First RDNL Stakeholder Forum

October 2025

Co-creating a National Training and Community Platform

On 30 September 2025, Research Data Netherlands (RDNL) hosted its first Stakeholder Forum, at the seat of The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) in the Trippenhuis in Amsterdam. The event marked an important milestone in RDNL’s transition toward becoming a national training and community platform for data professionals, supported by Open Science NL funding (2025–2028). RDNL’s mission is to advance the implementation and long-term sustainability of FAIR and open science research by offering training, expertise and a strong professional network for those supporting research data management (RDM) in the Netherlands.

A shared effort to strengthen the data profession

More than forty participants representing research institutions, funding bodies, infrastructure providers, and other key organisations in Dutch research data management joined the Forum. Together, they explored how to build a sustainable platform that supports lifelong learning, knowledge exchange and community development for everyone working in data stewardship and research data management (RDM).

Participants introduced themselves and shared their motivations for attending — most as research data professionals or project managers, eager to learn about the project’s progress and contribute to shaping its next steps.

• “I was thrilled to see the vision for the National Training and Community Platform, as initially outlined by the National Programme Open Science, beginning to take shape. It was both inspiring and energising to witness so many passionate individuals from diverse organisations actively engaging in thoughtful, lively discussions around co-creating the Platform.”
• — Marta Teperek, Programme Leader FAIR Data, NWO

From 3TU Roots to a National Collaboration

RDNL’s training activities have a long history. They began in 2011, when the Data Intelligence for Librarians course was launched within the 3TU (now 4TU.ResearchData) network. Over the years, this initiative evolved into a national collaboration between 4TU.ResearchData, DANS, SURF and Health RI, collectively known as Research Data Netherlands.

Together, these partners have built a strong foundation for RDM training, including the widely recognised Essentials 4 Data Support and GDPR for Data Support courses. These remain at the heart of RDNL’s commitment to professionalising data stewardship and supporting the national Open Science agenda. 

Looking ahead RDNL envisions a national training and community platform that fosters knowledge exchange and capacity building across all scientific domains. With funding from Open Science NL (2025-2028), this vision can only be realised through active collaboration with the data professional community and stakeholders - precisely those invited to the first Stakeholder Forum.

A new website

One of the first visible outcomes of the project is the launch of the new bilingual RDNL website, officially introduced during the Forum with a virtual ribbon-cutting moment. The website serves as a central hub for data professionals, featuring news, training opportunities and community events in both Dutch and English. Rather than creating yet another source of information, the site connects existing resources and initiatives within the Dutch RDM landscape. Future updates will be developed in close collaboration with community partners to ensure the platform remains relevant and responsive to evolving needs.

The three pillars: Curriculum, Community, and Governance & Sustainability

Forum discussions focused on the platform’s three central pillars, each critical for its long-term success.

1. Curriculum

• This pillar aims to build capacity for data professionals through training and a national competency framework, defining the boundaries of the national curriculum and integrating existing training initiatives.
• Participants emphasised that RDM is constantly evolving; therefore, lifelong learning and peer exchange are as important as formal instruction. Entry-level stewards often lack an overview of available infrastructure and resources, while some researchers perform data stewardship tasks “on the side” and could benefit from lighter, targeted learning modules.
• Next steps include working with training providers and developing a badging and certification policy.

2. Community

Community involvement is seen as essential for cultural change in research data management. RDNL’s community approach centres on mapping, connecting and engaging existing communities of practice. Using the CSCCE framework, RDNL will document membership, activities and management models to highlight where collaboration already exists and where new links can be made.

• Forum discussions produced several insights:
• Integrate community participation into lifelong learning.
• Build on what already works in existing networks.
• Ensure inclusivity by engaging professionals less visible in current discussions.
• Offer refresher or reunion events to keep experienced professionals involved.
• In the coming year, RDNL will continue to co-organise events with partners to collect feedback and share progress, with four annual project events planned — the first in early 2026.

3. Governance and Sustainability

• This pillar focuses on creating a viable governance model and long-term sustainability for the platform. Forum participants discussed organisational support for data professionals and identified potential risks and enablers:
• The need for continued advocacy to ensure recognition of data professionals’ roles.
• The importance of remaining agile and adaptable in a fast-moving field.
• The necessity of organisational buy-in at every level to secure the platform’s future. 

• “This session helped me better understand what has been done and what the plans are for the coming years. The group discussions were very valuable, since I learned a lot from more experienced people. Giving feedback to the topics felt like a small effort but valuable way to contribute to the programme.”
• — Liz Guzman-Ramirez, Data Stewards’ Team Lead, Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e)

Reflections and Next Steps

Across all discussions, a shared vision emerged: the platform should not only deliver training, but also serve as a co-creative, national ecosystem for data professionals. Participants expressed a desire for continued, structured involvement — for example, through an advisory or ‘citizen council’-like body alongside annual Forums and community meetings.

At the end of the day, participants were asked who else should be involved in the coming years. Their suggestions — visualised in the word cloud shown below — reflect the diversity and inclusivity RDNL aims to foster across the Dutch research data community.

RDNL will integrate this feedback into the ongoing development of the three pillars and share updates through this website.

Continuing the collaboration

The first Stakeholder Forum highlighted the strong collective commitment to advancing data stewardship and Open Science in the Netherlands. RDNL warmly thanks all participants for their insights and engagement, and looks forward to working together to shape a sustainable, inclusive training and community platform for years to come.

For updates or to get involved, please feel welcome to reach out via: info@researchdata.nl