2026-11-04 –, Gardenia
NASA’s Open Science Essentials course provides introductory knowledge of the principles, practices, and tools necessary to conduct open science. This knowledge empowers learners to make their research more transparent, reproducible, and available to all.
Open science is 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. The proposed workshop will provide learners with an introduction to the principles, practices, and tools necessary to conduct open science, equipping them to confidently initiate and participate in open science projects. The session will cover key topics such as open data, open peer review, and collaborative research practices.
Topics covered include:
• Why Open Science? – This lesson establishes what “open science” means and explores how open practices benefit both individual researchers and the broader scientific community by increasing visibility, impact, and reproducibility while reducing errors.
• Concerns and Considerations – This lesson addresses common fears and challenges associated with adopting open science, including social and institutional barriers, concerns about being "scooped," and the legal and ethical considerations for handling sensitive data.
• Planning for Open Science – This lesson provides a framework for conducting open science. It covers the open science workflow, the FAIR Principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable), the creation of an Open Science and Data Management Plan (OSDMP), and the definition of roles and responsibilities within a project.
• Components of Open Science – This lesson introduces the fundamental elements of open research. It provides an overview of open data, open-source software, and open results, explaining how to approach sharing each of these core research products.
• Tools for Open Science – This lesson introduces the practical tools that support open science. Topics include persistent identifiers (such as DOIs and ORCID iDs), open licensing, using repositories for data and code, version control, study pre-registration, and the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the open science landscape.
• Group Discussion and Q&A Session – The workshop will conclude with a dedicated period for whole-group or small-group discussions regarding current open science topics and past challenges participants have encountered. Attendees will also have the opportunity to engage with and ask questions of NASA’s open science champions.
Open Science Essentials is designed to be a concise, stand-alone workshop for learners seeking a broad overview of open science concepts. Those who successfully complete the workshop will receive a digital badge and certificate from NASA, and will have the ability to add the training to their ORCID profiles. Additionally, participants will be encouraged to further expand their knowledge by taking NASA's Open Science 101, a self-paced, online course. More information about Open Science 101 can be found at https://science.nasa.gov/open-science/training/.
Dr. Nidhi Jha is a Research Scientist at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, supporting NASA's Office of Data Science and Informatics (ODSI). Her research focuses on geospatial artificial intelligence, remote sensing, Earth observation, and AI-driven scientific discovery. She is the SME lead for the Accelerated Knowledge Discovery (AKD) project initiative, where she develops collaborative methodologies for designing trustworthy AI agents for science. Her work spans agentic AI, Earth science data discovery and the integration of large language models into scientific workflows. She is actively involved in advancing open, community-driven frameworks for AI agents in Earth science and collaborates with NASA and the broader research community to accelerate scientific discovery through trustworthy and reproducible AI.
Mr. Kepner supports the Office of Data Science and Informatics (ODSI) at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL, where he leads the office’s Training and Learning team and manages NASA's open science training courses. Prior to serving ODSI, he managed several STEM education projects and university research awards for NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement. Mr. Kepner began his career in secondary education as a Physics instructor.