ELIXIR-CONVERGE D2.5 Report on the outreach activities and training activities produced

The scope of deliverable D2.5, part of ELIXIR-CONVERGE WP2 Task 2.4, is to provide an overview of the data management and stewardship related training and outreach activities that have been undertaken during the ELIXIR-CONVERGE project. ELIXIR-CONVERGE aimed to enhance Europe's data management capacity through an extensive training program implemented across the European Research Area. When ELIXIR-CONVERGE was initiated, there was a significant gap in research data management (RDM) and the need to advocate for their effective application. ELIXIR had almost 22 Nodes and had attracted interest from various European and non-European countries. Additionally, ELIXIR had expanded its Communities from four to sixteen. To assist these countries and Communities in adopting best practices in data management from the outset, a range of outreach activities were developed, and are described in this report. These activities aimed to disseminate information on data management plans (DMPs), their applications, and best practices. The target audiences identified included principal investigators, university libraries, national and local research data management communities, bioinformatics core facilities, industry stakeholders, funders, and policymakers. The objectives of Task 6.4 were to raise awareness about the importance of DMPs and to strengthen connections between ELIXIR and expert networks, and key partners such as ESFRI RI and EOSC. All these activities focused on three primary categories of stakeholders: 1) prospective countries interested in joining ELIXIR, 2) ELIXIR Communities, and 3) national and local research data management networks. By targeting these prioritised stakeholders individually or in groups, ELIXIR-CONVERGE aimed to effectively address data management challenges and foster collaboration and knowledge sharing in key DM areas. Distinguishing between training and dissemination activities can sometimes be challenging, as overlaps or blurred boundaries between both may exist. In the context of ELIXIR-CONVERGE, we defined training as any event that enables participants to learn something new or improve their skills. Training activities, which thus complement the outreach activities, were also conducted in prospective ELIXIR Member countries and for new Communities, not only to build capacity and engagement but also to expand outreach efforts, and ensure that the project outputs are visible, useful and hence impactful. These activities are reported in the companion deliverable 2.2