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Supporting EOSC
Co-funded by the European Union
Co-funded by UKRI
Spanish CC-OS&RD
Spanish CC-OS&RD

Spanish Competence Centre for Open Science and Research Data

logo Spanish CC-OS&RD

logo Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology

logo BSC-SSH

Link and contact
Spanish CC-OS&RD
Establishment year
2022
History
The Spanish Competence Centre for Open Science and Research Data (Spanish CC) was established as a collaborative initiative led by the OpenScienceLab at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), in partnership with the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center–Social Sciences and Humanities (BSC-SSH).
The OpenScienceLab, formally created in 2022 and directed by Eva Méndez, is a research group at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid focusing on metaresearch in Open Science, FAIR data, research assessment, and Open Science education. Since 2015, OpenScienceLab members have been actively training researchers, data stewards, and Open Science professionals, with a particular emphasis on early-career researchers. Participation in the Skills4EOSC project inspired the creation of this Competence Centre, uniting key Spanish actors already collaborating on strategic initiatives such as the National Strategy for Open Science (ENCA) and the Spanish Reproducibility Network.
The Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) is a public nonprofit foundation established in 2001 and operating under the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. Its mission is to promote science, technology, and innovation, and to strengthen the link between science and society through communication, education, training, information management, and open science initiatives. FECYT plays a central role in developing and implementing both national and European Open Access and Open Science policies, including the Spanish Strategy for Science and Innovation and the National Strategy for Open Science.
The Barcelona Supercomputing Center – Social Sciences & Humanities (BSC-SSH) provides critical expertise in high-performance computing applied to SSH research. As part of the BSC's mission to support advanced data analytics, digital scholarship, and responsible AI in the context of societal sciences and humanities, BSC-SSH brings technical infrastructure and methodological innovation to the Centre, ensuring that SSH domains are fully represented in EOSC-aligned training and services.
Together, these partners aim to coordinate Spain's contributions to EOSC-related projects and to foster a sustainable, inclusive, and collaborative Open Science ecosystem across the country.
Skills4EOSC CC Entry since
2025
Organization/unit structure, e.g.
The Spanish Competence Centre is coordinated by the OpenScienceLab at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), which provides overall leadership and operational management. The Centre is structured as a collaborative network that brings together strategic partners with complementary expertise: the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT), contributing policy coordination and support for Open Science infrastructures, and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center-Social Sciences & Humanities (BSC-SSH), providing technical capabilities and methodological innovation in data-intensive research. This coordinated structure ensures the Centre can effectively deliver training, guidance, and community engagement activities to support Spanish participation in the European Open Science Cloud and the widespread adoption of FAIR and Open Science practices.
Competences
The competences available within the Spanish Competence Centre include:
  • Training and capacity building for researchers, data stewards, and support staff.
  • Research data management and FAIR principles, including data management planning and metadata standards.
  • Open Access and Open Science publishing models.
  • Interoperability and technical support, with a focus on data infrastructures and high-performance computing applied to Social Sciences and Humanities.
  • Community engagement and awareness raising through events and outreach activities.
  • Support for reproducibility and responsible research practices.
  • Policy and strategic coordination in Open Science and research assessment.
Individuals and Institutions/Organizations
  • Eva Méndez, Director of the OpenScienceLab, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) (responsible)
  • Pilar Rico, Head of Open Science Unit, Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT)
  • Mercè Crosas, Director of the Social Sciences and Humanities Department, Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC-SSH)
Services offered
Training and Capacity Building
  • Training courses and workshops in Open Science, Open Access, Research Data Management (FAIR data), Responsible Research Assessment (RRA), etc.
  • Facilitating access to training materials.
  • Guides, guidelines, and good practices documentation.
Coordination and Collaboration
  • Coordination of the Spanish Reproducibility Network (SPRN) and organization of reproducibility training and activities, particularly for Early-career researchers.
  • Collaboration with other national and thematic Competence Centres and Open Science and research data training infrastructures in Europe and Latin America
Community Engagement and Events
  • Community engagement activities, including the Open Science Community Madrid (OSCM).
  • Events, such as Open Science Café sessions and ReproducibiliTea meetings.
  • Awareness-raising campaigns and dissemination activities.
Support and Advisory Services
  • Support and advice on Open Science and Responsible Research Assessment for researchers and institutions.
  • Pilot projects to test and showcase Open Science tools and workflows.
Monitoring, Dissemination and Advocacy
  • Monitoring and reporting on the adoption of Open Science practices.
  • Promoting transparency, collaboration, innovation, and Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) within the scientific community.
Resources and Operational Tools
  • A dedicated training and demonstration laboratory at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), equipped with technical infrastructure to support workshops, pilot projects, and collaborative activities.
  • Training materials, guidelines, policy documents, and good practices developed within national and European projects (e.g., Skills4EOSC, FAIRsFAIR, Twin4MERIT)
  • Recorded webinars, video tutorials, and presentations.
  • Collaborative platforms for project management, document sharing, and virtual meetings.
  • Video conferencing and webinar systems to support remote training and community engagement.
  • Tools and templates for data management plans, research assessment processes, and Open Science workflows. Gamification of training in all these areas.
  • Communication channels and dissemination materials, including websites, newsletters, and social media.
Is part of EOSC ecosystem?
While the OpenScienceLab and UC3M are not direct members of the EOSC Association, the OpenScienceLab actively contributes to the EOSC ecosystem through participation in Horizon Europe projects such as Skills4EOSC and other initiatives related to FAIR data, Open Science training, and research assessment.
FECYT plays a central role in coordinating Spain’s involvement in EOSC as the National Open Access Desk of OpenAIRE and a key actor in the development of the National Strategy for Open Science (ENCA). BSC-SSH contributes technical expertise and computing infrastructure aligned with EOSC services and participates in several European projects supporting data interoperability and advanced analytics.
Together, we ensure a strong connection with the broader EOSC community and promote the adoption of EOSC-aligned practices in Spain.