Institutional RDM Strategies: A Canadian Context

In March 2021, the Canadian federal funding agencies (Tri-Agencies) announced a Research Data Management (RDM) Policy requiring research institutions eligible to administer funding to develop and publish an institutional RDM strategy by March 2023. The Institutional RDM Strategy Review Group (composed of representatives from the Tri-Agencies, Digital Research Alliance of Canada’s Research Intelligence Expert Group, and University of Ottawa Researchers) has since collated all published institutional RDM strategies and conducted a quantitative description on institutions’ submission status and a qualitative analysis on characteristics of the strategies.

This presentation will report on the preliminary findings of our study, focusing on the current RDM environment and initiatives at Canadian institutions that are reflected in their RDM strategies, such as the context of RDM strategy development, RDM governance, RDM related guidelines and policies, and RDM engagement strategies. Our presentation will speak to the readiness of Canadian research institutions to meet the agencies' RDM Policy’s incoming requirements for Data Management Plan (DMP) creation and data deposit. We will also report on how Canadian institutions recognize and discuss Indigenous data sovereignty, disciplinary RDM requirements, and EDI issues related to RDM.

The results of our mapping provide an important step in the ongoing implementation of Canadian RDM activities and to ensure Canada’s continued leadership and innovation agenda. Our understanding of institutional strategies obtained from this work will serve to identify important organizational and infrastructural advancements, but also gaps in national policy, support services, and community infrastructure. We will highlight the previous efforts and future needs for a national level coordination and collaboration to foster RDM communities of practice and reduce duplication of effort.