Successful Digital Week 2024 for research data management in Schleswig-Holstein
Published on: May 23, 2024
At this year’s Digital Week in Kiel, FDM-SH and the FDM-SH Community organised a number of exciting events on the sustainable handling of (research) data. The focus was on networking within the FDM-SH community, dialogue with the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI) and interaction with interested members of the public.
Research data marketplace: meeting and networking
The events were kicked off on the afternoon of 15 May with the Research Data Marketplace. Here, four universities and research institutions from the FDM-SH community and five other innovative projects presented themselves in short lightning talks. Cord Wiljes from the NFDI office opened the event with a concise presentation of the NFDI in five steps. He offered a comprehensive insight into the nationwide initiative for the systematic collection, management, protection and provision of research data.
Under the title ‘Action through data - a data strategy for Schleswig-Holstein’, Dr Jörg Nickel from the State Chancellery presented the state data strategy. The State Chancellery manages the digitisation programme 3.0 of the state of Schleswig-Holstein and, in addition to the implementation project for the state initiative FDM-SH, also supports the ‘Datenlotse’ project, which presented its inclusive approach to research data management.
Further contributions came from the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Lübeck University of Applied Sciences, the European XFEL and Kiel University. Dr Jesper Zedlitz from the Schleswig-Holstein Open Data Portal also provided insights into how the portal works. The Competence Development Working Group of FDM-SH invited those present to get actively involved within FDM-SH and drive the topic forward.
The future of research data management: learning and discussing
The evening event was also characterised by the productive collaboration between universities, research institutions, FDM state initiatives and the NFDI. After the digital welcome address by Minister for Digitalisation Dirk Schrödter, PD. Dr Bridget Murphy (Kiel University and DAPHNE4NFDI) led through the evening. Prof Dr Ralf Ludwig (University of Rostock and member of the NFDI expert commission) captivated the audience with his presentation on ‘Guidelines for research data management: transparency, trust, democracy’. He managed to inspire even non-research data enthusiasts and placed the sustainable handling of research data in a wider social context.
The subsequent plenary discussion brought up exciting topics and once again emphasised the importance of networking and exchange in the field of research data management for Schleswig-Holstein’s universities and research institutions.
Workshop on participation opportunities in the NFDI: exchange and perspectives
On Thursday (15 May 2024), Benjamin Slowig (FDM-SH) and Cord Wiljes (NFDI) organised a workshop in which the opportunities for participation within the NFDI were addressed and discussed.
At two discussion tables - moderated by Cord Wiljes and Thilo Paul-Stüve (Kiel University) - the participants jointly discussed the advantages of active involvement within the NFDI from a national and regional perspective. Various universities and research institutions from across the state were represented: Europa-Universität Flensburg, Borstel Research Centre, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön, ZBW, Schleswig-Holstein State Library and Kiel University.
While the mutual expectations of the NFDI and the institutions in Schleswig-Holstein were discussed at the table with a nationwide perspective, the participants at the table with a regional focus emphasised the importance of the state initiative FDM-SH as a link between the NFDI and the local institutions and as a catalyst for RDM activities. There are plans to turn the results of the workshop into a publication.
Our heartfelt thanks go to the organisation team of Digital Week Kiel 2024, all the dedicated helpers and the motivated participants who made the FDM-SH events at DiWo 2024 a great success.