FOSTER is a coordination initiative that aims to support different stakeholders, especially young researchers, in adopting open access in the context of the European Research Area (ERA) and in complying with the open access policies and rules of participation set out for Horizon 2020 (H2020). It will focus on integrating open access principles and practice in the current research workflow by targeting the young researcher training environment. In addition, FOSTER will strengthen the institutional training capacity to maintain compliance with the open access policies in the ERA and H2020, and will facilitate the adoption, reinforcement and implementation of open access policies from other European funders, in line with the European Commission’s recommendation.

FOSTER will establish a European-wide training programme on open access and open data, consolidating training activities at downstream level and reaching diverse disciplinary communities and countries in the ERA. Each type of stakeholder will be provided with a range of relevant training programmes, practical advice, support and help in engaging, dynamic and outcome-oriented way. Training toolkits will be developed and made openly available for re-use. The training programme will include different approaches and delivery options: elearning, blearning, self-learning, dissemination of training materials/contents, helpdesk, face-to-face training, especially training-the-trainers, summer schools, seminars, etc.

The Consortium strength lies in its strong European network, and wide range of expertise gained thorough EU and national projects. The mix of strong technical partners and key players in the open access community can ensure that the project fully reaches out to a range of stakeholders, namely academic staff (researchers and students), institutions (administrators, librarians), research project managers (key stakeholders in implementing H2020 policy), and policy-makers and staff working in funding bodies.