Workshop at Mainz University of Applied Sciences as part of the Volkswagen Foundation's “Digital Competences in Science” theme week
"Research data management with limited resources?
Building competence through the networking of universities of applied sciences"
December 2-4, 2024, Xplanatorium, Schloss Herrenhausen, Hannover
The challenges facing universities of applied sciences in setting up RDM
The relevance of research data in science is skyrocketing, and with it the role of quality-assured research data management (RDM). Universities of Applied Sciences (HAW) are faced with the task of developing extensive expertise in RDM to ensure the quality of research and teaching. In particular, the German Research Foundation's guidelines for safeguarding good research practice define clear objectives and criteria for the handling of research data.
HAWs generally only have limited financial and human resources to draw on when implementing the development of skills among RDM staff and researchers. Service centers for RDM, such as those already found at many universities, are not established at the majority of HAWs. Added to this is the high teaching load of researchers, which makes it even more difficult to develop RDM skills in this target group. These circumstances also hinder the participation of HAWs in the efforts to establish a national research data infrastructure (NFDI), which is why this type of university is strongly underrepresented in their structures.
Although some HAWs are supported through project funding (such as BMBF funding) or by initiatives of individual federal states (including Mainz University of Applied Sciences with FDM@HAW.rlp), the long-term development of RDM structures and expertise to support their researchers remains a major challenge for the majority of HAWs.
Finding joint solutions and resource-saving concepts
The workshop FDM mit geringen Ressourcen? (RDM with limited resources?) brings together RDM staff from universities of applied sciences across Germany. The aim of the workshop is to develop strategies for the resource-saving joint establishment of efficient RDM structures and to develop approaches to developing knowledge and expertise in a network. In particular, the workshop will discuss how RDM staff (RDM lecturers, staff from research departments, libraries, computer centers and the administration) at HAWs can support each other through peer exchange and cross-regional training courses for researchers.
Implementation
The workshop is organized by Mainz University of Applied Sciences, Ernst Abbe University of Applied Sciences Jena, Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hildesheim/Holzminden/Göttingen and funded by the Volkswagen Foundation as part of the theme week “Digital Competences in Science”.
The FDM@HAW network
The idea for the workshop originated in the FDM@HAW network. This network was initiated in 2023 by networking the 14 current BMBF projects in the Förderrichtlinie zur Förderung von Projekten zum Thema Nachnutzung und Management von Forschungsdaten an Fachhochschulen (Funding guideline for the funding of projects on the reuse and management of research data at universities of applied sciences, information in German), and expanded to include representatives from other universities of applied sciences. Mainz University of Applied Sciences was involved in initiating the network with the project FDM@HAW.rlp (in German).
Additional information and schedule
Workshop Digital Competences in Science (in German)
Who to contact
