CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
BRIDGES x DATA TERRA SCHOOL
MAYOTTE 2026
Towards FAIR, ethical, and sustainable research data management for Open Science
đź“ŤDembĂ©ni, Mayotte Island | đź“…March 30 – April 03, 2026 > ONLINE APPLICATION FORM
What are the best practices for managing research data throughout the data lifecycle, from collection to sharing and exploitation of scientific data relating to marine social-ecological systems in the southwestern Indian Ocean?
The BRIDGES program and the Data Terra research infrastructure are joining forces to organize a series of thematic schools on data management at its four partner sites. The first schools took place in December 2025 in RĂ©union and the Comoros. A new session is being organized in Mayotte from March 30 to April 3, 2026.
The content and objectives of the school remain the same across all sites. The school in Mayotte is open to residents of Mayotte.
About BRIDGES
BRIDGES – Fisheries and Biodiversity in the Western Indian Ocean is an interdisciplinary research program (2023-2033) bringing together more than 200 researchers, which aims to co-develop solutions for sustainable and fair fishing and biodiversity conservation in the southwestern Indian Ocean (SWIO).
In the face of global changes that are exacerbating pressure on fishery resources, BRIDGES relies on close collaboration between scientists, decision-makers, and users to design and connect spatial management tools (e.g., marine protected areas) to ensure biodiversity conservation, food security, environmental justice, and peaceful resource management.
The program operates at the regional level and at four coastal sites (Comoros, Mayotte, Mozambique, and RĂ©union), where it develops digital models to generate future scenarios and test solutions. It collects, stores, and shares data to enrich projections. Measuring transformations and impacts serves as a compass throughout the program.
BRIDGES supports the training of a new generation of ocean stakeholders through thematic schools, doctoral networks, and integration into regional master’s programs. Recognized by COP11 of the Nairobi Convention, BRIDGES aligns with the SDGs and the global goal of 30% of oceans protected by 2030.
The BRIDGES INFORMATION targeted project is developing an information system that brings together existing data and digital resources useful for studying the marine socio-ecosystems of the SWIO. It will serve as a data and knowledge base for other BRIDGES targeted projects and for the scientific community more broadly. To this end, and through the Capacity Sharing component, it supports and trains regional stakeholders in the FAIRization of digital resources, with a view to consolidating a technical and scientific community around the data.
School presentation
An active teaching approach:
Interactive presentations, practical exercises, real local case studies or from BRIDGES sites, field sessions and real-life situations with multidisciplinary expert speakers. The school will also include time to support participants with their specific needs.
Pedagogical objectives:
- Provide training on global best practices relating to the research data lifecycle, Open Science, and FAIR principles.
- Understand the different stages of the data lifecycle: Planning, Creation or Collection, Processing and Analysis, Storage and Preservation, Access and Sharing & Reuse of data.
- Illustrate each stage with concrete tool suggestions
- Support participants according to their specific needs
And more specifically in relation to the BRIDGES research program:
- Provide keys to managing BRIDGES data
- Help identify existing data and services on BRIDGES sites
Benefits:
- Networking with various stakeholders from the territory.
- Support for participants’ specific data management needs and application to concrete cases.
- Transdisciplinary exchanges: biodiversity, environment, fisheries, humanities and social sciences, etc.
- Acquisition of transferable tools applicable to your projects.
Program :
| Day 1 | Introduction Open Science, FAIR, Data Lifecycle | |||
| Day 2 | Field Day: Data Acquisition | |||
| Day 3 | Practical Work: Data Analysis and Processing | |||
| Day 4 | Publishing, Promoting, and Sharing Your Data Conclusion | |||
| Day 5 (or 1) | Public Seminar: Data, Methods, and Services for the Study of Socio-Ecosystems at the BRIDGES Site in Mayotte | |||
Who can apply?
This school is intended for :
- partners and the ecosystem of BRIDGES actors located in Mayotte,
- producers, managers, or users of data related to BRIDGES themes (scientists, public administrations, marine area managers, associations, NGOs, etc.)
- doctoral students, post-doctoral students, and young researchers involved in BRIDGES topics and located in Reunion Island/Comoros
Selection criteria
Candidates will be selected based on the following criteria:
- Involvement in BRIDGES
- Academic/professional background related to the topics covered by the school
- Your connection to data: producer, user, Earth science data, humanities and social science data, etc.
- Your involvement in the maritime and coastal sectors of the territory
- Motivation and implementation of the skills acquired in your daily life
- Contribution to the training: Candidates are encouraged to bring a case study or a concrete project in progress, which they can enrich through group exercises and peer learning.
- Availability and commitment: participants must be available to attend the five days of face-to-face training in Mayotte (in full).
Active participation in discussions, group work, and exchanges is expected. Candidates are encouraged to bring a case study or a specific project they are currently working on, which they can enrich through group exercises and peer learning.
N.B. Disciplinary, geographical, and gender balance will also be taken into account in order to create a diverse and complementary group.
The training will be conducted in French.
How to apply
Candidates must complete the online application form before March 5, 2026, at 8pm (UTC+4). Applications received by e-mail will not be considered.
To ensure the training takes place, 10 candidates must be registered. If this is not the case, we will propose postponing the training until June 2026.
Results will be announced in november 2025.
ONLINE APPLICATION FORM
What is covered
Candidates selected to take part in the school will benefit from the following cover:
- Participation in all training sessions + seminar
- Snacks and lunches during the 5 days of training
- Transportation for field data collection
- Accommodation provided as needed, subject to review of request.