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Time to Professionalise Data Stewardship

Organisers & Speakers: Maria J. Cruz - VU Amsterdam, Marta Teperek - TU Delft, Angus Whyte - Digital Curation Centre, Melanie Imming - Imming Impact, Celia van Gelder - Dutch Techcentre for Life Sciences, Hugh Shanahan - Royal Holloway, University of London
Duration: 2 hrs
Room: D. Maria Hall

The workshop will consist of a mix of case study presentations and group discussions focussing on the need for professionalising data stewardship roles and how to go from theory and policy to practice and implementation. The participants will be actively engaged in the discussion throughout the session, especially during the group discussions in the second half.

Workshop abstract

Our workshop will focus on the need for professionalising data stewardship roles as one of the elements required for the transition to Open Science and FAIR data, and how to go from policy and theory to implementation and practice.

The “Turning FAIR into Reality” Report of the European Commission FAIR Data Expert Group gives high priority to “the increased provision and professionalisation of data stewardship”. In particular, it states: “New job profiles need to be defined and education programmes put in place to train the large cohort of data scientists and data stewards required to support the transition to FAIR.”

A number of current initiatives seek to define these job profiles and address the supply of relevant skills. One example is the FAIR4S Skills Framework defined under the EOSCpilot WP7 on Skills and Capability. Another example is the EOSC FAIRsFAIR project that supports data stewardship training.

The workshop aims to raise awareness of such initiatives among those facing the practical commitments and real experience of building data stewardship roles. As a starting point for discussion, case studies from relevant initiatives will explain how they support those intending to hire and train data stewards. In breakout groups, we will debate what are the current problems and obstacles facing those who are implementing data stewardship (e.g. hiring, training and retention issues), and how current skill and training frameworks and job profiles can help. We will also look into future initiatives and how the development of e.g. FAIR metrics may incentivise research institutions to professionalise the role.

As a result, the attendees will become familiar with new tools aiming to help institutions develop data stewardship roles. In addition, those producing resources with that aim will receive feedback from the community of data stewardship practitioners, which will guide the resources’ further development.

target audience

Anyone who is interested in data stewardship and the professionalization of data stewardship roles as one of the elements required for the transition to Open Science and FAIR data. Data stewards, librarians, policy makers and funders, researchers and research administrators, and particularly those who are currently hiring and training data stewards, or plan to do so, are encouraged to attend.

Learning outcomes

  • Understand the need for the professionalization of data steward roles as one of the elements required for the transition to Open Science and FAIR data.
  • Become aware of current initiatives defining the roles, skills and competencies for data stewards.
  • Understand the obstacles and challenges faced by those tasked with implementing data stewardship.

Agenda

Content and format:
The session will last 120 minutes and will consist of a mix of case study presentations and group discussions focussing on the need for professionalising data stewardship roles and how to go from theory and policy to practice and implementation. The participants will be actively engaged in the discussion throughout the session, especially during the group discussions in the second half.

Contents: DOI

  • 11:00 - 11:15 | Welcome and introduction [Presentation]
    • Maria Cruz: Introduction to the workshop
    • Marta Teperek: Challenges with data stewards recruitment and retention
  • 11:15 - 12:00 | Presentations on current practice and future prospects:
    • Melanie Imming: Data stewardship on the map: A study of tasks and roles in Dutch research institutes [Presentation]
    • Celia van Gelder: Towards Fair Data Steward as a profession for the Life Sciences [Presentation]
    • Angus Whyte: EOSCpilot FAIR4S, a template for describing roles and skills and basis for the terms 4FAIRskills terminology for FAIR skills [Presentation]
    • Hugh Shanahan: Applying the terms4FAIRskills terminology to plan a curriculum, and introducing the data stewardship strand to the CODATA-RDA Research Data Science schools via FAIRsFAIR [Presentation]
  • 12:00 - 12:30 | Discussion in groups:
    • Challenges in recruitment, training and retention of data stewards.
    • Assessment of the existing tools aiming to professionalise data stewardship and future intiatives aiming to address issues related to training and incentives.
  • 12:30 - 12:50 | Feedback from group discussions
  • 12:50 - 13:00 | Wrap up and summary

Speakers

When

17th September, 11:00

See full programme here.