and fostering the ability to listen and integrate the individual perspectives and the training insights to shape a journey for change. We are sure we contributed to that journey with the OEduverse training programme. Together with you.
Open science skills are critical. Researchers need to be confident, capable communicators, experts in research management, aware of diversity of intercultural research groups, manage stressful steps, but remain open and innovative. While many jobs and callings can come with their own impacts on mental health, there are indications that pressure and mental health struggles are rising in science in comparison to industrial occupations. Recent studies have shown a positive influence of resilience, adaptive perfectionism, higher levels of social support and positive evaluations of progress and preparation, departmental climate, and supervisory relationship on mental health. Compromising those factors will lead to more struggles. Furthermore, creativity, critical thinking, and communication are essential skills researchers need in our ever-changing world. It is an ongoing challenge for researchers to explain the importance and potential of their work which may add to existing struggles. The OEduverse project picks up here to establish a personalised training framework, providing foundations of a cross-cutting training for early stage researchers, to foster agency and overcome struggles by training, understanding and interaction.