Professionalisation of Research Data Stewardship in Ireland

Authors:  Dr Aoife Coffey, Dr Junwen Luo, Jenny O’Neill & Sonraí project partners

Organisations:  University College Cork, HEAnet

Initiative Description:
This poster, based on a report published by Sonraí Irish Data Stewardship Network, outlines a roadmap and provides recommendations for establishing data stewardship as a recognised and valued profession within the research landscape.

Rationale for Initiative:
The professionalisation of research data stewardship in Ireland is a critical enabler of advancing Open Research as outlined in the National Open Research Forum’s Action Plan for Open Research, however the limited number of skilled data stewards has been identified as a significant barrier to embedding RDM and implementing FAIR and Open Data.
Initiative Aims/Purpose:We aim to build a sustainable robust and effective data stewardship community which is critical to achieving widespread adoption of FAIR and Open Data across the research landscape.

 
Initiative Methods/Activities:
To gain better insight into the current landscape and challenges in Ireland, Sonraí undertook a series of interviews with data stewards, librarians, project managers, infrastructure providers, funders and researchers across career stages and domains.

Results:
The initiative proposes practical steps such as advocacy for the importance of data stewardship, fostering of key partnerships, adopting competency frameworks, development of accredited training, and formal recognition of the role of data stewards.  

Conclusions:
A lack of professional recognition, sustainable funding and structured training currently limits the growth and impact of data stewardship in Ireland. Addressing these gaps and challenges through professionlisation, career pathway development and alignment with international standards is essential. By implementing these recommendations, we enhance our research ecosystem with robust and effective data stewardship.