In 2021, the University of Basel launched the Data Stewardship Program to complement the Research Data Management Network. The aim of the program is to establish decentralized first points of contact in the individual faculties, departments and institutes for all questions relating to research data management. The program is funded by the Rectorate and coordinated by the Open Science Team of the University Library.

Since its inception, the Data Stewardship Program has raised awareness of research data management at the University of Basel. Data stewards have been appointed in all faculties of the university and have benefited from the training courses offered by the program. Since 2023, the program is additionally funded by swissuniversities as part of the National Strategy and Action Plan on Open Research Data and can thus be expanded and consolidated.

By the end of 2024, the Data Stewardship Program aims to increase the visibility of the Research Data Management Network across the University, to support the faculties and departments in establishing subject-specific best practices, to make research data management an integral part of doctoral training, and to ensure the long-term central coordination of the program. For more details, see the Action Plan on Data Stewardship of the University of Basel.

At the University of Basel, data stewards are people who offer subject-specific support for research data management. They are the first point of contact for researchers in their respective subject area. In addition to providing direct advice and support, they also serve as a link to other bodies that offer general support in the area of RDM. They ensure that subject-specific needs are known throughout the Research Data Management Network at the University of Basel and that transferable solutions can be developed. The data stewards offer advice and support, but it is not their duty to manage the research data in the research projects. Data stewards act as multipliers and ambassadors for RDM at the University of Basel. They inform their organizational units about relevant developments, services and requirements in the field of RDM and support them in establishing best practices and building up knowledge.

Since 2021, about 35 data stewards have been recruited in the various faculties to help researchers with any questions related to research data management. Are you a researcher at the University of Basel and want to find your data steward? Then check out our list with all data stewards!

Are you interested in appointing a data steward in your department or becoming a data steward yourself? Then send us an email!

The Research Data Management Network is mandated to organize a training program for the data stewards of the University of Basel. The program started in the fall semester of 2021 and offers data stewards courses on the fundamentals of research data management. Depending on the needs of the data stewards, subject-specific in-depth courses can also be organized. The data stewards choose which courses they would like to attend according to their interests and prior knowledge.

To date, numerous courses have been held on topics such as basics of research data management, FAIR principles, data protection, anonymization, intellectual property rights, information security or research ethics. In addition, a series of Coffee Lectures was given on infrastructures and tools for research data management.

The courses are taught by both internal and external lecturers. In addition to the course content, the data stewards also get to know the respective experts and contact persons within the RDM network.

The courses are aimed at data stewards and other members of the RDM network at the University of Basel. If there are free places available, courses can also be opened up to other interested parties. All participants receive a course confirmation.

Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding our training for the data stewards of the University of Basel.

Here you can find the next training courses and events of the Data Stewardship Program. The program  is updated on an ongoing basis. If courses are offered several times and there are different dates to choose from in a semester, they will be labeled A, B, etc.

The Coffee Lectures took place as webinars in the spring and fall semesters of 2022. They lasted 15 minutes and gave an insight into various infrastructures and tools for research data management.
The video recordings of the past Coffee Lectures can be found under Video tutorials.