Open Science Ambassadors Kick-off
On Wednesday, September 10, 2025, researchers from HSLU, staff from central service units, and the Data Stewardship project team gathered for the kick-off event of the Open Science Ambassador Program.
Dr. Elena Šimukovič (Head of Research & Infrastructure, ZHAW) presented her talk “Open Science – the way forward!?”, introducing an approach for evaluating researchers and research contributions (Project: CoARA). She also showcased two ZHAW initiatives:
- ROADS – Reusing Openly Accessible Research Data for Student Theses, and
- DSembedded, a project aimed at building a network of “embedded experts” within all ZHAW departments.
These experts serve as local contact points for research data management (RDM) support within their fields and communicate emerging needs to central services.
In the following session, HSLU researchers shared insights from their daily work with research data. They discussed challenges particularly related to data storage (file management and formats), data sharing (rights, licenses, access management), and collaboration with project partners (clear responsibilities, data flows, and reuse agreements). Another recurring theme was the lack of recognition for data outputs and data practices in research performance evaluations.
The Open Science Ambassador Program aims to address these issues through low-threshold exchange and consultation opportunities, discipline-specific tools, and the empowerment of contact persons within departments. In the long term, the goal is to improve data practices in everyday research and to strengthen the visibility and appreciation of research data.
We thank everyone for their engagement and look forward to continued collaboration.
New participants are warmly welcome — we are happy to answer questions and offer informal discussions.
All presentation slides, including the guest lecture, can be downloaded here (CC-BY).