Enhancing Skills, Building Capacity: The FOSSR Approach to Training in Social Science Research Infrastructures

This chapter analyzes the strategic role of training within Research Infrastructures (RIs) in the Social Sciences, with particular reference to the experience developed within the FOSSR project. Drawing on the framework of European and international policies on Open Science, the paper argues that capacity-building activities are not an ancillary service of RIs, but rather an essential condition for their scientific effectiveness, sustainability, and transformative capacity. The FOSSR training strategy was structured as a multilevel model encompassing online learning, participatory constructivist sessions, and advanced higher education programmes, such as postgraduate courses and doctoral scholarships. The chapter illustrates the design, implementation methods, and some participation indicators, highlighting high levels of satisfaction and inclusiveness, with particular attention to the territorial dimension and gender balance. The FOSSR experience demonstrates a commitment to effectively make RIs open, collaborative, and reflective ecosystems. By combining awareness-raising, the skilled use of shared data and services, and transformative learning practices, the FOSSR approach promotes the advancement of a model of knowledge production based on shared innovative tools and data. Furthermore, it fosters participation beyond academia, engaging researchers, policymakers, and civil society actors in the pursuit of a more open and inclusive science.