USI Receives Funding to Develop Research Data Management Curriculum for Social Science Researchers
Institute of Communication and Public Policy
Università della Svizzera italiana has been awarded funding from swissuniversities to develop a comprehensive curriculum for Research Data Management (RDM) training for doctoral and early career researchers in the social sciences. The training program will be integrated into the university’s long-standing Summer School in Social Science Methods, with the inaugural edition of the RDM@SSM programme scheduled for the summer of 2024.
The project funded as part of the wider Swiss agenda on Open Research Data aims to address the growing need for RDM expertise among social scientists. As research data becomes increasingly complex and voluminous, it is crucial for researchers to have the skills and knowledge necessary to manage their data effectively. This includes understanding data collection, organisation, storage, preservation, and sharing practices.
“USI is delighted and proud to receive this relevant funding opportunity from swissuniversities that will help us to develop state-of-the-art RDM training programs, which will be beneficial for our doctoral students and early career researchers and beyond, ultimately contributing to the quality of social science research.” said Professor Patrick Gagliardini, Pro-Rector for Research at USI.
“The Summer School represents the ideal environment for offering a course dedicated to Data Management and Open Research Data, as it will allow for the creation of synergies between the exploration of general data management topics and, subsequently, the practices introduced in the various courses focused on specific methodologies for the social sciences”, added Dr Agata Lambrechts, RDM@SSM Project Coordinator and Summer School Manager.
The project team, led by Professor Benedetto Lepori, will collaborate with experts from the Swiss Forum for Social Sciences (FORS) and other leading RDM specialists to develop the curriculum. The training program will cover a wide range of topics and will emphasize the importance of RDM for research integrity, collaboration, and data sharing. Participants will also have the opportunity to work on practical data management projects.
“We are committed to providing our researchers with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the digital age,” said Dr Igor Sarman, USI Research Data Manager who joins the team as Content Developer and one of Facilitators, “This RDM training program is an important step in achieving that goal.”
