Context
In the last decade, there has been increasing global attention given to all forms of data, generated by diverse sources, including environmental observations and sensor networks, social media, retail and business transactions and scholarly research activities. For the University of Pittsburgh, the effective sharing, management, curation and preservation of research data is of prime importance to maximize our research impact, inform our strategic planning and ensure the long-term accessibility of the scholarly record. Following on from the Senate Plenary on Research Data Management in October 2014, the Data Management Committee has come together to work in this context, with a clear Vision, Mission and Objectives for the future.
Vision
The University of Pittsburgh will be globally recognized as a trusted source of research data.
Mission
The Data Management Committee is charged with the mission of informing and catalyzing the university community in data management, sharing, and preservation. In addition, the group should review potential cost-effective institutional research data management processes, infrastructure, tools, training and advocacy activities that will inform university senior leaders, faculty and administrative services.
Objectives
- To inform on the development of research data management infrastructure to strengthen institutional positioning as a lead partner in future NIH, NSF and other federal funding agency research proposals
- to inform institutional strategic planning associated with research data management and research support, and with creativity and innovation more broadly
- to support the identification, evaluation and integration of research data management infrastructure components
- to make recommendations on the selection and implementation of cost-effective research data management infrastructure
- to advise on related issues of data policy, security and strategy which are associated with research data management
- to advocate particular scholarly practices and cultural norms to facilitate good practice for research data management amongst faculty and research staff
- to maintain awareness of new research data management initiatives and evolving cyber-infrastructures at the national and international level, which may impact upon local practices within the University of Pittsburgh.
Membership and Reporting
The Data Management Committee will be comprised of representatives of a diverse range of institutional stakeholders concerned with and experts in research data management. The committee will be appointed by the Provost as will a chair (or co-chairs). Membership will be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that all areas within the University are being adequately represented. The committee will report directly to the Vice Provost for Research.
Output
A key initial output from the Data Management Committee will be a Strategic Options Report which will be presented to the Provost. This report will address all of the objectives identified above. In summary, the report will identify and review the key components of institutional research data management infrastructure, describe the range of technical platforms and software available at the current time, provide information about emerging organizational implementations and operational experience and lay out the strategic options for the University of Pittsburgh, together with an indication of the likely advantages and disadvantages of each solution. The Report should also give some high-level indication of the resourcing implications in terms of faculty / staff roles and expertise, and act as an information feed into any formal Business Case.
It is recognized that the area of institutional research data management infrastructure is emerging and embryonic; the Report will take this into account and will represent a snapshot of current practice. It is also recognized that expertise and knowledge from many parts of the University will inform the Report. Furthermore, the Data Management Committee activities will be informed by parallel work being carried out by the University Policy Review Committee and the Research Computing Committee.
Strategic Options Report Delivery Deadline: 1st July 2016.
Provost calls for Community Action on Research Data Management
The Provost has announced the creation of a new research Data Management Committee (DMC) which is charged with “the mission of informing and catalyzing the university community in data management, sharing, and preservation”. The Committee members comprise experts from a range of institutional research data stakeholder units including the Office of Research, Computing Services & Systems Development (CSSD), University Library System, Health Sciences Library System, School of Information Sciences, Department of Biomedical Informatics, and faculty representatives from the Department of Computer Science, School of Law and the University Center for Social & Urban Research. One of the first tasks for the DMC will be to gather faculty and staff views on their research data support requirements to inform a Strategic Options Report. This Report will explore the challenges of developing research data infrastructure (e.g. platforms for data storage and archiving, Data Management Plan guidance and researcher training in good data documentation practices), and will provide recommendations to inform future planning. The Report will also describe potential strategies to achieve cultural change within the institution, recognizing US government agendas toward open data and research funder mandates from NIH and NSF, to share data as a public good.
You can contribute to the work of the DMC in two key ways:
- By completing a Survey about your research data requirements and practices http://pi.tt/datasurvey
- By participating in a Data Management Committee Open Forum
The Co-Chairs of the Data Management Committee welcome your engagement:
Dr Liz Lyon, Visiting Professor, School of Information Sciences said “our objective is to help the University of Pittsburgh to provide a coordinated and robust data infrastructure for its faculty, which meets their requirements and which recognizes the value of their research data, models and code as first-class research outputs”.
Dr Mike Becich, Associate Vice-Chancellor for Informatics in the Health Sciences, Chair and Distinguished University Professor of the Department of Biomedical Informatics said “the next chapter of the evolution of science is dependent on the sharing of data generated by federally funded research. The NIH and NSF already require data sharing plans for funded research, but has not systematized this practice. Pitt has an opportunity to lead in developing a model which can scale nationally”.
For more information about the Data Management Committee, the Provost’s Charge and the Data Management Committee Open Forums: rdmc.pitt.edu/
| Michael J. Becich, MD, PhD Chair of Department of Biomedical Informatics Professor, Department of Biomedical Informatics University of Pittsburgh becich@pitt.edu |
Elizabeth Josephine Lyon, PhD Visiting Professor School of Information Science University of Pittsburgh elyon@pitt.edu |
| Aaron Brenner Coordinator of Digital Scholarship University Library System University of Pittsburgh abrenner@pitt.edu |
Nickie Cappella Project Manager Department of Biomedical Informatics University of Pittsburgh nkc7@pitt.edu |
| Bruce Childers Professor Department of Computer Science University of Pittsburgh Email: childers@cs.pitt.edu |
Robert Gradeck Regional Data Center Director University Center for Social & Urban Research University of Pittsburgh rmg44@pitt.edu |
| Mara Horwitz Associate Professor of Medicine Department of Medicine University of Pittsburgh horwitz@pitt.edu |
Christopher Keslar Computing Services and Systems Development University of Pittsburgh chris.keslar@pitt.edu |
| Ron Larson Dean, Professor School of Information Sciences University of PIttsburgh rlarsen@pitt.edu |
Michael Madison Professor of Law Faculty Director, Innovation Practice Institute University of Pittsburgh madison@pitt.edu |
| Eleanor Mattern Visiting Assistant Professor School of Information Science University of Pittsburgh emm100@pitt.edu |
Daniel Mosse Professor Department of Computer Science University of Pittsburgh mosse@cs.pitt.edu |
| Melissa Ratejeski Coordinator of Data Management Services Health Sciences Library System University of Pittsburgh mar@pitt.edu |
Doris Rubio Professor, Biostatistics Director, Center for Research on Health Care Data Center Department of Medicine dmr18@pitt.edu |
| Nancy Tannery Senior Associate Director Health Sciences Library System University of PIttsburgh tannery@pitt.edu |
Willem Aysbert Van Panhuis Assistant Professor Graduate School of Public Health University of Pittsburgh WAV10@pitt.edu |
| Jinx Walton Chief Information Officer Office of the Chancellor University of Pittsburgh jpw@pitt.edu |
Jennifer Woodward Associate Vice Provost for Research Operations Associate Professor of Surgery University of Pittsburgh jew7@pitt.edu |