Professionalizing Data Stewardship: Insights from the CAS FDM Certificate Program

The Federal State Initiative for Research Data Management in Baden-Württemberg (bwFDM) offers a ten-month certificate course for Data Stewards and other data professionals, which launched in October 2025. A distinctive feature of this course is that participants will receive a Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) as well as microcredentials for specific learning units. The course encompasses all key areas of research data management (RDM). It also equips participants with relevant soft skills, including communication techniques, teaching skills, project management, and change management. The curriculum consists of six learning units: (1) Basic Concepts, (2) Data Organization, (3) Law and Ethics, (4) Technical Infrastructure, (5) Consulting, Training, and Project Management, and (6) Data Manipulation and Versioning. During the final phase of the course, participants complete a mandatory course-related project over six weeks, resulting in a graded written assignment to qualify for the CAS. Microcredentials are available for learning units (1) Basic Concepts, (3) Law and Ethics, and (4) Technical Infrastructure. The course is structured to be manageable alongside work: The workload is approximately eight hours per week, which includes three hours of interactive online training. A significant portion of the training consists of self-learning units. The course materials and lessons are curated and administered by RDM professionals to ensure up-to-date content and provide learners with first-hand insights from the field. The course language is German. The second cohort of CAS FDM will begin in October 2026. In this contribution, we report on our experiences in setting up and delivering the first course iteration, as well as the further development and evolution of the program with regard to e-learning materials, including an educational game designed to accompany the course from October 2026 onward.