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January 2026
27 Jan 2026, 9:24
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Čeština
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Dear readers,
The beginning of 2026 offers the perfect opportunity to reflect on the past year and to summarise how the EOSC CZ initiative has succeeded in translating theoretical concepts into practical solutions. At the same time, activities planned for the upcoming period are already under way: within the Open Science II project, the first call for mini-projects is being prepared, preparations for the election of working group leaders are in progress, and the EOSC CZ Training Centre team has already begun planning new educational activities.
We wish you a great deal of energy, high-quality data, and meaningful collaboration in the year ahead.
The EOSC CZ team
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Launch of the new NMA version
In January, a new version of the National Metadata Directory (NMA) was launched – a system designed for searching and registering Czech research data. The updated version of the NMA introduces a range of new features. Among the key enhancements is the ability to generate a URL link to a dataset, which can be used when reporting the research output Digital Data Collection (T) in the RIV system.
Before its launch, the new version of the NMA was extensively tested in cooperation with members of the scientific community. We would like to thank everyone who took part in the testing for their time, feedback, and interest in improving the quality of the national data infrastructure.
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Preliminary information on call for collaboration No. 1 – mini-projects
Charles University has published preliminary information on the first call for mini-projects, aimed at supporting discipline-specific and interdisciplinary activities related to the implementation of the EOSC initiative in the Czech Republic. Complete information on the call will be published by the end of the month.
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Elections of EOSC CZ working group leaders approaching
The EOSC CZ initiative is entering a new phase of its development and will initiate the election process for its working group leaders in the coming weeks. The elections will be conducted in an anonymous online format, in accordance with the Statutes and Rules of Procedure of the EOSC CZ Working Groups. Detailed information on the timetable and the election process will be published in early February on the www.eosc.cz website. Information about the previous election process in 2024 can be found here.
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The year 2025 demonstrated that research data management is no longer a marginal topic or merely a technical concern. We reflect on key milestones of the EOSC CZ initiative, ranging from the shift from general discussions to practical solutions, through the development of repositories and infrastructure, to the role of the people who help ensure that research data remain usable in everyday research practice. You will also learn how Czech experience is increasingly shaping the European EOSC landscape and why responsible data stewardship is becoming a natural part of research culture.
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Seven networking events, hundreds of experts, and dozens of participating institutions. One of the key objectives of 2025 was to foster opportunities for meeting and connecting research communities across the Czech Republic. The EOSC CZ networking events successfully fulfilled this aim, creating a space for sharing experience, open discussion, and the search for practical solutions in the areas of open science and research data management. Read on to find out where the events took place, what their main benefits were, and how the EOSC CZ initiative will build on them as early as this March at the Prague networking event.
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After three years of preparation, the CARDS project (a complementary project to IPs EOSC-CZ) is entering the final phase of implementing a new shared library platform. More than 30 universities and research organisations across the Czech Republic are involved. The next-generation platform (PNG) aims to unify the management of library collections across institutions and to provide a shared discovery tool facilitating access to documents as well as research data. The deployment of the platform within individual institutions will take place gradually over the coming years, in three implementation waves.
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SRIA 2.0, together with the Multi-Annual Roadmap (MAR), sets out the main direction for developing EOSC for the period 2026–2030. The EOSC Association is now launching a public consultation, giving the expert community the opportunity to actively contribute to shaping EOSC’s vision, priorities, and key technological and innovation challenges. Share your views by completing the questionnaire (taking 10–15 minutes) by 31 January.
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The CLARA Center of Excellence, a research centre including VSB–TUO, is announcing a competition for young talents under 35. The call seeks innovative digital solutions that can improve quality of life in older age, support brain health, and aid in the fight against neurodegenerative diseases. Successful participants will receive a financial award and the opportunity to further develop their ideas.
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The Research Infrastructures for the Future of Ukraine (RIFF) project, coordinated by Masaryk University, provides targeted support to Ukraine. In collaboration with European and Ukrainian partners, it focuses on developing a strategic plan for recovering research infrastructures, supporting the professional development of researchers, and strengthening ties between research communities. The project also includes Informational Days, which can be attended online. The next session is scheduled for 16 February, but information on support opportunities and further details are already available on the project website.
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EOSC CZ training opportunities in 2026
The EOSC CZ Training Centre is preparing a wide range of educational activities in 2026, offered both in-person and online. Key planned events include the intensive Summer School for Data Stewards in June, focusing on soft skills, DSW, metadata, and the use of AI; training sessions during the EOSC Networking event in Prague in March; and the Citizen Science Day in Ostrava in May. The programme will culminate in a three-day national conference at the turn of 2026–2027.
Online training will also be available. On 5 February, a webinar on repositories in the humanities will take place, and on 19 March, a repeat of the successful data management planning workshop by Georgia Koutentaki is planned. Discussions on additional topics, such as NRP services, remain open.
If you have suggestions for additional online training sessions, please let us know.
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We invite you to attend this year’s first webinar, which will take place on 5 February. This training will introduce the principles of managing, storing, and long-term archiving of digital research data, focusing on the creation and implementation of data management plans, metadata standards, licensing policies, copyright issues, and data security.
All our training courses are available on the EOSC CZ Training Centre website. If you've missed any sessions, you can access the recordings of completed training events on our YouTube EOSC Czech Republic channel.
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The FAIR Digital Objects Conference 2026 (25–27 March) will focus on key topics related to the development and practical use of FAIR Digital Objects (FDOs). Panel discussions and expert sessions will cover the motivation for adopting FDOs, interoperability and standardisation issues, security considerations, and building trust in data ecosystems through the STAP principles (Sovereignty, Transparency, Accountability, Persistence). The programme will also feature practical examples of FDO implementation, paper presentations, lightning talks, and poster sessions, providing insights into both conceptual and practical challenges in this field.
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