The community engagement and empowerment cycle: FAIRagro’s framework to foster cultural change towards FAIR RDM practices in agrosystem science and beyond

Abstract Open Science is reshaping how research is conducted, yet the sustainable adoption of FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) research data management (RDM) requires more than technical infrastructures. In agrosystem sciences, heterogeneous data and diverse institutional contexts make cultural change particularly challenging. FAIRagro, the NFDI consortium for agrosystem sciences in Germany, developed the Community Engagement and Empowerment Cycle to address three persistent gaps in FAIR implementation: limited engagement, insufficient integration practice, and the lack of guidance. The Cycle comprises four components – Identify, Translate, Communicate and Anchor – and operates across individual, institutional and global levels. This paper presents selected measures implemented within the Cycle and discusses their interplay and impact, including Helpdesk support, Use Cases, training activities and communication formats. These are examined in light of five core assumptions: infrastructure is necessary but insufficient; cultural change requires coordinated socio-technical interventions; connectors are essential for bridging domain science and RDM; shared values and trust are major preconditions; and that sustainable change depends on shared ownership and active responsibility. The paper also reflects on structural challenges and the need for internationally aligned FAIR ecosystems. It outlines effective approaches to community involvement, highlights remaining obstacles and offers pathways for advancing FAIR RDM in agrosystem science and beyond.