Supporting Infrastructure Models for Research Data Management (SIM4RDM) Project workshop

Not strictly a PREPARDE event (although our funder, JISC is one of the partners) but extremely relevant to the bigger picture, I attended the Supporting Infrastructure Models for Research Data Management ( SIM4RDM) Project workshop on the 31st Jan in Dublin. SIM4RDM is putting a framework of evaluation and policy recommendations together to inform key EU research and innovation funding programme  Horizon 2020’s decision-making processes.

Crucially, SIM4RDM is aiming for national and global coverage as well as EU-level initiatives, and research data funding, management, curation, re-use, accreditation (the usual suspects) are all key parts of the picture. There was an interesting EC presentation by Carlos Morais Pires on how it relates to the overall plans for a research data management framework, updates on the project’s progress and methodology to date from key members, as well as a sneak preview on the  Research Data Alliance by RDA Council Member (and leader of the group that produced  Riding the Wave) John Wood. All in all, a tiring but worthwhile day.

A couple of take-homes:

Collaborations. The SIM4RDM Landscape Report, available on the website, indicates that ‘mixed’ groups such as we have on the JISC funded PREPARDE project - with publishers, researchers, data centre managers, etc all working towards a common goal - are very much the exception rather than the norm. That’s something that would ideally change.

Related point) Engagement. OK, so we can fill a room with engaged enthusiasts, but there is still a sense of it being largely the same crowd in different rooms. We need to find some potential new converts to preach to.

The workflows and missions espoused by PREPARDE need to become the norm, and I’d very much like to think we can put something in place to support that.