Setting the Foundations for Stronger Partnerships and Collaborations for Developing Institutional RDM Strategies in Canada

The Government of Canada’s Tri-Agency formally launched the Research Data Management (RDM) Policy in March 2021 with the objective of supporting “Canadian research excellence by promoting sound data management and data stewardship practices”. A central component of this policy requires postsecondary institutions eligible to administer Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), Natural Sciences and Engineering Council (NSERC) or Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) funds to create an institutional RDM strategy by March 2023.

A national survey was developed and distributed to gauge institutions’ readiness for developing an institutional RDM strategy required by the Tri-Agency. As part of the survey development, emphasis was placed on increasing participation from diverse institutions of various sizes, geographical location and official languages (English and French) to ensure that future Alliance support and resources are developed to address the distinct needs of institutions.

Survey results were summarized in a report along with recommendations including increasing Tri-Agency involvement as institutions developed their institutional RDM strategies, encouraging institutions to collaborate, and for the Alliance RDM to develop forums and provide support for disciplinary societies to have RDM conversations.

As a result, three panel discussions covering the active stages (Initial, Planning, and Execution) of developing an institutional RDM strategy were successfully delivered through the Alliance RDM to a diverse range of institutions. Recognizing the needs of smaller institutions including CEGEPS, colleges, and polytechnics, an additional panel discussion was developed and delivered to this audience.

In this presentation, we will highlight the survey recommendations and how they had a snowball effect and ignited difficult but productive conversations within and between institutions, the Tri-Agency, and Alliance RDM about institutional disparities based on geography, size, and language. These conversations are setting the foundation for stronger partnerships and collaborations in developing institutional RDM strategies.