FAIR Clinics: from principles to practice

 Event

FAIR Clinics: from principles to practice

Period:
- 12:00 - 17:00
Event
Hotel NH Groningen

Join us for our half-day event focused on bringing FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) practices to everyday medical research.

This year marks 10 years since the introduction of the FAIR principles. Over the past decade, much has been achieved - but for many researchers, FAIR can still feel abstract and difficult to translate into daily practice. Many recognize its importance but continue to face a simple question Where do I start?

This event is designed to answer exactly that!
We introduce FAIR Clinics - short, hands-on sessions where you will actively work on concrete outputs relevant to your research. The attention is not just on why FAIR matters, but on how to get started in practice.

Participation is free, but registration is required.
The event is funded by the Open Science NL.

Date, time and location

Date: 8 October 2026
Time: 12:00-17:00
Location: Hotel NH Groningen

Registration

Register

Stay informed

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Programme

12:00 – 13:00 Walk-in
13:00 – 13:10 Welcome & introduction
13:10 – 13:30 10 years of FAIR & FAIR at UMCG
13:30 – 13:40 Break
13:40 – 14:40

FAIR Clinic – Round 1

  • Prepare metadata for registration
  • Draft terms and conditions for data reuse
14:40 – 14:50 Break
14:50 – 15:50

FAIR Clinic – Round 2

  • Write an effective README
  • Prepare software for publishing
15:50 – 16:00 Break
16:00 – 16:15 Future of FAIR and DCC at UMCG
16:15 – 16:30 Closing
16:30 – 17:00 Drinks & networking

  • FAIR Clinics are interactive, one-hour sessions that each focus on a very specific research data management task.
    In each clinic, you will:

    • Work on a concrete output (e.g. data reuse conditions, readme file, or software repository)
    • Use structured guidance such as templates and checklists
    • Receive support while working on your own material

    The goal is not to finish everything during the session, but to leave with a clear starting point and practical next steps you can continue independently.

  • You will take part in two clinics during the event:

    Write effective README

    Learn how to create clear and structured README files that make your data or code understandable and reusable by others.

    You will leave with:

    • A structured README outline tailored to your project
    • A first draft of key sections (description, contents, usage)
    • A short example description of your data or files
    • A basic section covering reuse and contact information

    Prepare software for publishing

    Learn how to make your research code shareable, reusable, and transparent, and take the first steps towards publishing it.

    You will leave with:

    • A repository structure ready to expand
    • A draft README skeleton (purpose + basic usage)
    • A first licence choice and draft citation format
    • A checklist of required files (e.g. README, LICENSE, dependencies) and next steps

    Draft terms and conditions for data reuse

    Explore how to define clear and FAIR conditions for others to access and reuse your data.

    You will leave with:

    • A first draft of data reuse conditions (what is allowed / not allowed)
    • A short description of data sensitivity and access restrictions
    • A draft data availability statement (e.g. for publications)
    • A structured outline you can refine further

    Prepare metadata for registration

    Learn what metadata is essential to make your research findable and discoverable, and practise structuring this information for your own project.

    You will leave with:

    • A partially completed metadata record (e.g. title, description, creators, data types)
    • Core administrative information (e.g. PI, department, contact details)
    • Basic dataset-level metadata (e.g. format, size, sensitivity, access conditions)
    • A clear overview of what information is still missing

  • This event also serves as a pilot for the FAIR Clinics training format.
    Based on your feedback, we aim to:

    • Refine the clinics
    • Expand the range of topics
    • Offer these sessions regularly throughout the year

    Our goal is to create continuous, practical support that helps researchers build FAIR practices step by step.