Open Science seminar series
SciLifeLab Open Science seminar series is an event series by the SciLifeLab Data Centre and NBIS joint Data Management team.
The goal of the events in this seminar series is to provide interesting interactive seminars around topics related to Research Data Management and Open Science in general, and to foster discussions around best practices.
Research Data Management (RDM) concerns the organization, storage, preservation, and sharing of data that is collected and analyzed during a research project. Proper planning and management of research data will make project management easier and more efficient while projects are being performed. It also facilitates sharing and allows others to validate as well as reuse the data.
Open Science is a set of principles and practices that aim to make scientific research from all fields accessible to everyone for the benefits of scientists and society as a whole. Open science is about making sure not only that scientific knowledge is accessible but also that the production of that knowledge itself is inclusive, equitable and sustainable.
The events are open to everyone working at or affiliated with a Swedish research institute or university. We welcome all researchers, educational professionals, staff, RDM professionals, and others with an interest in life sciences, from all university levels. The events are informal and inclusive, so feel welcome to join and participate in our interesting discussions!
The events will be recorded and published openly after the seminars on the SciLifeLab Talks & Training YouTube channel.
The slides from the presentations will be published openly after the seminars in our seminar series collection on the SciLifeLab Data Repository or on Zenodo, depending on the choice of preference of the presenter(s).
If you have suggestions for topics or presentations, please contact us at data-management@scilifelab.se
Upcoming events
GENERAL INFORMATION – UPCOMING EVENTS
Autumn 2025
We are welcoming you to our upcoming seminars this fall.
Currently we are planning a few interesting seminars on the following topics:
– Open Science, Data Management, and Research Integrity
– Global Open Research Commons (GORC) International Model
– Open Science Stories – Inspirational stories and experiences from researchers
– Open Science Checklist – Working with an Open Science Checklist to improve the FAIRness of your research
Exact dates for the seminars will be announced soon.
If you have an interesting idea for a seminar or if you would like to present yourself in one of our upcoming seminars, please contact us: data-management@scilifelab.se
Upcoming events – affiliated groups
To be announced
Previous events
2025
FAIR play: Mastering Metadata to Empower Life Scientists
November 25, 2025, 11.00-12.00 (virtual event).
Unlock the potential of your research by mastering meta(data) management in and the FAIR Data Principles—Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. This session offers practical guidance tailored for life scientists, focusing on best practices to organise and share your data effectively. The talk will focus on how good metadata practices can enhance collaboration, ensure reproducibility, and align your work with Open Science principles, ultimately increasing the impact of your research.
Presenter: Parul Tewatia – SciLifeLab Data Centre
Watch the event on the SciLifeLab Talks & Training YouTube page.
Check the slides in our collection on the SciLifeLab Data Repository.
Link to the whole collection: https://figshare.scilifelab.se/collections/Data_Management_Seminar_Series/7680155
More information and registration on the SciLifeLab Events webpage.
Onto-what? Everything you (n)ever wanted to know about ontologies or were too embarrassed to ask
October 15, 2025, 11.00-12.00 (virtual event).
The use of ontologies is a cornerstone of data interoperability and reusability, representing an essential precursor to cross-domain data integration, modelling, knowledge discovery and even the exploitation of new AI-related technologies. Despite all this, ontologies are still sadly underused in existing data management practices for several reasons, including their perceived complexity, insufficient knowledge of available tooling solutions and lack of easily accessible best practice guidance. In this session, we will demystify the world of ontologies by clearing up some common misconceptions and provide you with an overview of existing tools and resources for using ontologies more effectively in your work.
Presenter: Danielle Welter – Principal Data Scientist, Luxembourg National Data Service (LNDS) – ELIXIR Luxembourg
Watch the event on the SciLifeLab Talks & Training YouTube channel.
View the presentation slides on Zenodo.
More information and registration on the SciLifeLab event page
Global impact of sharing Open Educational Materials: Examples from Sweden and Africa
June 10, 2025, 11.00-12.00 (virtual event).
Have you created a presentation or taken a course in the past year? If so, you’ve likely already interacted with Open Educational Resources (OER)—materials that are free to use, adapt, and share. This seminar at SciLifeLab is for anyone who creates training and wants to make their content FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable), as well as for students and lifelong learners looking to enhance their skills using openly available resources. We’ll explore the FAIR-by-design methodology for training materials, where to find high-quality content in repositories, and case studies of research output reuse in the creation of training events and resources from Africa— highlighting why sharing matters and who benefits beyond the original creators. Join us to discover how open education can be a win for both you and the global learning community.
Presenters:
Anelda van der Walt – Talarify
Anelda’s background in Bioinformatics provided the foundation for her work in open science. After working across industry, academia, and the public sector, she started a consulting and training company, Talarify, in South Africa. Her work focuses on open science, reproducible research, and interdisciplinary collaborations.
Ineke Luijten – SciLifeLab Training Hub
With a background in molecular bioscience, Ineke currently develops and delivers cross-disciplinary training modules on Open Science and FAIR principles. She is a member of the Open Science community and a strong advocate for Open Science and FAIR.
Watch the event on YouTube and view the presentation slides online:
– Open Educational Resources: what, why, how? at SciLifeLab Data Repository
– Open Science Enabled Open Educational Resources – Case studies from Africa at Zenodo
More information on the SciLifeLab events site
“It just works with my software” – How to adopt the FAIR principles in life science research at any career stage
April, 22, 10.00-11.00 (virtual event)
This seminar will explain why funders promote the FAIR principles and showcase how the principles are useful to you in projects and collaborations of any size. The FAIR principles are intended to support effective data sharing up to the degree that you can assert “It just works with my software”. But they apply equally well to the social aspects of data sharing and can serve as a guide to help you address the question “If I leave the lab today, how can my colleagues understand, find and use my data?”.
What you’ll learn:
- Understand the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) and their importance in research.
- Discover how adopting these principles can improve data sharing, collaboration, and long-term research impact.
- Learn practical strategies to make your data FAIR—valuable and usable for years to come.
Who should attend?
Researchers and professionals at any career stage who aim to optimize their data management practices.
Why attend?
This seminar offers actionable insights to help you align with funder expectations, enhance research reproducibility, and maximize the value of your data.
Presenters: Wolmar Nyberg Åkerström and Niclas Jareborg (NBIS, SciLifeLab)
Watch the event on YouTube and view the presentation slides, on SciLifeLab Data Repository.
More information on the SciLifeLab events site
The Nagoya Protocol in Action: Practical Steps for Compliance and Benefit-Sharing
March 11, 2025, 11.00-12.00 (virtual event).
This presentation will focus on how to handle the Nagoya Protocol in practice. Whether you’re new to it or already have some experience, you’ll get clear guidance on how to stay compliant, draft agreements, and navigate access and benefit-sharing rules. We’ll go through practical steps, common challenges, and what to aim for when working with genetic resources. The goal is to make the process more manageable and help you confidently meet legal requirements while building fair collaborations.
Presenter: Sebastian Bromander, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)
Watch the event on YouTube and view the presentation slides.
More information on the SciLifeLab events site
Navigating the Research Data Landscape: Publication Practices at a Swedish university
February 11, 2025, 11.00-12.00 (virtual event).
Researchers are increasingly expected by governments, funders, journals, and institutions to make their research data accessible online. The aim of the Swedish government is that such practices should be implemented by 2026. However, little is known about whether, how, and where researchers publish or share their data. This seminar will focus on the results of a study looking at the state of open and FAIR data publication practices of Stockholm University researchers.
Presenter: Maria Almbro, Stockholm University
Watch the event on YouTube and view presentation slides.
More information on the SciLifeLab events site
2024
November 5, 2024, 10-11 (virtual event) Make your data count: Process, publish and reuse your metabarcoding output in SBDI
Join this seminar by the Swedish Biodiversity Data Infrastructure (SBDI) to discover tools for converting amplicon sequence reads into species occurrence data that contribute to global biodiversity knowledge. We will introduce SBDI and GBIF platforms, and demonstrate SBDI resources for metabarcoding data, including a guide for ENA submission, a pipeline for denoising reads into Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs), a web interface for submitting and accessing ASV data in SBDI, and an R package for processing downloaded data into ASV table format.
Speakers:
Anders Andersson, SciLifeLab, KTH Royal Institute of Technology
Maria Prager, SciLifeLab, Stockholm University / Karolinska Institutet
Jeanette Tångrot, NBIS, SciLifeLab, Umeå University
Watch the event on YouTube and view presentation slides.
More information on the SciLifeLab events page.
October 15, 2024, 10-11 (virtual event) Research involving human data – what do I need to think of as a researcher?
This seminar will focus on collecting and using personal data in research. We will guide you through the different phases of a typical research project and discuss some commonly asked questions. We will, for example, talk about GDPR, and secure management and sharing of sensitive data, among others.
Speakers: Markus Englund and Erik Hedman, Data Steward, NBIS
Watch the event on YouTube
More information on the SciLifeLab events page.
September 24, 2024, 10-11 (virtual event) Publish code, software and workflows: Examples of why and how from SciLifeLab
This seminar will highlight why code, research software and computational workflows are important research assets and showcase practical approaches to sharing, citing and getting recognition for your work.
Speaker: Wolmar Nyberg Åkerström, Data Steward, NBIS.
View presentation slides
More information on the SciLifeLab events page.
May 22, 2024 10-11 (virtual event) Open Science and the SciLifeLab Open Science Initiative
During this session, we welcome Chris Erdmann, Head of Open Science at SciLifeLab. He will provide a background on Open Science, offering insights to navigate and comply with open science guidelines and policies. We will explore ways to seamlessly integrate open science into your workflows, discussing various tools and methodologies. He will also provide references to helpful resources that you can refer to following the session. Additionally, time will be dedicated to Q&A and discussion.
Speaker: Chris Erdmann, Head of Open Science, SciLifeLab Data Centre.
More information on the SciLifeLab events page.
April 17, 2024 10-11 (virtual event) Research involving human data – what do I need to think of as a researcher?
The topic of this online seminar is “Research involving human data – what do I need to think of as a researcher?“. This seminar will focus on collecting and using personal data in research. We will guide you through the different phases of a typical research project and discuss some commonly asked questions. We will, for example, talk about practical aspects of the ethical review, GDPR, and how to share sensitive data.
Speaker: Markus Englund, and Erik Hedman Data Steward, NBIS.
More information on the SciLifeLab events page.
March 27, 2024 10-11 (virtual event) Publish code, software and workflows: Examples of why and how from SciLifeLab
The topic of this online seminar is “Publish code, software and workflows: Examples of why and how from SciLifeLab“. This seminar will highlight why code, research software and computational workflows are important research assets and showcase practical approaches to sharing, citing and getting recognition for your work. A presentation followed by a Q&A session will elaborates on motivations and good practices using examples from the SciLifeLab community.
Speaker: Wolmar Nyberg Åkerström, Data Steward, NBIS.
Watch the event on YouTube and view presentation slides.
More information on the SciLifeLab events page.
February 21, 2024, 10-11 (virtual event) Discover SciLifeLab cutting-edge services supporting data sharing: Data Repository and Serve
The seminar will start with an introduction to data sharing followed by presentations of two SciLifeLab services connected to data sharing; SciLifeLab Data Repository – institutional instance of Figshare and SciLifeLab Serve – hosting of AI and Machine Learning model and apps.
Speakers: Anna Asklöf, Data Steward, Arnold Kochari, Project Leader, SciLifeLab Data Centre
Watch the event on YouTube
More information on the SciLifeLab events page.
Previous events – affiliated groups
2025
Open Software in Research – Practices, Policies, and Communities
October 20, 2025, 13.30-15.00 (virtual event).
Research software is essential to the research process but is not always recognized or supported on the same level as other research outputs. Several international and national efforts have begun addressing this gap, including a recent funders’ workshop in Uppsala and the Nordic Research Software Engineer (RSE) Conference. Building on these initiatives, this Lund Open Science (online) session will highlight the importance of supporting research software in Sweden and explore how we can do so collectively. Participants will discuss the role of Research Software Engineers, sustainable funding and policy models, and best practices for sharing and developing sustainable research software, as well as opportunities for shared action to strengthen the Swedish research software ecosystem, ensuring it is visible, reusable, and aligned with FAIR and open science principles.
Presenters:
– Chris Erdmann, SciLifeLab Data Centre
– Johan Linåker, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Lund University
– Sanja Halling, Swedisch Research Council / Vetenskapsrådet
– Malin Sandström, Swedisch Research Council / Vetenskapsrådet
Moderator:
– Angeliki Adamaki, Chair Lund University Open Science Champions, Open Science Community Lund
More information and registration
The future of Open Science in Sweden
May 27, 2025, 10.15-12.00 (virtual event).
Sweden has been at the forefront of the Open Science movement, with national policies promoting open access to research publications, FAIR data principles, and new approaches to research assessment. However, challenges remain in fully integrating Open Science into funding structures, career evaluations, and institutional practices.
Join us for an insightful roundtable on the future of Open Science implementation in Sweden! Richard Williams, a postdoctoral researcher in the philosophy of Open Science at the Technical University of Munich, will open the discussion with a critical examination of the Open Science movement. Following this, Angeliki Adamaki – Lund University Open Science-champion and co-founder of Open Science Community Lund -, Sanna Isabel Ulfsparre – analyst at Vetenskapsrådet specializing in Open Science and research data -, and Stefan Ekman – senior advisor at the Swedish National Data Service (SND) – will explore key challenges, opportunities, and next steps for Open Science in Sweden.
Presenters:
- Richard Williams, Technical University of Munich
- Angeliki Adamaki, Lund University
- Sanna Isabel Ulfsparre, Vetenskapsrådet
- Stefan Ekman, Swedish National Data Service
Discussion leaders:
- Ineke Luijten, SciLifeLab Training Hub
- Elin Kronander, National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden
Don’t miss the opportunity to gain fresh insights and contribute to the conversation!
Watch the event on YouTube.
More information and registration on the SciLifeLab events site
How a Community of Practice can support your research
May 14, 2025, 15.00-16.30 (virtual event).
What role does community play in advancing open science? Join us for a webinar exploring how Communities of Practice (CoPs) can support researchers in implementing open science and integrate the FAIR principles into their work, and thereby enhance the visibility, reproducibility, and impact of their research.
Featuring insights from Josh Gottesman (Michael J. Fox Foundation), Bogdana-Raluca Huma (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam & Community of Practice for Open Naturally Occurring Data), and Mirjam Walpot (SciLifeLab Data Centre; International Network of Open Science & Scholarship Communities).
This session will highlight real-world examples of successful CoPs and the value they bring to researchers and institutions alike. We will also share how these stories have inspired us at SciLifeLab to plan our own CoP, with the goal of fostering a more collaborative, open, and supportive research culture.
Presenters:
– Bogdana Huma: Associate Professor of Language and Communication, Vrije University Amsterdam
– Josh Gottesman: Community Director, Michael J. Fox Foundation
– Mirjam Walpot: SciLifeLab Data Centre; Board Member – International Network of Open Science & Scholarship Communities (INOSC)
– Suné Joubert: Project Coordinator (Open Science Communities and Metrics), SciLifeLab
Watch the event on YouTube and view the presentation slides on SciLifeLab Data Repository.
More information and registration on the SciLifeLab events site
PLOS and SciLifeLab Webinar: Navigating Open Science Policies – Practical Guidance for Researchers on Sharing Data and Software
April 3, 2025, 13.00-14.00 (virtual event).
Open science policies are rapidly evolving, but many researchers find them to be vague and difficult to navigate. These policies often lack clear, actionable guidelines for how researchers can respond to requirements while ensuring they meet research community, national, and international standards. This webinar will briefly summarise the current landscape of selected open science policies. Through real-world examples from PLOS and SciLifeLab, attendees will gain practical insights into how these policies are being implemented and how to align their work with both institutional and national requirements and monitoring initiatives. The session will offer valuable tools and strategies for ensuring compliance and promoting open science practices in a way that is both manageable and impactful.
Presenters:
– Emily Chenette, Editor-in-Chief, PLOS One
– Agata Morka, Regional Director, Publishing Development (Europe) at PLOS
– Christopher Erdmann, Head of Open Science, SciLifeLab
Watch the event on YouTube.
View the presentation slides, on SciLifeLab Data Repository.
More information on the SciLifeLab events site