Focus on Sustainable Research Data Management

Published on: February 26, 2024

At the community meeting of the Schleswig-Holstein State Initiative for Research Data Management (FDM-SH) on 20 February 2024 in Kiel, those present discussed the status of research data management in Schleswig-Holstein with Digitization Minister Dirk Schrödter. Highlights included the establishment of the FDM-SH Advisory Board and the first working group for skills development. Digitization Minister Dirk Schrödter emphasized the importance of the initiative for the visibility of research institutions.

The members of the FDM-SH Advisory Board and FDM-SH Office together with the Minister for Digitisation (from left to right: Prof. Dr. Klaus Tochtermann, Dr. Andreas Techen, Karen Bruhn, Dr. Jörg Nickel, Dirk Schrödter, Arne Klemenz, Prof. Dr. Catherine Cleophas, Thilo Paul-Stüve, Benjamin Slowig). Credits, Copyright: ZBW; Photo: Timo Wilke.

Successful FDM-SH community meeting at ZBW Kiel

Research data management (RDM) plays a key role in the digital research landscape and requires responsible handling of data. With this in mind, the universities and research institutions in Schleswig-Holstein have joined forces to discuss and promote joint projects as part of the State Initiative for Research Data Management (FDM-SH).

A community meeting on 20 February 2024 at ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics Kiel brought together numerous representatives of the FDM-SH community, who discussed the current status of research data management at their institutions and future prospects with the Minister of Digitization, Dirk Schrödter.

The participants of the community meeting. Credits, Copyright: ZBW; Photo: Timo Wilke.

The state initiative aims to promote cooperation and network players in research data management as well as the research locations in the state, thereby strengthening their eligibility for funding. Two important milestones were achieved during the meeting: The establishment of the Advisory Board for Research Data Management (FDM-SH) under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Klaus Tochtermann (ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics) and Prof. Dr. Catherine Cleophas (Kiel University) as deputy head. The advisory board also consists of Prof. Dr. Monique Jannek (Lübeck University of Applied Sciences), Dr. Holger Marten (ITSH-edu), Arne Klemenz (Advisory Board of Academic Libraries SH) and Dr. Janna Neumann (TIB Hannover), a national expert on RDM. In addition, the first working group was formed within the state initiative, which will focus on developing expertise in the area of research data management.

Karen Bruhn from the state initiative’s office emphasized the focus on the needs of the community and the integration of key impulses from the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI). She emphasized the relevance of cooperation with NFDI consortia at the specialist national level and with FDM-SH at the state level in order to ensure tailor-made implementation.

Panel discussion - pooling activities and resources

In the panel discussion moderated by Prof. Dr. Klaus Tochtermann with Prof. Dr. Catherine Cleophas, Sören Lorenz (GEOMAR) and Thilo Paul-Stüve (Kiel University), the Minister of Digitization outlined the support for the cross-institutional state initiative, which is funded by the State Chancellery’s digitization programme.

The participants in the panel discussion (from left to right: Prof. Dr. Klaus Tochtermann, Prof. Dr. Catherine Cleophas, Dirk Schrödter, Sören Lorenz, Thilo Paul-Stüve). Credits, Copyright: ZBW; Photo: Timo Wilke.

Thilo Paul-Stüve, head of the project to implement the state initiative FDM-SH, emphasized how important it is to bundle the activities from all over Schleswig-Holstein and to promote the implementation of research data management, which is also illustrated by the establishment of the working group for competence development.