EOSC CZ in 2025: How the Perspective on Research Data Changed Over the Past Year

Projects within the EOSC CZ Initiative

The year 2025 also confirmed the fundamental importance of the foundations established through ongoing EOSC CZ projects. Building on these foundations, research communities emerging from EOSC CZ working groups began developing domain-specific repositories together with related tools and services. These efforts would not have been possible without the technical, methodological, and expert infrastructure built over the previous years.

A key contribution is the National Repository Platform, which provides both essential hardware infrastructure, including storage capacity, and software solutions, such as repository systems. Combined with the methodological support and expertise developed through EOSC-CZ and CARDS system projects, this infrastructure has become one of the core pillars of the follow-up project, Open Science II, which was successfully launched at the end of the year under the coordination of Charles University. Within Open Science II, this infrastructure is now being further expanded to enable the establishment and operation of dozens of new domain-specific and institutional repositories across the Czech research landscape.

“The Open Science calls within OP JAK allow us to involve research communities directly in addressing concrete questions of EOSC implementation in the Czech Republic — not merely as users, but as active project partners. This is not technology developed for its own sake, but tools that make sense to researchers in their everyday work,” summarises Michaela Capandová.

Survey on Research Data Management in the Czech Republic

EOSC CZ Working Groups bring together hundreds of experts from across the Czech Republic who have long been involved in designing the national data infrastructure, services, and tools for research data management. However, a well-designed infrastructure must be grounded in real research practice—how researchers currently work with data, what barriers they face, and where they encounter systemic limitations.

To verify that the activities of the EOSC CZ initiative are moving in the right direction and responding to the actual needs of the research community, the first national survey on research data management across disciplines and institutional types in the Czech Republic was conducted in 2025. The survey received responses from more than 1,210 respondents, out of approximately 3,800 contacted principal investigators of research projects that were initiated or completed between 2004 and January 2025. The survey focused on how researchers acquire, process, manage, and share research data.

“The survey results showed that a significant part of the research community perceives FAIR principles and responsible data management as a meaningful component of high-quality research. At the same time, researchers feel heavily burdened by administrative requirements, which are often unclear, imprecise, and misaligned with the specifics of research activities,” summarizes the main findings of the survey Pavlína Špringerová. “A typical example is data management plans, which most respondents still view primarily as a formal requirement imposed by funding bodies rather than as a tool that would help them manage data throughout a project. This feedback is particularly important to us, as it highlights areas that require further attention.”

The survey also confirmed that research data are shared relatively commonly in the Czech research environment, though still predominantly through informal channels. The continued storage of data on personal computers or portable media poses risks not only in terms of security and long-term accessibility, but also points to limited awareness of more advanced data management options, including national infrastructure and repository services.

These and other findings provide a clear impulse for the EOSC CZ initiative to more clearly communicate the practical benefits of systematic and responsible research data management and to support the use of national resources and infrastructure in research practice. For these reasons, the survey is planned to be repeated in the coming years to track long-term trends and to evaluate the impact of the development of the national data infrastructure and support for research communities.

Working Groups Facing New Challenges

EOSC CZ working groups were established at a time when it was necessary to jointly identify key challenges and design the foundations of research data support in the Czech environment. Their activities developed dynamically in close connection with outputs of major national O JAC projects, in whose preparation the working groups were actively involved. The successful completion of this phase now opens space for new visions.

“The working groups delivered a tremendous amount of work in the initial phase of building the National Data Infrastructure. We are now, however, moving into a stage where the established foundations need to be actively used, expanded, and complemented with new concrete use cases. At this point, the working groups themselves should proactively set the direction for the further development of EOSC in the Czech Republic,” explains Jaroslav Juráček.

This transition also brings broader ambitions. The next stage is no longer only about national frameworks and processes, but also about the ability to succeed in international competition, demonstrate the quality of emerging solutions, and transform established foundations into real, long-term impact for Czech and European research. This requires not only technical expertise but also strong collaboration across institutions, active community building, and interdisciplinary perspectives.

Accordingly, changes in the functioning of working groups are planned. New support structures for cross-cutting topics will allow continuity with previous work while focusing more strongly on goals with direct impact on research data management in practice. A key prerequisite for this transformation is an active and professionally strong membership base, which is why a comprehensive renewal of working group membership took place in 2025.

“This year, we will also hold elections of the EOSC CZ working group leaders. Our aim is once again to engage personalities who can demonstrate that the Czech Republic has much to offer in research data management, digital technologies, and artificial intelligence — and that it can act as a confident and competitive partner within the European research area.” adds Jaroslav Juráček.

The People Who Keep Data Alive

One of the most encouraging aspects of 2025 was the intensive work with people and expert communities. Across the Czech Republic, an active network of data stewards is gradually forming. Although their role is not always immediately visible to researchers, it is becoming increasingly important — and in many situations indispensable. Experience has confirmed that technical solutions alone are not sufficient. Without people who understand them and can translate them into everyday practice, their potential remains unused.

The EOSC CZ initiative has been systematically building an environment that connects research data management professionals across Czech institutions and helps anchor their work. Through coordinated support, an interactive national map of data stewards, education and training activities, experience sharing, and promotion of data stewardship positions, a professional community is emerging in which data stewardship becomes a stable part of the research ecosystem.

From the researchers’ perspective, this support is most visible in concrete situations — from preparing grant proposals and data management plans, through selecting appropriate repositories and defining data and metadata structures, to addressing data sharing, sensitive data protection, and decisions on post-project data reuse. Access to expert consultation provides researchers with greater confidence, helps prevent errors, and allows them to focus on research itself rather than on administrative uncertainty around data.

“Everyday experience shows that technologies do not work without people. Data stewards, therefore, play an essential role between technical infrastructure and daily research practice. Researchers approach them with particular questions that vary by discipline, data type, and funder requirements. Educational activities provide a crucial space where these real-world data challenges can be addressed — increasingly also questions related to generative AI, especially where it can support data processing, quality, or reuse.” says Pavlína Tassanyi, Head of the EOSC CZ Training Centre.

EOSC CZ as a Respected Voice at the European Level

Through the EOSC CZ initiative, the Czech Republic has become increasingly engaged in European activities such as EOSC United and EOSC Gravity, actively contributing to the development of the EOSC Federation and preparing the national node — the Czech EOSC Node. This engagement is not limited to institutional participation. Czech experts are also personally involved in key governance and advisory structures of EOSC, serving as co-chairs of task forces, members of Opportunity Area expert groups, and participants in the governing bodies of the EOSC Association. As a result, Czech experience in research data management, research infrastructures, and sensitive data handling directly informs European strategies, recommendations, and the future direction of EOSC.

European cooperation, therefore, naturally connects with national priorities. Infrastructure, services, and repositories developed within EOSC CZ must not only function effectively domestically but also succeed internationally. The ability to offer high-quality, interoperable, and sustainable solutions will determine whether Czech research becomes a fully equal partner in the European Research Area — or remains on its margins.

“If we want Czech researchers to be perceived as equal partners in Europe, we must be present already during the formulation of rules, priorities, services, infrastructures, and repositories. That is precisely the role of EOSC CZ — to bring Czech experience into European debates while opening doors to international collaboration for our researchers,” concludes Matej Antol.