The Slovenian Open Science Community (SSOZ) aims to connect Slovenian participants in open science and contribute to the development of a modern, internationally relevant and competitive research system. This system is based on the principles of open science and aligned with the European Research Area (ERA), as well as connected to relevant European initiatives.
SSOZ brings together members who advocate for open science and, by signing the accession statement, commit to actively participating in the Community. In doing so, they support open science to the best of their abilities by providing resources, services, tools and infrastructures for managing research outputs in accordance with FAIR principles, enabling the reuse and sharing.
The key objectives of SSOZ include promoting the dissemination, sharing and reuse of knowledge through open access, developing competencies for practising open science, and establishing a systematic training framework for different target groups.
SSOZ fulfils its mission by organising lectures, training sessions and workshops, including the Open Science Day, and through the coordinated efforts of its members. Its main tasks include fostering the development of open science in Slovenia and encouraging collaboration among all stakeholders; contributing to the development of strategic documents; and facilitating the transfer of European and international practices and recommendations into the Slovenian research environment. SSOZ is actively involved in initiatives such as the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), the European Data Infrastructure (EDI), EuroHPC, and organisations and initiatives such as the Research Data Alliance (RDA), OpenAIRE and GO FAIR. The emphasis is placed on establishing a network of open science competence centres and promoting the use of open science and FAIR principles in research data management, with the aim of strengthening the attractiveness and competitiveness of Slovenia’s research and innovation system.
SSOZ is chaired by Dr Ana Slavec, with the support of Vice-Chair Dr Sebastian Dahle. Together with the Expert Council, they oversee the implementation of the community’s objectives and establish various working groups responsible for specific tasks in line with the community’s needs. Currently, there are several working groups within SSOZ, which cover open science monitoring, national research infrastructure, legal issues (including copyright and data management), internal governance, the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), research assessment and career development, and the development of criteria and rules for SSOZ awards.
The role of Community’s Coordinator is carried out by the University of Maribor Library, which provides organisational, technical and administrative support to the community. It ensures communication with members, leadership and the working groups, and participates in the planning and implementation of activities, thereby enabling the smooth and efficient operation of The Slovenian Open Science Community.
