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Es ablishing RDM Consul ancy Se ices in
Uni e si ies: A Roadmap
by Özgün Ün e , Ph.D., Da a S ewa d: Social Sciences & Humani ies, V ije Uni e si ei B ussel
(Disclaime : Cha GPT 5 was used du ing he d a ing s age o his documen , and he ex was
ho oughly e ised and edi ed by he au ho a e wa ds.)
In oduc ion
Uni e si ies ac oss Eu ope ace g owing challenges in suppo ing e ec i e,
complian , and sus ainable Resea ch Da a Managemen (RDM). While many
ins i u ions al eady p o ide aining, empla es, and guidance, hese se ices
may all sho o la ge and complex esea ch g oups o p ojec s unded
h ough ERC, Ho izon, o o he majo g an s. To add ess his gap, a s uc u ed
RDM Consul ancy p o ides ailo ed, hands-on, and collabo a i e suppo ha
embeds RDM p ac ices di ec ly wi hin he wo k lows o esea che s.
This documen p o ides a de ailed amewo k o designing, implemen ing,
and e alua ing such a p og amme. I is based on he p ac ical expe ience o
pilo ing he RDM Consul ancy se ice a V ije Uni e si ei B ussel (VUB) and
can se e as a bluep in o o he uni e si ies wishing o eplica e his
app oach.
The co e idea is o combine expe ise om da a s ewa ds (and, in his case,
consul an s) wi h he ac i e pa icipa ion o esea ch g oups. The consul ancy
p o ides p ac ical ou pu s, such as ope a ional elec onic lab no ebooks
(ELNs), s uc u ed da a s o age sys ems, and ailo ed me ada a empla es,
while simul aneously building capaci y wi hin esea ch g oups o sus ain hese
p ac ices independen ly. This documen ou lines he p og amme’s scope,
p ocesses, go e nance, e alua ion mechanisms, and success ac o s, o e ing
uni e si ies a clea pa h owa d es ablishing and con inuously imp o ing hei
own RDM consul ancy o e s.
Ra ionale and Objec i es
Mode n esea ch en i onmen s demand igo ous RDM due o unde
equi emen s, ins i u ional policies, he g owing complexi y and amoun o
(digi al) da a, and he g owing impo ance o ep oducibili y and da a sha ing
in he wide academic milieu. Ye esea che s o en lack he expe ise,
esou ces, o ime o implemen hese p ac ices e ec i ely on hei own.
T adi ional suppo se ices – aining sessions, online esou ces, o gene ic
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empla es – a e aluable bu insu icien o esea ch p ojec conso ia and
esea ch g oups wi h complex da a wo k lows and la ge numbe s o
esea che s.
The RDM Consul ancy se ice aims o ill his gap by o e ing:
1. Tailo ed and hands-on suppo aligned wi h he speci ic needs o each
g oup o p ojec
2. Collabo a i e engagemen wi h esea che s o co-de elop solu ions
(also known as a done-wi h-you app oach)
3. Sus ainable capaci y building ha ensu es independence a e
consul ancy ends
In sho , he p og amme b idges he gap be ween knowledge and
implemen a ion, making good da a managemen bo h achie able and long-
las ing.
Scope o Se ices
In he pilo phase, RDM Consul ancy a VUB was designed as an ex ension o
he uni e si y’s co e RDM se ices, p o ided ee o cha ge, o e ed only o he
la ges esea ch g oups, and capped a a de ined wo kload (i.e., 10 wo king
days pe consul ancy). This ensu ed he se ice is bo h impac ul and scalable.
Once he pilo phase was concluded and he need o he RDM Consul ancy
was es ablished, i was decided ha he se ice would be o e ed on a
con inuous and “ i s -come- i s -se ed" basis and o all esea ch g oups (no
only he la ge ones) as well as la ge p ojec conso ia (such as hose unded by
ERC o Ho izon Eu ope).
A VUB, ypical consul ancy opics include:
Con igu ing app o ed s o age solu ions wi h s uc u ed olde s,
pe missions, and access con ols
Mig a ing da a om non-app o ed o legacy s o age sys ems o
ins i u ional s o age
W i ing o e ining Da a Managemen Plans (DMPs)
Implemen ing speci ic elemen s o DMPs in o daily wo k lows
Designing esea ch-speci ic me ada a empla es and README
documen a ion
Selec ing discipline-speci ic da a eposi o ies and p o iding hands-on
guidance o da a deposi ion
Suppo ing applica ions o access o hi d-pa y da a (e.g.,
go e nmen al, indus ial, o hospi al da a)
O ganising wo kshops ailo ed o he g oup’s speci ic wo k lows and
ools
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Se ing up ully ope a ional Elec onic Lab No ebooks (ELNs) o he
esea ch/p ojec g oup
These examples demons a e he consul ancy’s b ead h: om echnical
in as uc u e o compliance and documen a ion. The goal is no only o
deli e solu ions bu o embed hem e ec i ely wi hin he g oup’s p ac ices.
P ocess F amewo k
The consul ancy ollows a s uc u ed p ocess o ensu e consis ency and
accoun abili y.
S ep 1. Reques and In ake
Resea ch g oups apply h ough a simple eques o m on he uni e si y’s RDM
po al. The o m collec s key in o ma ion such as applican de ails, esea ch
g oup name, speci ic needs, and expec ed ou comes. A e submission, an
in ake mee ing is a anged wi h he assigned da a s ewa d. The aim o his
mee ing is o collec in o ma ion on:
Resea ch con ex and ype o da a p oduced
Speci ic RDM challenges and needs
Desi ed ou comes and how success will be measu ed
P e e ed wo king me hod: done-wi h-you (capaci y building) o done-
o -you ( as e deli e y, in case o u gency) - he p e e ence is always he
o me o enable independen RDM p ac ices a e he consul ancy is
inished
Requi ed inpu om esea che s: beyond he wo king me hod, he
consul an s o en need speci ic adminis a i e o da a- ela ed
in o ma ion om he esea ch g oup in o de o deli e on he eques s
Timeline and a ailabili y o co e g oup membe s (a small numbe o
esea che s who will be closely in ol ed in he consul ancy p ocess –
o en including he chai o he esea ch/p ojec g oup and a
p ojec /da a manage )
Whe he any ainings o wo kshops a e o eseen o he la ge g oup
o esea che s (beyond he co e g oup)
Any speci ic deadlines ha need o be me o p io i ise ce ain ac ions
o e o he s
An ag eemen email is hen sen o he esea ch g oup, summa ising he
in ake discussion, ou lining a plan o ac ion, es a ing he deadlines, and
cla i ying esponsibili ies. Impo an ly, i es ablishes expec a ions ha he
g oup mus ac i ely con ibu e o ensu e success.
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S ep 2. Execu ion
Execu ion is i e a i e and collabo a i e. The p ocess ypically includes:
1. Discussion wi h he g oup o e ine unde s anding o needs
2. Design and de elopmen o p oposed solu ions
3. P esen a ion and e inemen , whe e eedback om he g oup is
inco po a ed
4. Implemen a ion, i included in he scope
5. Wo kshops o aining sessions o embed knowledge ac oss he
g oup
This app oach ensu es he solu ion is i - o -pu pose and ha he g oup is
equipped o sus ain i beyond he consul ancy.
S ep 3. Sign-O
Once i is con i med ha he consul ancy is inalised, he da a s ewa d also
sends an e alua ion o m which would be illed ou by he clien . Once he
e alua ion is ecei ed, he da a s ewa d sends a inal email o he g oup
summa ising he ou comes, con i ming p ojec closu e, and cla i ying ha
new consul ancies can be eques ed o addi ional needs. This a oids open-
ended commi men s and ein o ces he ime-bound na u e o he se ice.
E alua ion and Con inuous Imp o emen
E alua ion is c i ical o measu ing he impac o he consul ancy and e ining
he se ice. S uc u ed eedback is ga he ed h ough an online su ey
dis ibu ed o esea ch g oup chai s o da a manage s a e consul ancy
comple ion. The su ey ques ions co e (see Appendix o he ull
ques ionnai e):
Cla i y and o ganisa ion o he consul ancy p ocess
Rele ance and usabili y o deli e ed solu ions
E ec i eness o he done-wi h-you app oach
Impac on he independence o he esea ch g oup ega ding RDM
p ac ices
Value o wo kshops and aining
Addi ional suppo needs
The su ey may be complemen ed by an op ional ollow-up mee ing o cla i y
esponses.
As a esul o such s uc u ed e alua ion, he consul an s can:
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P oduce annual e alua ion epo wi h key insigh s and
ecommenda ions
Re ine p ocesses and ma e ials con inuously
S eng hen us and engagemen wi h esea che s
Go e nance and Resou cing
A success ul consul ancy p og amme equi es clea go e nance and ca e ul
esou ce managemen :
Assignmen o consul an s (da a s ewa ds): P ojec s a e alloca ed
based on esea ch domain and expe ise, wi h addi ional suppo
a ailable o specialis opics.
Wo kload managemen : Each consul ancy is capped a ~10 wo king
days on a i s -come- i s -se ed basis o main ain se ice sus ainabili y.
T acking and moni o ing: In e nal sys ems eco d eques da es,
in ake de ails, ime spen , p ojec s a us, and esponsible s a .
O e sigh and quali y assu ance: Regula in e nal e iews ensu e
consis ency ac oss consul ancies and p o ide oppo uni ies o
knowledge exchange among da a s ewa ds.
This s uc u e balances lexibili y o esea ch g oups wi h accoun abili y o
he da a s ewa d eam.
Communica ion and Ou each
To ensu e up ake, he consul ancy mus be ac i ely p omo ed. Key s a egies
include:
Announcemen s on he uni e si y’s in ane , newsle e s, and RDM
po als
P esen a ions a acul y boa ds and esea ch council mee ings
Sha ing success s o ies om ea ly p ojec s o demons a e angible
bene i s
Emphasising he p og amme’s de ining ea u es: ee, collabo a i e,
p ac ical, and ime-limi ed
E ec i e communica ion ames consul ancy as a us ed ex ension o co e
RDM se ices a he han a eplacemen .
Key Success Indica o s
Se e al elemen s unde pin he success o an RDM consul ancy p og amme:
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Volun a iness: A clea demand o consul ancy should come om he
esea che s, as his is he basis o ac i e pa icipa ion du ing he consul ancy
pe iod.
Clea bounda ies wi h su icien lexibili y: Scope, wo kload, and deli e ables
mus be well-de ined om he ou se , bu enough lexibili y is also buil in o
make i possible o pi o and/o add o he asks i needed.
Resea che engagemen : Ac i e pa icipa ion is essen ial; consul ancy is no
a passi e se ice and aims o RDM capaci y building amongs esea che s.
Expe ise pooling: Da a s ewa ds collabo a e in e nally o sha e knowledge
and skills.
Feedback loops: Sys ema ic e alua ion ensu es con inuous imp o emen .
Scalabili y: Se ices mus be designed o accommoda e demand, s a ing
wi h la ge g oups be o e po en ial expansion o smalle ones
Conclusion
The RDM Consul ancy P og amme o e s uni e si ies a powe ul way o
s eng hen esea ch p ac ices, mee compliance equi emen s, and os e a
cul u e o sus ainable da a managemen . By combining ailo ed, hands-on
suppo wi h s uc u ed p ocesses and obus e alua ion, he p og amme
add esses he limi a ions o adi ional se ices while building long- e m
esea che independence. The VUB expe ience demons a es ha such a
model is easible, impac ul, and scalable.
O he uni e si ies can adap his bluep in by aligning he consul ancy
amewo k wi h hei own esou ces, in as uc u e, and ins i u ional cul u e.
Implemen ed hough ully, he consul ancy can ans o m RDM suppo om
a pe iphe al se ice in o an embedded, collabo a i e pa ne in he esea ch
li ecycle, he eby imp o ing bo h he quali y and impac o academic esea ch.
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Appendix: E alua ion Ques ionnai e
One esponse pe Resea ch G oup o p ojec .
All open-ended ex ques ions a e op ional excep o he las sec ion on alue
and ou comes.
Sec ion A: Gene al In o ma ion
1. Name o he Resea ch G oup (and he P ojec , i applicable): ___________
2. Name(s) o he esponden (s): ________________________________________
3. The ole(s) o he esponden (s) wi hin he Resea ch G oup:
□ Chai o co-chai
□ Da a Manage
□ P ojec Manage /Coo dina o
□ O he (e.g., p o esso , pos doc, PhD esea che ): _______________________
4. Type o consul ancy ecei ed (selec all ha apply):
□ ELN se up
□ In e nal s o age solu ion se up (wi h olde s uc u e)
□ Da a mig a ion
□ DMP w i ing
□ Me ada a empla e de elopmen
□ Da a eposi o y selec ion and da a p ese a ion
□ DMP implemen a ion suppo
□ Access o hi d-pa y da a
□ O he : _____________________________________________
Sec ion B: Consul ancy P ocess
Ra e on a scale om 1 (S ongly Disag ee) o 5 (S ongly Ag ee):
5. The consul ancy objec i es we e clea ly de ined.
6. The consul ancy p ocess was well-s uc u ed and o ganised.
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7. The hands-on app oach e ec i ely in ol ed ou esea ch g oup in
de eloping RDM solu ions.
8. Any u he commen s ega ding he consul ancy p ocess? (Open Tex )
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Sec ion C: Quali y o he Consul ancy
Ra e on a scale om 1 (S ongly Disag ee) o 5 (S ongly Ag ee):
9. The Da a S ewa d(s) unde s ood ou speci ic needs and esea ch
con ex .
10. Communica ion equency, iming o mee ings, and esponsi eness o
he Da a S ewa d(s) we e app op ia e.
11. The deli e ed RDM solu ions and ma e ials (ELN, olde s uc u es,
empla es, e c.) we e clea , ele an , and usable.
12. Any u he commen s conce ning he quali y o he consul ancy?
(Open Tex )
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Sec ion D: Impac o he Consul ancy
Ra e on a scale om 1 (S ongly Disag ee) o 5 (S ongly Ag ee):
13. The consul ancy has imp o ed ou esea ch g oup's RDM p ac ices.
14. The ime in es ed in he consul ancy was wo h he bene i s we gained.
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15. We implemen ed he sugges ed solu ions, and hey a e in ac i e use in
ou RDM wo k low.
16. The consul ancy equipped ou esea ch g oup o manage RDM
solu ions independen ly.
17. We e he e any di icul ies o ba ie s ( echnical, o ganisa ional, e c.) o
implemen ing he ecommenda ions? I so, wha we e hey and we e hey
esol ed? (Open Tex )
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18. Any u he commen s conce ning he impac o he consul ancy on
you esea ch g oup? (Open Tex )
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Sec ion E: Wo kshop & T aining E ec i eness (op ional sec ion, only i applicable)
I he e we e any wo kshops o ganised o you esea ch g oup, a e on a scale
om 1 (S ongly Disag ee) o 5 (S ongly Ag ee):
19. The wo kshop(s) we e ele an o ou esea ch needs.
20. The wo kshop(s) we e well-s uc u ed and in e ac i e.
21. The wo kshop(s) enhanced ou unde s anding o he de eloped RDM
solu ions.
22. Any u he commen s conce ning he e ec i eness o he aining(s)
o wo kshop(s) ha we e o ganized o you esea ch g oup? (Open Tex )
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