Building Digital Skills Training Capacity in the Netherlands NES Domain — A Call to action

Across the natural and engineering sciences (NES), researchers increasingly rely on digital methods — from data analysis and visualization to code-based modelling and reproducible workflows. Yet, while the demand for digital research skills keeps growing, many institutions still face a lack of training capacity and reusable lesson materials that address domain-specific needs.

To tackle this challenge, the project Building digital skills training and lesson development capacity in the Netherlands NES domain was launched. Funded by the Thematic Digital Competence Centre (TDCC) for the NES domain, the project aims to strengthen the national infrastructure for digital skills training by investing in instructor development, lesson creation, and community building.

Why this project matters

Researchers in NES disciplines often work with complex data and computational models that require specific expertise to handle responsibly and reproducibly. However, opportunities to learn these skills — or to teach them effectively — are unevenly distributed. Many universities and institutes depend on a small number of trainers, while suitable lesson materials are often developed in isolation and remain difficult to find or reuse.

This project addresses that gap by focusing on three key areas: training new instructors, supporting lesson development tailored to NES needs, and fostering collaboration across institutions to strengthen training networks. In doing so, it aligns with national ambitions to promote open science, FAIR data, and reproducible research.

What the project will deliver

Over the coming two years, the project will create new opportunities for digital skills training throughout the NES community in the Netherlands. The main deliverables include:

• Training 50 new Carpentries instructors who will be equipped to deliver high-quality, hands-on workshops across institutions.
• Supporting three teams to develop new NES-relevant lessons, following the Carpentries Collaborative Lesson Development model to ensure open, reusable, and peer-reviewed learning materials.
• Establishing regional and cross-institutional training hubs, with guidance and funding to organize the first four workshops that will help kick-start sustainable collaboration.
• Ensuring open access to all lessons developed, so that materials can be freely reused and adapted by others within the NES domain and beyond.

By combining these efforts, the project aims to build a sustainable, distributed network of skilled instructors and high-quality, domain-relevant lesson materials that can serve the entire research community.

Help shape how opportunities are distributed

To make the selection of instructors and lesson development teams transparent and inclusive, TDCC–NES is inviting members of the NES research community to share their input through a short survey. The feedback collected will inform the eligibility and selection criteria for participation and funding, which will be made publicly available on the 4TU.ResearchData website.

This is a unique chance to help define how digital skills capacity is built across the Netherlands. The survey takes only a few minutes to complete and contributes directly to ensuring that the process reflects the diversity and needs of the NES community.

By sharing your perspective, you help ensure that opportunities for training, lesson creation, and collaboration are distributed fairly and effectively — supporting a stronger, more connected network of digital skills practitioners.

Looking ahead

As the project progresses, we can expect to see a growing national network of instructors and training hubs, alongside an expanding set of open, domain-specific lessons. These efforts will make it easier for researchers to access relevant training, for institutions to host workshops, and for communities of practice to flourish around shared teaching materials.

For researchers and data supporters, this means more opportunities to learn, teach, and collaborate. For institutions, it represents a concrete step toward building sustainable digital skills infrastructure that supports open and reproducible science.