RDNL Community Platform annual event: Building the foundations

With support from Open Science NL, Research Data Netherlands (RDNL) is developing a national training and community platform for data professionals. Building on existing RDNL training activities, the platform is co-created with the community and focuses on skills and capacity development, national and international collaboration, and sustainable governance and recognition. As part of this work, we will be hosting another community event.

On 9 March 2026, RDNL brought together data professionals from across the Netherlands for our first community event as part of the RDNL training platform initiative. It was a valuable moment to exchange experiences, openly acknowledge challenges, and explore how we can better support one another as a community. See RDNL's blog post about the event for more details and photos.

This deposit contains the report describing the event, as well as presentation slides, workshop posters, shared notes, and other materials associated with the event. 

Event Details

• Date: Monday 9 March 2026
• Time: 10.00 – 16.00 (lunch included) 
• Location: Congresgebouw De Vereeniging (Mariaplaats 14, 3511 LJ, Utrecht). The venue is located less than 500 metres away from Utrecht Centraal.

Agenda

10.00 - 10.30
Registration with coffee and tea

10.30 - 11.00
Welcome and getting to know each other

11.00 - 11.45 
Plenary session: Building sustainable foundations for data professionals

11.45 - 12.30 
Interactive plenary: Shaping the future of the Training and Community Platform together

12.30 - 13.30  
Networking lunch

13.30 - 14.15 
Breakout sessions round 1

14.15 - 14.30 
Transfer time, coffee and tea

14.30 - 15.15 
Breakout sessions round 2

15.15 - 15.30 
Transfer time, coffee and tea

15.30 - 16.00 
Wrap up & closure

16.00 - 16.45
Drinks

Breakout sessions

Breakout 1: Commiserating over good and bad RDM practices through gamification
Bjørn Bartholdy (TU Delft), Stefan Kirsch (Tilburg University), Anne Mutsaars-Aarts (Tilburg University) 
Bad research data management. We've all been there. The way forward is to share a laugh, discuss good (enough) practice, and learn from our past mistakes. This is best done over a game that encourages playful interactions. In this session we will develop a data (stewardship) extension to an existing game, Open Science Against Humanity. Cards will be developed by participants during a discussion on good and bad practices in data stewardship. And we will of course play the game!

Breakout 2: Draw your learning path!
Dorien Huijser (TU Delft / RDNL) and Fieke Schoots (Health-RI / RDNL)
RDNL is building a national training programme that includes pre-made learning paths for research data professionals. We want to learn from you how you envision such a learning path. Have fun with colours, be creative, and guide data stewards on their learning journey! This workshop takes place in both workshop rounds. In the first round, we will together draw learning paths. In the second round, we will continue along the paths taken. Participants are welcome in one ór both rounds

Breakout 3: Active listening skills for research data professionals
Nami Sunami (TU Eindhoven) and Mijke Jetten (Health-RI / RDNL) 
Research data professionals are constantly in conversation with researchers, IT staff and policy makers. In this interactive session, we explore effective and ineffective communication behaviours. Participants will practise concrete listening skills to strengthen constructive and supportive conversations.