NASA Open Science Essentials Training
We’re excited to offer a free NASA Open Science Essentials training happening during the FOSS4G NA 2026 conference on Wednesday afternoon, November 4th, from 1:00–4:00 p.m.. Open science and open source geospatial communities have a lot in common, including a focus on collaboration, transparency, and making data easier for others to use. This three-hour, instructor-led session is a chance to learn more about how NASA puts those ideas into practice and get your ORCID credential!
What to Expect
A core tenet of a researcher's work is the careful collection, analysis, and storage of data. While there are many ways to accomplish this task, scientists at NASA approach the management of their data with openness as a priority. At NASA, the phrase "open science" is defined as a collaborative culture enabled by technology that empowers the open sharing of data, information, and knowledge within the scientific community and the wider public to accelerate scientific research and understanding. This paradigm allows open science practitioners to foster a collaborative culture that promotes the free exchange of information across many different disciplines.
Practicing open science is not just about being courteous. When data is well-managed and accessible, it opens the door to a wealth of benefits for not only the owner but also their organization, other scientists, the public, and more. Open data, by nature of its ability to be found and used, has a greater chance of being cited and used to advance other scientific discoveries. Consistently improving upon the data, if shared early, also creates opportunities to strengthen its quality by mitigating potential errors and increasing its impact within the discipline.
In an ever-evolving scientific landscape, it is imperative for NASA scientists to make data open and accessible, especially at a government agency whose work is supported by the public. That's why the agency's Office of Data Science and Informatics developed free, self-paced online courses that are open to the global public. One of these courses is Open Science Essentials, which covers a foundational curriculum related to open data, open-source software, and collaborative research practices. The course provides a solid introduction to the world of open science principles and is perfect for students, PhD candidates, postdocs, and citizen scientists who are interested in practicing science at the NASA standard.
NASA's open science educators are looking forward to attending the 2026 FOSS4G NA conference, where attendees can look forward to gaining applicable knowledge through a live instruction of the course. The concepts and skills that participants will glean will not only aid them in their research environments but also in academic and professional settings. Attendees should come to the session prepared to ask questions, discuss how open science principles can be applied to their own real-world experiences, and collaborate with their fellow participants to ideate solutions for a more open, accessible research environment. They will come away from the session knowing how to tackle common hurdles related to adopting open science, build and maintain the standard framework for open science, use the core components of open research, and explore practical tools for licensing, versioning, identifiers, and artificial intelligence.
How to Register
Register for FOSS4G North America 2026 and take advantage of this valuable workshop, included as part of your registration.