Mapping RDM training resources in data competence portfolios: A success story

June 26, the WiNoDa and DALIA teams hosted a dynamic three‑hour online workshop on “Mapping learning resources and identifying gaps in data competence portfolios.” We brought together participants from data competence centers (DKZs), NFDI consortia (such as DALIA and RDMT), regional RDM projects, and domain experts to share, map, and strategize on how we deliver data competence training across initiatives.

Pie chart displaying the participants at the online workshop "Mapping learning resourcese and identifying gaps in data competence portfolios". They are: DALIA, WiNoDa, SODa, Come2Data, HERMES, de.KCD, RDMTraining4NFDI, RDM State Initiative Lower Saxony, NFDI4Earth, AquaINFRA
27 persons from 10 different initiatives participated in the workshop.

Pre-workshop survey

The pre-workshop survey played a foundational role in shaping both the design and outcomes of the workshop. The survey revealed who was participating (e.g. DKZs, NFDI consortia, RDM initiatives), their roles, and their target training groups, allowing us to tailor content to their realities.

Workshop goals and structure

Our workshop focused on:

  • Coordinating existing training initiatives to avoid duplication
  • Identifying gaps in content, particularly at advanced and discipline-specific levels
  • Co‑developing practical solutions to address those gaps
  • Building stronger networks through shared training resources

We structured the session using:

  1. Introductions and  context-setting, including live results from a pre‑workshop survey
  2. Hands‑on collaborative mapping via a Miro board in breakout groups
  3. Group presentations, reflection, and agreement on next steps

 What We Found

Matrix of existing RDM training materials by topic and level of difficulty. It shows that teaching materials on the major topics of data documentation, metadata, FAIR principles, open science, law & ethics and discipline-specific materials exist mainly in the introductory and basic level. There are gaps in the advanced courses in particular, as well as in the fields of law and ethics.
Introductory and basic courses are well covered, but there is a lack of in-depth and subject-specific courses.

Strong foundation, weak upper levels :Most training materials currently focus on introductory content, defining terms, FAIR basics, but advanced levels like application, analysis, and ethics are largely missing.

Uneven discipline-specific coverage : While general RDM topics are well-supported, domain-specific training is underrepresented. We used Bloom’s taxonomy and topic matrices to visualize these gaps effectively.

Discoverability and coordination of gaps : Many valuable training resources exist (GitHub, Zenodo, ORCA, Twillo), but metadata, indexing, and licensing inconsistencies make it hard to find and reuse them. Participants agreed on the need for a shared metadata schema and central catalogue to support the work done by the DALIA team.

Outcomes and next steps

  • Gap analysis framework created on Miro, capturing key training overlaps and gaps.
  • Action plans: collaborative content development, metadata standards, and follow-up coordination.
  • Positive process feedback, with high appreciation for the content, interactive tools like Miro enabling real-time collaboration.

Some positive feedback from participants:

Bar chart titled "The content of the event was relevant to my work". The X-axis is labeled from 1 to 5. 11% answered 2, 22% answered 3, while 33 % answered 4 or 5, making it 2/3 finding the workshop relevant or very relevant.
A large majority of participants in the final survey found the workshop relevant to their work.

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