Call for Expressions of Interest: Participate in Research on Costs of Public Access to Research Data

Shawna Taylor | [email protected] | April 5, 2024

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and the Data Curation Network (DCN) are seeking five US-based academic libraries to participate in a research project focused on understanding the institutional costs of public access to research data. The research project will run from approximately September 1, 2024, to August 31, 2026. This research is funded by the US Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) National Leadership Grant LG-254930-OLS-23.

Applicants should complete the expression of interest form, as detailed below, by 11:59 p.m. Hawai?i standard time, Friday, May 31, 2024. We anticipate informing applicants of acceptance no later than June 28, 2024.

We invite expressions of interest from US-based libraries at academic institutions that receive federal funding for research. We strongly encourage applicants from a range of institutions that vary in size, research activity, and level of development of services and infrastructure for research data management and sharing, including historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs), or other minority-serving institutions (MSIs). Even if your institution has just begun planning for research data management and sharing, we invite you to apply.

This research builds upon prior analyses of data sharing that reflect the varying levels of resources and organizational strategies in a wide range of institutions. This work is based on research done during the first phase of the Realities of Academic Data Sharing (RADS) Initiative. Research teams will conduct analyses at their institutions to address the following questions:

• What are the different service and cost models institutions put in place to support research data management and sharing policies?
• What is the direct expense to the institution, and specifically the academic library, to implement federally mandated data sharing policies?
• What is the cost to the researcher to comply with funded-research data sharing policies?

The new research cohort will receive support from the RADS team in launching this research, as well as cleaning and analyzing resultant data. All methods, protocols, and survey instruments will be provided by ARL. This will require IRB approval or exemption at your institution. Cohort members will also have the opportunity to engage with the DCN’s activities and consider the current state of research data services at their institutions. Members will be supported by a full-time staff member based at the DCN.

Cohort Member Benefits

Participants in the research project will receive the following benefits:

• Complementary institutional membership into the Data Curation Network, from approximately September 1, 2024, to August 31, 2026 (DCN membership comprises one representative and up to two additional library staff.)
• Travel support for cohort participants to attend in-person events, including the DCN 2025 and 2026 All Hands Meetings, the project kick-off meeting, and one national conference
• Administrative support for conducting interviews and surveys at each institution in the new program cohort
• Administrative support to help with data analysis, including data cleaning, and development of institutional visualizations related to the project
• Dedicated time from a DCN staff member to support local research data management and sharing services, such as support for training and education for library staff and the evaluation and scoping of local research data management and sharing services

Eligibility Requirements

Research project applicants must meet the following requirements:

• US-based academic libraries
• Receive federal research funding from a US funding agency
• Commitment to developing or investing in research data management services

Expectations of Participation

Participation in the research project includes the following expectations:

• Grant ARL and the DCN access to data collected as part of this program (in order to analyze data across institutions)
• A commitment by the institution for one member of the library to dedicate 5–8% of their time to program research and DCN engagement/participation (DCN engagement can include joining a committee, interest group, or the governance board.)
• Commitment to attending the Data Curation Network CURATE(D) Workshop 2025 and All Hands Meeting Spring/Summer 2025 and 2026 (travel support provided)
• Commitment to attending one national conference to present on the research of the project (travel support provided)
• Commitment to signing a memorandum of understanding(MOU) that agrees to terms for DCN membership

Expression of Interest Form Requirements

Your completed expression of interest form must include the following items:

• Institution Name: The official name of your institution
• Contact Name: The name of the person who can be contacted regarding this expression of interest
• Contact Email: The email address for the contact person mentioned above
• Letter of Agreement: A letter from either the university librarian or the library director confirming the library’s willingness and commitment to participate in the project if selected

Additionally, your submission should address the following points, with each response limited to 500 words:

• Summary of Activities: Provide an overview of the current and planned activities related to research data services at your library (and institution, if applicable). This can include policies, programs, or systems that are being developed or implemented.
• Goals Advancement: Explain how participating in this program would help advance your library’s goals related to the above activities.
• Contribution to the DCN’s Mission: Describe how your library will support the Data Curation Network’s (DCN) mission of promoting ethical, reusable, and understandable data sharing, in line with the FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable) and CARE (collective benefit, authority to control, responsibility, and ethics) principles.

Application Evaluation Criteria

Research project applications will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Commitment to Developing Research Data Management Services: Is there a demonstrated commitment from the library to develop or invest in research data management services? (Rate from 1 to 5, with 1 being lowest commitment and 5 being highest commitment, based on your response to the first open-ended question.)
• Participation Impact: How significantly would participation in the program impact the library and its objectives related to research data services? (Rate from 1 to 5, with 1 being lowest impact and 5 being highest impact, based on your response to the second open-ended question.)
• Alignment with the DCN’s Mission: How would participation in the project contribute to the DCN’s mission, vision, or values, including advancement of ethical, reusable, and understandable data sharing practices guided by the FAIR and CARE Principles? (Rate from 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest contribution and 5 being the highest contribution, in response to the third free-text answer.)

Deadline & More Information

The online expression of interest form must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Hawai?i standard time, Friday, May 31, 2024. With any questions, please email Shawna Taylor, project manager for open science, Association of Research Libraries.

Information Session

On April 29, 2024, we held an information session on the details of joining the RADS project. Shawna Taylor (Association of Research Libraries), Mikala Narlock (Data Curation Network), and Jennifer Moore (Washington University in St. Louis) provided an overview of the research conducted so far, discussed the benefits of joining the project and DCN for two years, and outlined what is expected of joining institutions during the duration of the project.

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