TUM Research Data Hub: A new service structure for generic and project-specific RDM with Data Stewards

In 2023, the Technical University of Munich (TUM) established the TUM Research Data Hub as a central entity for all institutional research data management (RDM) services. The University Library (UB) operates the hub in cooperation with the cross-faculty Munich Data Science Institute (MDSI) to offer practical, tailored solutions for sustainable RDM. These include not only institutional RDM services but also a pool of Data Stewards responsible for RDM in large-scale projects.
To our knowledge, this innovative staffing concept is new and unique in the German university landscape. It creates new personnel resources within the University Library: Data Steward positions approved within the framework of third-party-funded large projects are supplemented by central funds from TUM. Data Stewards hired for these positions are organizationally assigned either to the UB or the MDSI and are integrated into research projects after training.
In these projects, Data Stewards implement RDM for and with project members while also addressing the general RDM needs of TUM. The organizational affiliation with the Hub promotes the exchange of experiences and results from the projects as well as collegial support in developing project-related or generic RDM solutions. This generates synergy effects, makes insights centrally available to all, and provides resources for university-wide RDM support coordinated by the Hub beyond project-specific requirements.
The poster depicts the structure of the TUM Research Data Hub and its integration within the Technical University of Munich. It describes the staffing concept of the Data Stewards located within the Hub, the service portfolio, and initial experiences with this new service structure.