Training series and Workshops in Open Science
In our courses and workshops, you will familiarize yourself with details on Open Access publishing, Research Data Management, and BORIS Portal research data and projects repository.
The Open Science Team at the Bern University Library will be happy to support you by advising how to comply with funding agencies' requirements in Open Science (Open Access and Open Research Data) for the European Commission (e.g., Horizon Europe) and other national (SNSF) and international projects.
Data Stewards offer individual support and training sessions as well as workshops based on your needs for you and your team on request. Please contact us via researchdata@unibe.ch.
Open Access
Research Data
You need to know how to develop a data management plan (DMP) for your project? How and where to publish your research data, or how to implement data protection and ethical practices in your group’s day-to-day research data management?
Reach out to us for your tailored lecture, training session, or workshop!
- Pick the topics you need from the list below or choose another topic you are interested in!
- You can request events of any length between 20 minutes and two days (consecutively or with flexible dates). Not every topic is suitable for every length.
- E-mail us at researchdata@unibe.ch to make specific arrangements for your on-demand session!
- These offers are free of charge.
- We recommend contacting us at least three weeks ahead of the desired course date.
Some of our topics:
- Basic introduction to research data management
- Complying with Open Research Data funding agencies requirements (e.g. SNSF, EU)
- Writing and updating a Data Management Plan
- Managing research data ethically
- Organizing your research data (file/folder structuring, versioning incl. Git)
- Performing reproducible research
- Improving the use and re-use potential of your data through documentation
- Storing research data during (and after) the project at UniBE
- Publishing data on a research data repository
- Current trends in research data management
- Research Data Management in intra-, inter-, and transdisciplinary studies
- ... or any other topic you need.
BORIS Portal: Research Data, Publications and Projects
Bern Data Talks
The Bern Data Talks are presented by the Research Data Support of the University of Bern and Open Science Office of the Bern University of Applied Sciences.
Topic in the spring semester 2026: Storing and sharing large datasets – workflows and workarounds
In the field of Big Data, research data management faces particularly complex challenges: How can large data sets be managed, shared, and reused in a resourceefficient way? What solutions exist for sharing large volumes of data within project teams? Can principles such as FAIR Data and Open Research Data be implemented here at all – and if so, how? These and further questions at the intersection of open science, limited resources, and sustainability will be at the heart of the Bern Data Talk in spring 2026. Researchers will share their experiences in addressing these challenges.
Join us, exchange ideas – and don’t miss the subsequent Apéro for inspiring conversations with speakers and colleagues!
Speakers
- Prof. Dr. Jan Bieser (BFH Wirtschaft): Unpacking the Environmental Impact of Digitalization and AI
- Prof. Dr. Sarah Brüningk (University of Bern, Department of Radiation Oncology): The CAIRO Database – A Foundation for Multimodal Response Modeling in Radiation Oncology
- Sonia Dupuis MSc (University of Bern, GIUB, Remote Sensing Group): Lessons learned from producing and distributing a multi-decadal satellite archive for the Arctic region
When?
Tuesday, 21 April, 2026, 4:15 – 5:15 pm, followed by an Apéro for in-depth discussions
Where?
Room 028, University main building, Hochschulstrasse 4
What are Data Talks?
- Data Talks are informal exchange events about research data and research data management.
- The idea: to give researchers from all disciplines and at all career levels the opportunity to share their experiences, problems, solutions and best practices in dealing with research data.
- The format: once a semester, one topic, three short presentations by researchers, followed by an aperitif that provides space for networking and in-depth discussion with colleagues.
- Would you like to find out more, do you have an idea for a topic or would you like to share your own experiences? Then write to researchdata@unibe.ch. We look forward to hearing from you!
Programs of past Data Talks:
Bern Research Data Day
Topic: Protect your Data
When it comes to research data management, the protection of research data is a crucial aspect. During this one-day event we will combine a short lecture on general concepts of data protection and data management with interactive workshops on strategies and tools to show you different ways for protecting your research data.
A workshop will only be conducted if at least four participants have registered.
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When: 18 November, 9:15 - 15:00
Where: B –102, UniS, Schanzeneckstrasse 1, Bern
Language: English
Registration: Link (Deadline: 4 November). Registration is binding; if you are unable to attend, please contact us as soon as possible (researchdata@unibe.ch).
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Program:
9:15 – 10:00: Welcome and introduction
10:15 – 11:45:
- Workshop 1a: Secure Your Insights: On Running LLMs Locally for Data Privacy
- Workshop 1b: Secure Data Storage for Humanities Projects
11:45 – 13:00: Lunch Break
13:00 – 14:30:
- Workshop 2a: REDCap Survey Setup: Practical and Regulatory Insights
- Workshop 2b: Anonymisation tools for personal data
14:45 – 15:00: Wrap up
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Workshop 1a (10:15 – 11:45):
Secure Your Insights: On Running LLMs Locally for Data Privacy
In response to the critical need for data protection in AI applications, this workshop explores the local deployment of Large Language Models (LLMs). Attendees will engage in practical exercises to configure and interact with LLMs within a secure, offline environment, mitigating risks associated with third-party data handling. This session is designed for researchers and data sceintists who require the power of LLMs for sensitive datasets but must ensure data residency and security.
Dr. Ing. Federico Grasso Toro, Data Science Data Steward, University of Bern
Workshop 1b (10:15 – 11:45):
Secure Data Storage for Humanities Projects
Do you have a research project in the Humanities and collect personal data, e.g. in surveys or interviews? This workshop will provide you with basic knowledge and best practices for the secure management of research data. The topics include framework conditions for handling sensitive data (FAIR data principles, Data Protection Act), secure data storage and backup at the University of Bern as well as encryption, access control and secure data deletion. You will also learn how to address SNSF data publication requirements.
Ursula Loosli M.A., Dr. Gero Schreier, Humanities Data Stewards, University of Bern
Workshop 2a (13:00 – 14:30):
REDCap Survey Setup: Practical and Regulatory Insights
Are you planning to conduct an online survey for your research project? Or combining a survey along with direct data entry?
Join us for an interactive workshop to learn how to set up public or personalized surveys in REDCap – a secure data management system with built-in survey functionality. During this hands-on training we will clarify essential Swiss data protection regulations and their impact on survey set-up and implementation. Our workshop is ideal for researchers in all fields and combines legal insight with practical training.
Basic knowledge of REDCap is an advantage but not required.
Flurina Jenal M.S, Clinical Data Manager, University of Bern
Workshop 2b (13:00 – 14:30):
Anonymisation tools for personal data
The handling of personal data in research requires careful data anonymisation with the goal to make any link between research data and the actual individual impossible. In this workshop, we will introduce selected anonymisation tools for different data types. The session offers practical insights into how these tools can support your anonymisation workflows and which limitations you might face when anonymising your data.
Jennifer Morger M.S., Dr. Christine Krebs, Social and Human Sciences Data Stewards, University of Bern
Researching with AI. Between Opportunity and Imposition
Researching with AI. Between Opportunity and Imposition
Workshop at the University of Bern
Date: 11th of February, 2026, 13:30-17:15 CET
Place: Main Building, H4, Room 115.
The workshop combines theoretical approaches to open research data strategies with applied uses of various forms of artificial intelligence. By addressing AI as a methodological issue, we don’t buy into the hype but rather put the different affordances up for discussion.
Amrei Bahr (University of Stuttgart) is a renowned expert in the field and an important voice with regards to epistemological and methodological questions, when leveraging AI in the sciences. She will open the event with an introductory talk that sets the stage for the discussion.
For more information, call for participation and registration, see the event page.