Recommendations by the Council for information infrastructures to develop the research data management

July 19, 2016, Nr. 56

Performance from Diversity

The digital transformation is fundamentally changing the management of data and methods in science. This rapid development poses a great challenge for science and politics. Since an efficient management of research data is necessary for science and innovation. With its position paper “Performance from Diversity” the Council for Information Infrastructures“ (RfII) has now presented recommendations in order to create sustainable conditions for the management of research data. It is particularly necessary to set up a National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI) as a network with cross-unit centres. 

The Joint Science Conference (GWK), that treats all questions of research funding, science and research policy strategies and the science system jointly affecting the federal government and the federal states, commissioned RfII with issuing recommendations for the joint system of science in Germany.   

After handing over the position paper to GWK, Simone Rehm, Vice-Rector for Information Technology (CIO) at the University of Stuttgart and member on the Council for Information Infrastructures said: “Modern technologies in data management create the infrastructure basis for cutting-edge research and teaching in Germany. Each university must make its contribution here so that we are able to form necessary synergies in research data management nationally and internationally.”  

Ms Rehm further emphasised that the University of Stuttgart already has an excellent infrastructure for large-scale data management at its disposal today – also in cooperation with other science facilities. However, what is decisive for the future, according to Ms Rehm, is that the scientists are given advice regarding their research work at an early stage in terms of which data is to be stored in which way, how data can be published and how a legally viable subsequent use can also take place, if need be.     

In spite of the rapid progress in utilisable technologies for science in Germany, successful decentralised initiatives and multiple thematic leaderships of German facilities are particularly lacking the use of cross subject and institution synergies as well as a coherent observation for the entirety of the science system, as it is stated in the analysis of the RfII position paper. The Council derives various recommendations from these estimations:

  • The efficiency and coordination of the research data management in Germany must be improved in future through a distributed national infrastructure.
  • Through quality assurance and legal framework conditions a data responsibility must be anchored in science for all phases of the data life cycle.
  • Research data management in Germany must develop itself in a European and global framework.

Council for Information Infrastructures 

The committee fulfils a hinge function between science and politics. It is to consult politics and science in future questions relating to digital science. The self-organisation forms in science should be strengthened in order to promote science-driven developments. The members work in an honorary capacity and are appointed by GWK for four years. 

 

Further information: 

Dr Simone Rehm,  Vice-Rector of Information Technology, University of   Stuttgart, Tel. 0711 685-82550,  Email: simone.rehm@rektorat.uni-stuttgart.de

Dr. Simone Rehm, Vice-Rector for Information Technology (CIO) and member of the Council for Information Infrastructures
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