Why Sharing Expertise Across European Repositories Matters
Europe's research landscape is marked by its diversity, yet it remains fragmented. Across the continent, hundreds of institutional and national repositories are tasked with the vital work of preserving, managing, and providing long-term access to the variety of data. These repositories operate in very different contexts, as some are well-resourced and technically advanced; others are working with limited staff, budgets, and infrastructure.
In a landscape shaped by rapid technological change, evolving policy requirements, and growing expectations around open science and FAIR data principles, no single repository should navigate the challenges alone, and operate in the same contexts as others.The knowledge and best practices accrued in one institution are often precisely what could help another - but this type of expertise and knowledge sharing is often limited.
European Commission funded project FIDELIS (GA 101188078 ) was designed to address the challenges faced by digital repositories in their journey towards becoming more accessible and trustworthy. By connecting repositories across Europe in structured mentoring and peer-to-peer exchanges, the programme creates pathways for practical knowledge transfer that go beyond conferences and publications.
Who are the FIDELIS Mentors?
The first open call for mentoring and peer-to-peer support launched on 27 February and was open for applications until 30 April. An overview of the support programme topics and how to apply was provided to coincide with the launch and a virtual drop-in session was delivered a week before the deadline to allow potential candidates to ask any questions about the application process or the programmes. At the open call deadline, FIDELIS had received 67 applications from 42 unique applicants from 21 countries. Each application was then reviewed by three FIDELIS evaluators and the outcomes were considered during a consensus panel to ensure a good balance was achieved. The quality of the applications received was very high and in the end a total of 25 applicants from 16 countries will receive financial support to participate in the FIDELIS support programmes. The response to the first open call for FIDELIS mentoring call demonstrate both the strength of demand and the breadth of expertise available across the European repository community.
The full list of successful applicants will be added to the website as they are confirmed with the support programmes being delivered between July-October 2026. Interested in joining one of the support programmes as a mentee? Please register your interest below by 20 June 2026.
FIDELIS is proud to announce the following individuals as the successful mentors in the first cohort of the FIDELIS Mentoring and Peer-to-Peer Programme. Each mentor brings deep professional expertise and a commitment to supporting their peers across the European repository community.
Mentors for the Support Programme 1 “Trustworthy at national and international levels”
- Amela Kurta, Data Archive for Social Sciences in Bosnia and Herzegovina / Centre for Development Evaluation and Social Science Research
- Rachele Pierini, Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University (AIAS)
- Allyson Lister, FAIRsharing (University of Oxford)
- Laura Valeria Bonora, FECYT (Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology)
- Kristaps Oskalns, DataverseLV (Higher Education and Science Information Technology Shared Service Centre)
- With observers including:
- Ami Saji, ProgedoIR CNRS)
- Robert Brylka, Senckenberg – Leibniz Institution for Biodiversity and Earth System Research (SGN)
- Marijana Drazic, Faculty of Philosophy (University of Belgrade)
Mentors for the Support Programme 2 “Data curation, access and preservation policies”
- Revekka Kefalea, Researcher and Consultant in Cultural Policy, Open Access and Digital Cultural Heritage
- Özlem Özkan, Helmholtz Metadata Collaboration – Training and Data Policy Expert
- Patricia Herterich, OLS (Open Life Science Limited)
- Jakub Rusakow, Medical University of Gdansk Main Library
- Madeleine de Smaele, 4TU.ResearchData
Mentors for the Support Programme 3 “Fostering engagement between repositories and end users”
- Monika Maciuliene, Piliečių mokslo asociacija
- Agnieszka Goszczyńska, Medical University of Lodz
- Ana Suarez Alvarez, University of Oviedo
- Valentin Grigore, TapHere AI Technology Limited
- Henry van der Burgt, Digital Competence Centre, Radboud University Nijmegen
Mentors for the Support Programme 4 “Active Data Curation for technical repository staff”
- Chris de Loof, Belspo
- Ben Romdhane Chokri, Centre National Universitaire de Documentation Scientifique et Technique (CNUDST)
- Justin Bürger Michaelis, Innovative Methods of Computing (TU Dresden)
- Ana Suarez Alvarez, University of Oviedo
- With observers including:
- Renato Alves, EMBL
Mentors for the Support Programme 5 “Training approaches for repository staff and end users”
- Martin Donnelly, University College London (UCL)
- João Aguiar Castro, INESC TEC - Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science
- Revekka Kefalea, Researcher and Consultant in Cultural Policy, Open Access and Digital Cultural Heritage
- Alina Danciu, Sciences Po, Center for Socio-Political Data (CDSP)
- Pedro Branco, Obsidian Innovation Institute
Further opportunities for repositories : Call for Applications Support for Adoption of Solutions
Building on the momentum of the first open call for mentors, FIDELIS is also rolling out its Support for the Adoption of Solutions programme. This strand of FIDELIS funding is designed to help repositories implement, adapt, and integrate established tools and solutions developed within the wider European repository ecosystem.
Whether your institution is seeking to adopt a new preservation system, integrate a community-developed metadata standard, or implement an open source solution developed by peers, the Support for the Adoption of Solutions call offers practical funding and structured support to help you succeed. For more details, contact : training-fidelis@postit.csc.fi