Landscape analysis of national and international RDM initiatives

The Swiss Research Data Support Network (SRDSN) project, funded by the swissuniversities Programme Open Science I, aims to foster an inclusive community for research data support in Switzerland. Launched on January 1, 2024, the project involves 16 partners from Swiss higher education institutions and three domain-specific research infrastructures. A key focus of SRDSN is to establish best practices in research data management (RDM). The project comprises seven work packages, with Work Package 7 (WP7) specifically dedicated to international alignment, identifying key organizations, and promoting knowledge exchange.

This report summarizes the activities conducted within WP7 and outlines the outcomes achieved. It includes the methodology developed for a landscape analysis of RDM initiatives, a summary of key initiatives, an overview of initial collaborations established, and future plans.

The landscape analysis identified 26 international and 13 national RDM initiatives, which include initiatives such as the Research Data Alliance (RDA) and the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). The SRDSN aims to raise awareness of research data services, and promote and enhance the development of professionals involved in research data management support. Looking ahead, the SRDSN plans to establish an "International RDM Node" to engage with these and other initiatives and continue aligning Swiss RDM practices with international standards.