Interdisciplinary collaboration is increasingly vital in science, driven by digital transformation and the surge in research data. As early career scientists navigate the complexities of interdisciplinary research, it is imperative to provide structural support. The concept of the NFDI4Earth Academy offers a network of doctoral and postdoctoral scientists interested in bridging Earth system and Data Sciences beyond institutional borders. By fostering an open science and learning environment, the NFDI4Earth Academy provides specialised training courses and facilitates collaborations within the NFDI4Earth consortium, with access to all NFDI4Earth innovations and services. NFDI4Earth Academy Fellows are empowered to advance their research endeavours by exploring and integrating new methods, connecting with like-minded peers, and developing skills and a mindset for open and data-driven science across disciplinary boundaries. This unique two-year NFDI4Earth Academy program incorporates peer mentoring and flexible event structures tailored to meet the specific training needs of the NFDI4Earth Academy Fellows. Co-created by NFDI4Earth Academy Fellows and NFDI4Earth Academy coordinators, the program ensures adaptability and dynamism. We propose the NFDI4Earth Academy concept as a model for cross-community training for early career scientists in the NFDI. The envisioned NFDI-wide operating NFDI4Earth Academy can include early career scientists from all disciplines, with an emphasis on Data Science methods in domain specific research and research data management.

This work has been funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) through the project NFDI4Earth (DFG project no.460036893, https://www.nfdi4earth.de/) within the German National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI, https://www.nfdi.de/).