Following the two previous Fellowship of the Data meetings held in Germany in 2023 and 2025, this year's event took place in Vienna, Austria, on 21-22 September 2026. The meeting aimed to foster networking and knowledge exchange among professionals working in the field of research data management.

Hosted by the University of Vienna, the event welcomed speakers and participants from 15 countries, including Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, and Hungary. Attendees had the opportunity to learn about research data infrastructures and research data management solutions through presentations, while also taking part in a rich poster session and a variety of engaging workshops.

Representing the HUN-REN Data Steward Network, mentors Enikő Meiszterics and Gabriella Virág, together with data stewards Renáta Farkas, Győző Kaján, Ákos Lencsés, Péter Ott, and Anna Tímár, participated in the event. Through poster presentations, they introduced different aspects of their work and presented the structure and services of the Data Repository Platform (ARP) to interested attendees.

Renáta Farkas (HUN-REN Wigner Research Centre for Physics) and Anna Tímár (HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research) focused on presenting the Data Repository Platform (ARP). Their poster introduced the platform's components, including the Federated Search, Schema Registry, Data Repository, and AROMA, as well as RocKIT, a desktop application currently under development. Their presentation highlighted how the platform supports compliance with the FAIR principles, particularly through functions provided by AROMA and RocKIT during the creation of research data packages. They also showcased key statistics of the ARP Data Repository, such as the number of users, downloads, uploaded datasets, and published datasets, while providing an overview of the repository's operation. Visitors additionally received information about the Hungarian research network and the functions of the various ARP components.

Poster: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22940622

Győző Kaján (HUN-REN Veterinary Medical Research Institute) presented a research data metadata schema developed for veterinary and infectious disease research. Based on the Dublin Core standard, the schema was expanded with domain-specific elements, including host species, investigated microorganisms, and sample types. The objective was to create a solution that is easy for researchers to use, imposes only a minimal administrative burden, and at the same time facilitates the identification, interpretation, and long-term retrieval of research data. The schema was implemented as a protected Excel template, supporting the standardized recording of database identifiers, publication-related information, dates, and project metadata. The development may also contribute to the organization, long-term preservation, and repository deposition of institutional research data.

Poster: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22914775

Ákos Lencsés (ELTE Research Centre for Linguistics) and Zsuzsa Sidó (ELTE Research Centre for the Humanities) presented a poster on the Data Stewardship Training Programme developed at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE). Launched in 2023, the programme was the first formal data stewardship training course in Hungary, combining technical, legal, and research support competencies required for the management of research data. The poster introduced the curriculum, key programme statistics, and partner institutions involved in teaching. In recent years, data stewards from the HUN-REN research network have also participated in the programme in considerable numbers.

Poster: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22913136

We would like to congratulate all of our data stewards on their posters and presentations. We also extend our warm congratulations to Ákos Lencsés and his son for participating in the meeting's LEGO competition and winning first prize.