News about research data management

Our best wishes for the new year

And thank you for working with us in 2023! As usual, we end the year with a recap of the highlights.

Four wooden cubes with the numbers 2-0-2-3. The cube on the far right is half tilted and shows the number 4 as well as 3.

© GooMmnutt – stock.adobe.com

Our team

In 2023, the RDM team at TU Wien continued to grow in line with the demands: Derek Molnar and Valentin Futterer are a valuable support for the further development and dissemination of the open-source DMP tool DAMAP, opens an external URL in a new window which is embedded in the Shared RDM Services and Infrastructure project. In addition, the EOSC Focus project team with Dario Vins, Bernd Saurugger and Marie Czuray joined us, which is creating valuable synergies. Details of the projects mentioned can be found below.

Data repository

TU Wien Research Data, opens an external URL in a new window, the institutional data repository of TU Wien, has been established as a standard service in 2023. A total of 134 data sets have already been uploaded. These also include interesting special cases. These involve, for example, huge data volumes and also external owners.

Parallel to ongoing operations, we have made improvements at the technical and organisational level. Details in the workflows and documentation were further elaborated and optimised in view of the planned application for the Core Trust Seal, opens an external URL in a new window.

Workshops

In parallel with implementing the new repository service, we introduced the TU Wien internal training course "Publishing data in TU Wien's research data repository", where we teach hands-on how to use the new research data repository. The course will be offered again in 2024; the next one takes part on 28 May 2024 and is already open for registration in TISS, opens an external URL in a new window. The popular courses on DMP and Git once a semester were also well received. You can find an overview of our current programme in our events calendar.

In light of the Data Governance Act, which is applicable in all EU member states since September 2023, we initiated and moderated the webinar (Offene) Daten aus dem öffentlichen Bereich, opens an external URL in a new window as part of the RDM in Austria, opens an external URL in a new window series. Public data is an important source of information for research, so we wanted to show the legal basis and limits for its use and provide examples of data platforms and other access options.

Another highlight was the GO FAIR Awareness Workshop, opens an external URL in a new window, which enabled us to reach an audience beyond national borders. 22 trainees took part on-site at TU Wien, with the aim to raise awareness of the FAIR principles and thereby drive forward the automation of findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reuse of data and digital services.

Austrian Micro Data Center of Statistik Austria

Last year, we registered TU Wien for the Austrian Micro Data Centre (AMDC). We worked with other people at TU Wien to develop a process for the relatively complex application procedure. Three researchers from TU Wien have already made use of the opportunity to gain access to relevant microdata in the areas of transport planning and finance.

New course

The combined lecture and exercise Introduction into Research Data Management, opens an external URL in a new window, which we started within the Transferable Skills Programme in the winter semester of 2023, was also well received. It was intended for Bachelor's and Master's students, but in practice, it turned out that doctoral students also have a need and interest in this topic and attend the course.

Projects

SharedRDM Services and Infrastructure

Shared RDM Services and Infrastructure, the BMBWF-supported follow-up project to FAIR Data Austria was launched in July. The project aims to create a landscape at the national level in which RDM experiences are exchanged and individual RDM infrastructures are offered as shared services for selected Austrian universities and research institutions. TU Wien leads the work package on maDMPs (WP3) and, together with University of Vienna and TU Graz, the work package on repositories (WP5).

EU projects

The ERASMUS+ project TrainRDM, opens an external URL in a new window reached a successful conclusion in Bucharest, Romania, in March. The project's work resulted in a Master's programme in Open Data Practice, which will be offered at the National College of Ireland next year. We will remain in dialogue with the consortium partners, in part as guest lecturers.

Three other Horizon Europe projects with our participation are dedicated to the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). EOSC Focus, opens an external URL in a new window is primarily politically and strategically orientated in supporting the EOSC Association in coordinating the EOSC Partnership, opens an external URL in a new window. Skills4EOSC, opens an external URL in a new window focuses more practically on the implementation of national competence centres and the harmonisation of open science trainings. OS Trails, the latest EOSC project with our involvement, will be launched with a kick-off in February 2024. It focuses on FAIR Research Assessment and associated tools and services.

Additionally, we are involved in EOSC at a national level through participation in the EOSC Support Office Austria and various working groups. In particular by leading the Austria Country Profile working group, we stay up-to-date on the development of Open Science and FAIR-related projects, activities, policies, tools and infrastructures in Austria.

2024

We look forward to continuing our cooperation at all levels and wish you happy holidays and all the best for the upcoming year!

Contact

TU Wien
Center for Research Data Management
Favoritenstraße 14 (top floor), 1040 Vienna

research.data@tuwien.ac.at