News and Events

Input Needed to Reform Scholarly Communication

cOAlition S a group of national research funders, European and international organisations aims at making full and immediate Open Access to research publications a reality. After five years there is still demand to reform the traditional academic publishing system in order to advance open dissemination and peer review of research findings. In the light of that cOAlition S proposes new principles to establish a new scholarly communication system (see external page proposal summary). Now there is input from the research community required in order to tailor the proposal to the needs of the research community. Please provide your feedback via the survey announce on their website.

Further information about the proposal including the link to the survey can be found external page here. Your feedback is highly appreciated.

Published 21.11.2023

Seeking Volunteers for an Interview on Data Stewardship at ETH

We are planning a video about data stewardship at ETH Zurich. This video not only aims at explaining the overall significance of data stewardship, but it is supposed to also highlight the various tasks and duties that are associated with it. Now, we are seeking partners who want to give a short interview about their role in research data management at ETH Zurich. Selected sequences of recorded interviews will be incoperated into one single video at the very end.  

Perhaps you still do not call yourself a data steward. Nevertheless, we would like to know more about your responsibilities and tasks related to research data management (RDM). We embrace to hear from your heterogeneous tasks to create a video that demonstrates the diversity and importance of data stewardship at ETH Zurich.

You can reach out to us at to express your interest and for further questions. Please indicate your role in terms of RDM and briefly describe related challenges that you are facing in your everyday work.

We are looking forward to hearing from you.

Published 31.10.2023

New Calls from the ORD Programme of the ETH Domain

There are two new calls from the Open Research Data (ORD) Programme of the ETH Domain for financial support of researcher for projects related to ORD practices, which have been launched today:

• the 6th call of external page Contribute projects: application deadline is 12 December 2023
• the 2^nd and final call of external page Explore projects: application deadline is 29 February 2024

Further information and the guidelines can be found on the external page webpage of the ETH Board.

Be informed about the fact that the Contribute calls are suitable for young researchers (PhD and postdoc) who would like to add value to their data within their projects.

We would be pleased if you forward this information to other colleagues within ETH Zurich and the ETH Domain.

Published 05.10.2023

Workshop for the implementation of a group's data mangement strategy

There will be a next workshop about the implementation of a data management strategy in a research group or across several groups. A data management strategy will define rules for research data management (RDM) and might probably remain the sole resource to foster standardised RDM practices in a research group.

This workshop will take place on Monday, 18 September 2023 from 14:00 to 16:00 in a course room at the ETH Library. If you are interested in participating, please contact us at . There are still 4 places left. Further information will be provided subsequently.

Published 04.09.2023

Lunchtime Event - Services and Infrastructure for FAIR Data available at ETH

Would you like to know what services and infrastructures are available at ETH Zurich for handling FAIR Research Data?

Join us for our next online-presentation and learn more about the development of Research Data Management at ETH Zurich. All information about the lunchtime event on Tuesday, 5 September, 12:30 to 13:30 can be found in this flyer (external page registration is required).

The new Open Science web pages provide more information on FAIR Data, Open Access publishing and funding opportunities.

Published 24.08.2023

Upcoming RDM workshop series in autumn 2023

In collaboration with Scientific IT Services, the ETH Library is organising eight workshops related to research data management (RDM) which will take place during the time period from 27 September to 22 November 2023. The first six build on each other and address the various elements of RDM along the research data life cycle. The last two workshops provide information either on handling images in research or on the activities of the Citizen Science Center Zurich. You can register for individual workshops or for the whole series. All workshops will be conducted in English via Zoom.

Further information and registration

Published: 10.08.2023

ETH Domain Open Research Data (ORD) programme
Contribute Call 5

The ETH Domain has launched the external page 5th Contribute call for proposals.

Contribute projects will help researchers to contribute to existing open communities built around ORD. They will validate their integration with existing infrastructures (including international ones) and focus on their potential to advance the scientific impact of the field as well as their technical quality.

Funding is available for up to 12 months with an overall budget that must be CHF 30¡¯000.

Applications can be submitted from the six ETH Domain institutions: ETH Zurich, EPFL PSI, WSL, Empa, Eawag.

Contribute projects are particularly suitable for early career researchers who want to add value to their data with a short project.

Deadline: 27 July 2023 (17:00 CEST)

Application details:

ETH-Domain Open Research Data (ORD) Programme )

Please be informed that the external page 2nd call for Contribute projects within the swissuniversities ORD programme (deadline 19 July) is running in parallel.

Published 16.06.2023

Updated 29.06.2023

Workshop about the Research Data Management Software called Thot

Thot is an open-source software for research data management which has been developed by researchers from EPFL. Now they are looking for researchers who would like to gain first experience with their software and to discuss further needs in a workshop together with them.

The workshop is cancelled due to the small number of participants that have registered so far. We will try to organize such an event again in autumn.

For further details and registration please take a look at Download this flyer (PDF, 1 MB).

Published 05.06.2023

Last updated 14.07.2023

Electronic Lab Notebooks in the ETH Domain: Open Call

The ETH Domain ORD Programme has launched a call to target the limited interoperability between Electronic Lab Notebooks. With this call for proposals, the ORD Programme will fund one or more projects that aim to improve the interoperability between ELN systems in the ETH Domain.

The call is advertised on the website of the ETH Board: external page https://ethrat.ch/de/ord-measure-2/ 

The deadline of the call is on 31 August 2023 at 17:00 (Swiss local time)

Published 01.06.2023

Workshop: Draft your own Data Management Strategy together with us

Good practice in research data management (RDM) is vital for transparency in science and research data reusability. It makes you and your research data a reliable source.

Research environments are very vibrant; while new researchers frequently join, others leave the research group. In this light, defined rules for RDM within a research group might remain the sole resource of concerted RDM practices. We would like to encourage you to start drafting your own data management strategy (DMS) for your research group or even across several groups in a workshop together with us.

The guidelines which you have defined in your own DMS, are a pivotal part to uphold good practice and consistency in RDM. Your DMS will also facilitate project planning and offers new members a helpful primer to established standards.

The workshop will take place on site in a course room of the ETH Library on Tuesday, 27 June from 14:00 to 15:00 with optional extension to 16:00.

Did we arouse your interest?

Please get back to us at for signing up for this workshop. There are 10 places available in total. Further details will follow by e-mail after registration.

Published 17.05.2023

Data Management Plans for the SNSF are only required for approved projects from now on

The SNSF changes its rule that a Data Management Plan (DMP) has to be submitted along with the project application. DMPs are only checked for coherence and compliance with its requirements, but not evaluated scientifically. The SNSF decided consequently that the DMP can be submitted at a later stage, namely when projects have been selected for funding. However, the submission of the DMP remains a condition for the release of funds. This new procedure reduces workload not only for the SNSF, but also for applicants. The change applies to all calls starting after 17 April 2023.

Please visit the external page respective communication of the SNSF for further details.

Published 21.04.2023

New Template for your Data Management Strategy

ETH Zurich research groups are expected to involve Research Data Management (RDM) in their daily activities. Your decisions on how to manage data on the level of a research group or higher can be documented in written form in a Data Management Strategy (DMS). Such coordinated practices in data management facilitate collaboration inside the group or across different groups and are key for ensuring research data reusability.

In addition to the DMS instructions, ETH Library now offers also a template that includes examples which should help you with drafting your own DMS. Please consider our wiki with the exemplary template.

Published: 27.03.2023

New calls for Swiss Open Research Data Grants

As you might already know, swissuniversities and the ETH Domain jointly organize the Swiss Open Research Data Grants (CHORD) programme. The programme aims to strengthen ORD practices across disciplines and higher education institutions in Switzerland, thereby facilitating the creation of synergies and complementarities.

There are new calls for grants specific to researchers:

• Track A: Explore projects - Deadline: June 2, 2023 (3rd call)
• Track C: Contribute projects - Deadline: August 2, 2023 (2nd call)

Researchers from all disciplines and all types of Swiss higher education and research institutions are welcome to submit their project ideas to the programme. Applications are handled either by swissuniversities or by the ETH Domain, depending on eligibility. Please visit the external page Swiss Open Research Data Grants website for more details.

Published 21.03.2023

Launch of the Data Stewardship Network at ETH Zurich

Both the ETH Board and external page programmes to promote open research data (ORD) over the coming years. One key element of these programmes is to establish and professionalise the role of data stewards as individuals who support the management of research data and reproducible data workflows in research groups. Many research groups at ETH Zurich already include employees who assume responsibility for uniform research data management, reproducible data analysis or the development of code scripts.

The team for Research Data Management and Digital Curation at the ETH Library has therefore established the Data Stewardship Network (DSN) at ETH Zurich. The DSN aims to facilitate the networking of ETH employees working as experts or providing technical/administrative support in the area of research data management within research groups, institutes or departments. More information about the DSN is provided in the internal news message.

Do you work in the areas of research data management, data stewardship or open science at ETH Zurich? Are you interested in joining the data stewardship network? Please send an email to  for registration.

Published: 20.01.2023

ETH Research Data Management Summer School 2023 - Register now!

The ETH Research Data Management Summer School takes place from 12 June to 16 June 2023.

Early career scientists receive an extensive overview on Research Data Management, its principles, its practical implications and on useful tools. Register now!  

Further information and registration

Published: 16.01.2023

Start of the next RDM workshop series in spring 2023

In collaboration with Scientific IT Services, the ETH Library is organising seven workshops related to research data management (RDM). The first six build on each other and address the various elements of RDM along the research data life cycle. The last workshop provides information on the activities of the Citizen Science Center Zurich. You can register for individual workshops or for the whole series. All workshops will be conducted in English.

Further information and registration

Published: 09.01.2023

Research Data Management Glossary

ETH Library has develoved a glossary for terms commonly used in research data management. This glossary can be found on the wiki of the team Research Data Management and Digital Curation.

Published: 12.12.2022

Upcoming RDM workshop series in autumn 2022

In collaboration with Scientific IT Services, the ETH Library is organising eight workshops related to research data management (RDM). The first six build on each other and address the various elements of RDM along the research data life cycle. The last two workshops provide information on handling images in research and on the activities of the Citizen Science Center Zurich. You can register for individual workshops or for the whole series. All workshops will be conducted in English.

Further information and registration

Published: 04.08.2022

New Guidelines for Research Data Mangement at ETH Zurich

Professional research data management is a key factor for outstanding scientific research and encompasses all phases of data handling: collecting, archiving, documenting, evaluating, selecting, processing, analysing, interpreting and publishing as well as access and preservation. It covers different data types and formats such as text, codes, graphs, table data and audiovisual materials. It also addresses the legal and ethical aspects of various technical capabilities (confidentiality, protection of data and personality rights, intellectual property rights and security).

The ETH Open Science working group in close collaboration with the ETH research community has elaborated new Guidelines for Research Data Management at ETH Zurich (RSETHZ 414.2) which have been approved by the Executive Board and are in force since 1 July 2022. These guidelines should support ETH researchers in the daily management of their research data.

Please visit News from the Executive Board 2022 / 6 in order to read the original message.

Published: 04.07.2022

How to draft a data management strategy

Defined rules in research data management are beneficial to collective data management in your research group and they offer new group members a helpful guide to the established standards. Such coordinated practices in data management facilitate collaboration inside the group or among different groups.

Your decisions on how to manage research data on the level of a research group or higher can be documented in written form in a data management strategy. The ETH Library provides instructions on how to draft a data management strategy for your research group(s), lab(s), professorship(s), or institute(s) including suggestions and links to additional information. These instructions should assist you in defining your own rules and guidelines for the coordination of your daily and long-term data management activities.

Published: 31.05.2022

Swiss Open Research Data Grants

swissuniversities and the ETH Domain have jointly launched the Swiss Open Research Data Grants programme. Researchers from all disciplines and all types of higher education and research institutions are welcome to submit their project ideas to the programme. Applications are handled either by swissuniversities or by the ETH Domain, depending on eligibility. For details about the different types of calls as well as how to apply, refer to the external page Swiss Open Research Data Grants website.

Published: 23.05.2022

Open Research Data Project Calls

The ETH-?Board together with the six ETH-?Domain institutions have allocated up to CHF 10 million till the end of 2024 as a measure to launch an open research data (ORD) practices funding scheme. ORD includes code, computing environments, tools/hardware, wetware, educational resources and generally any information that is necessary to do research. The programme¡¯s overall goal is to promote ORD practices and infrastructures across the ETH-?Domain and stimulate a wider implementation of good ORD practices.

The scheme consists of three tracks for funding projects to contribute to ongoing, explore new, and establish standards/processes of ORD practices; these three distinct project types are described on the external page Website of the ETH Board soon.

Published: 03.03.2022 (Update: 03.05.2022)

Revised ETH Zurich guidelines on scientific integrity

Scientific integrity and good scientific practice denote an exemplary attitude and behaviour that guides the daily work of researchers and scholars, affecting also the way they interact with one another. This is essential because the scientific community, along with business and society, requires confidence that scientific results have been produced in an honest, transparent, traceable and reproducible way.

The Executive Board of ETH Zurich has issued new guidelines on scientific integrity. These rest upon the four principles of reliability, honesty, respect and responsibility and apply from 1 January 2022 to all those involved in teaching and research at ETH Zurich.

The legal document of the thoroughly revised ETH Zurich guidelines on scientific integrity (Integritiy Guidelines, RSETHZ 414) is available here

This message represents a short summary of the original announcement of the new integrity guidelines.

Published: 25.01.2022

Swiss Open Research Data Hackathon, 3 to 5 May 2022

FORS and SWITCH are organising the 2nd Swiss Open Research Data (ORD) Hackathon from 3 to 5 May 2022 to strengthen collaboration around ORD. This event will be held prospectively on site at SWITCH in Zurich. The aim is to bring research communities and IT developers together to pave the way for innovative projects and applications to improve the ORD landscape. Students, academics, developers and service providers from Switzerland and beyond are invited to connect on ideas, projects and tools in this three-day hackathon.

Is there a problem you face with research data that could be solved with a tool? You¡¯re in the right place to innovate, expand your network and use your skills creatively.

Find out more about how to submit your idea and register to participate external page on this webpage.

Published: 18.01.2022

Upcoming RDM workshop series in spring 2022

In collaboration with Scientific IT Services, the ETH Library is organising six workshops. The first five build on each other and address the various elements of research data management (RDM) along the research data life cycle. The sixth and last workshop gives you an overview over the activities of the Citizen Science Center Zurich. You can register for individual workshops or for the whole series.

Further information and registration

Published: 06. 01. 2022

Data management plan instructions: Specific support for ETH Zurich researchers

A data management plan (DMP) details every stage along the entire data life cycle that research data pass through during your research project. This means a DMP documents the handling of your research data from generation and collection of the data until final storage in a repository or archive for the purpose of long-?term reuse. A DMP not only advances the management of your research project, but also enhances the transparency and reusability of your own scientific work. These are convincing arguments for establishing a DMP, even if it is not explicitly required for your project.

The ETH Library provides a general DMP template and corresponding instructions that contain key questions with suggestions, links to supporting resources, as well as example answers for every section within the DMP. You can find all the information on the Wiki page Data Management Plan Instructions for ETH Zurich Researchers. The key questions are based on the questions in the template provided by the Swiss National Science Foundation. The additional supporting information specifically addresses the conditions at ETH Zurich. 

If you have any questions, please contact the Research Data Management and Digital Curation team via email: .

Published: 17.12.2021

Pre-announcement: Open Science Call by ETH Domain

EPFL, together with ETH Zurich, EMPA, PSI, EAWAG and WSL, have jointly allocated up to CHF 10 million until 2024 to launch an open research data (ORD) funding scheme. This is part of a broader scheme supporting ORD.

The overall goal of the program is to promote ORD practices in the ETH domain and stimulate a wider implementation of good ORD practices.

The scheme is intended to support researchers in developing and mainstreaming ORD practices irrespective of the community and type of data (big or small data, source code, hardware, protocols, wet-ware, training material, etc.). For this call, ORD will be interpreted very broadly, with all research results that can be made broadly available counting as "Data". Proposals with single PIs and consortiums across ETH Domain institutions will be allowed.

The scheme consists of three tracks funding to contribute to ongoing, explore new, and establish standards/processes of ORD practices. Further details on the different funding tracks as well as updates on publication and submission deadlines for individual calls can be found on the ETH Zurich Grants Office webpage.

This pre-announcement aims to inform potential applicants within the ETH-Domain community about some basic features of these three project types, allowing potential applicants to start considering their proposals. Please take note that 50% of the budget will come directly from the applicants¡¯ own institutions, and different co-financing schemes exist among the ETH-Domain¡¯s institutions.

Published: 21.10.2021, updated: 10.01.2022

Upcoming RDM workshop series in autumn 2021

In collaboration with Scientific IT Services, ETH Library conducts four consecutive workshops, each building upon the knowledge of the previous, which focus on the various elements of research data management (RDM) along the research data life cycle. Two additional workshops address issues related to working with images in research and science communication. You can register for individual workshops or for the whole series. The workshops will take place online in October and November 2021.

Further information and registration

Published: 16.08.2021

Survey on ORD needs and practices at ETH Zurich

This survey, performed by the Haute ¨¦cole de gestion Gen¨¨ve (HEG) and mandated by swissuniversities, specifically aims at characterizing the practices and needs in Open Research Data (ORD) within Swiss research communities. The survey has been designed in the context of the adopted National Open Research Data (ORD) Strategy and should be completed exclusively by researchers based in Switzerland. As an ETH researcher you are kindly asked to complete the survey for representing your institution. If you are not a researcher yourself, but in a position where you have access to a network of researchers within ETH Zurich, please forward it via the network.

This survey will stay open until 29 August 2021. It should take about 15-20 minutes to complete. The data collected will be used only for this mandate.

The survey is accessible via this external page link

We thank you in advance for your contribution to this work.

Published: 30.07.2021

Swiss National Open Research Data Strategy

The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) mandated swissuniversities to elaborate a external page Swiss National Open Research Data (ORD) Strategy, which has been adopted in early July 2021. This work was carried out in collaboration with ERI partner organizations (ETH Board, SNSF and Swiss Academies of Art and Sciences) and complements the existing Swiss National Strategy on Open Access. The Strategy provides a framework for the development of best practices for sharing and reuse of research data in Switzerland as well as guidelines for the establishment of associated infrastructures and support for researchers.

external page Further information can be found on the webpage operated by swissuniversities

Published: 08.07.2021

Horizon Europe Info Days 2021

The first edition of the Horizon Europe Info days will take place between 28 June and 9 July 2021. The 10-day online event provides the opportunity to prospective applicants and other stakeholders to receive information and ask questions about the novelties, main funding instruments and processes of Horizon Europe.

Additional information about the programme and practical details can be found on the external page event webpage. No prior registration is required.

Published: 08.06.2021

The new code of conduct for scientific integrity

Swiss academic organisations have jointly updated the scientific integrity rules. They apply to all researchers funded by the SNSF.

To take account of the rapid developments in science and maintain quality standards in research, the SNSF, together with swissuniversities and Innosuisse and under the auspices of the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences, has drawn up a new code of conduct for scientific integrity. It is intended to promote a culture that upholds the basic principles of reliability, honesty, respect and accountability. external page The document is addressed to all researchers and lecturers as well as their institutions and funding organisations in Switzerland.

external page Further information on the SNSF's webpage

Published: 18.05.2021