New Network to Progress Research Data Management at Australian Universities

The new Institutional Underpinnings Research Data Management Network will work to uplift university research data management.
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In 2021, the ARDC launched the Institutional Underpinnings program to bring together 25 Australian universities to develop a research data management framework for Australian universities. The ARDC is tasked by NCRIS to provide national-scale assets to support leading-edge research. With so many universities coordinating and pooling their efforts, Institutional Underpinnings has been a truly national-scale collaborative infrastructure project.

The collaboration, the first of its kind in Australia and unique in the world, created a Research Data Management Framework for Australian universities. The Framework will be launched in February 2022. 

The Framework provides expert guidance on the elements essential to university research data management. It also identified gaps where best practice is still unclear, or shared solutions need to be developed to move forward. 

The universities participating in Institutional Underpinnings expressed their keen interest in continuing to work collaboratively to solve these problems and collectively uplift university research data management. Therefore, the ARDC is extending the Institutional Underpinnings program by establishing the Institutional Underpinnings Research Data Management Network (IU RDM Network).

Dr Nichola Burton from the ARDC leads the Institutional Underpinnings program. 

“The contributions of our partner universities to the Institutional Underpinnings program has resulted in fantastic resources for the sector, including the substantial expert guidance provided in the Framework,” she said.

“However, the most important outcome of the program has been the development of connections and collaborations between universities, and we are excited to build on and continue this network in the Institutional Underpinnings Extension.”

A Research Data Management Network for Australian Universities

The new IU RDM Network will shape and deliver Institutional Underpinnings extension activities. The extension activities include:

  1. Extending the guidance provided in the Research Data Management Framework
  2. Continuing the sharing, collaboration and discussion between universities on research data management
  3. Designing and delivering 4 collaborative projects to solve shared research data management problems.

The ARDC is working with the IU RDM Network to develop 4 collaborative projects, which will be delivered by groups of universities that are members of Network. Each project will receive $200,000 in co-investment from the ARDC.

The Network is still open for new member universities. Members can participate in the discussion and design activities of the Network, and have the opportunity to be involved in delivering co-investment projects (although they are not obliged to do so). To enquire about joining, please contact us.

Learn more about the new IU RDM Network.

The ARDC is funded through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) to support national digital research infrastructure for Australian researchers.