Governance - Swiss Research Data Support Network SRDSN

Governance Swiss Research Data Support Network SRDSN 1 Background: Scope, Goal, Objectives and Values 1.1 Scope The Swiss Research Data Support Network (SRDSN) is established as the foundation of a robust and inclusive research data support community in Switzerland. SRDSN focus lies on the professionalisation of RDM support services in Switzerland and promoting the FAIR and CARE principles as good scientific practices in Open Science, enabling benefits to the research community in Switzerland. The SRDSN also pursues collaborations with international initiatives and organisations to promote international cooperation and to align on best practices in Open Science and in RDM. 1.2 Goal The SRDSN facilitates know-how exchange and knowledge transfer, collaborations, and best practice development among research data support professionals from various disciplines and affiliated with accredited Swiss Higher Education Institutions in accordance with the Federal Act on Funding and Coordination of the Swiss Higher Education Sector*, Research Institutes or publicly funded infrastructures in Switzerland. It serves as an organisational framework, facilitating the formation of specialised nodes that address interdisciplinarity and subject-specific areas of research data management. 1.3 Objectives The objectives of SRDSN are to: ● Ensure the best RDM support for researchers in Switzerland to foster an open and constructive dialogue on best practices and innovative developments ● Enable upskilling and capacity building of RDM professionals ● Offer training possibilities for RDM professionals ● Communicate and disseminate RDM activities in Switzerland ● Address disciplineand topic-specific needs of RDM support in specialized nodes ● Collaborate with national and international initiatives in order to contribute to a comprehensive and efficient RDM ecosystem in Switzerland Swiss Research Data Support Network SRDSN page 1 of 10 www.researchdatasupport.ch v.1.0 | 24 October 2025 1.4 Values Openness, transparency, equity, diversity, collaboration, and participation are the core values of SRDSN. With its organizational framework, SRDSN aims for a sustainable and resilient future of the RDM Support community. 2 Network Entry into Force and Duration 2.1 Entry into Force 2025-01-01 2.2 Duration The longevity of the SRDSN depends on the engagement, commitment and interest of SRDSN members. The SRDSN’s engagement is reviewed as needed by the SRDSN Steering Committee (SC). The SC can decide to dissolve the SRDSN based on the majority of votes casted of the SRDSN members. All institutions which signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) can withdraw their participation in the SRDSN by informing the Steering Committee (Members of the Steering Committee). 3 Code, Integrity, Membership, and Third Parties 3.1 Code of Conduct (CoC) The SRDSN Code of Conduct (CoC) is applicable for every SRDSN member. Members are obliged to review, understand and accept the CoC if they wish to be involved in the SRDSN. All communication and actions should be appropriate for a professional audience consisting of people from diverse backgrounds. Harassment will not be tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to, offensive verbal or written comments related to any of the following: gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, colour, ethnicity and nationality, native language, religion, financial and family status, or other attributes, as well as other dimensions of diversity. This also includes sustained disruption of talks, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention. Swiss Research Data Support Network SRDSN page 2 of 10 www.researchdatasupport.ch v.1.0 | 24 October 2025 We recognise that disagreements may arise, but these should never result in personal attacks that may/could insult, demean or belittle others. All discussions and debates should be conducted respectfully and professionally with a focus on issues, not persons. 3.2 Membership SRDSN membership is open to all individuals affiliated with accredited Swiss Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in accordance with the Federal Act on Funding and Coordination of the Swiss Higher Education Sector*, Research Institutes or publicly funded infrastructures with a professional role in RDM support in Switzerland. By applying for SRDSN membership, SRDSN members are expected to attend two annual SRDSN meetings and be willing to take on other commitments related to node/s activities. All members are encouraged to share news and updates in professional RDM and must observe the SRDSN Code of Conduct at the individual level. Membership is conditional to the signature of a MoU of the member’s affiliated institution and SRDSN. Membership applications should be submitted through the registration form on the SRDSN website using an institutional email address. Members can terminate their membership anytime on the SRDSN website http://www.researchdatasupport.ch/ or by sending an email to the OC. If the SRDSN member is no longer affiliated to an institution, which signed the MoU, then membership will be terminated once the institutional account (email) used for correspondence with the SRDSN expires. In case of violation of the CoC, the membership will be terminated or ended by the SC (see Membership special termination). An individual can re-apply for membership by following the standard registration procedure. However, in case of special membership termination due to the violation of the CoC, the renewal of membership is only possible after approval by the SC. 3.3 Involvement of Third Parties and Nodes Members may propose the creation of new network nodes, subject to the applicable rules and approvals through the SC. The SRDSN node members may participate in one or more existing nodes, subject to any specific rules decided by these nodes (for details, see “Nodes” section). 4 Governance Structure The SRDSN includes its members as a General Assembly; and governance bodies such as: the Steering Committee (SC) (4.1); the Operational Committee (OC) (4.2); Nodes (4.3) and the Sounding Board (SB) (4.4) (Fig. 1). Swiss Research Data Support Network SRDSN page 3 of 10 www.researchdatasupport.ch v.1.0 | 24 October 2025 Figure 1. SRDSN Governance structure. 4.1 Steering Committee (SC) The Steering Committee (SC) is responsible for strategic planning, scope, and SRDSN direction by applying the best practices and knowledge for a healthy, inclusive, and collaborative atmosphere. The SC roles include: setting up rules and criteria for governing current and future nodes; performing selection and review of topic-oriented node objectives, milestones, deliverables, timeline and outcomes; accepting new nodes; supporting node leads to establish and review node goals on an annual basis; recognise formal collaboration with other networks and entities; reviewing official documents such as the “Governance”, the “CoC”, the “MoU”, the “Membership” as needed; strategic communication with relevant international and national stakeholders including running the SRDSN LinkedIn account; initiating meetings of the Sounding Board (upon need basis); and handling any cases of misconduct. In case of any conflict of interest (e.g., the lead or co-lead of the proposed node is a member of the SC), then this member will not be involved in the node review process and approval. If violations have been reported, the SC has the right to invite representatives from other third parties of the accredited Swiss Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in accordance with the Federal Act on Funding and Coordination of the Swiss Higher Education Sector*, Research Swiss Research Data Support Network SRDSN page 4 of 10 www.researchdatasupport.ch v.1.0 | 24 October 2025 Institutes or publicly funded infrastructures with a professional role in RDM support in Switzerland to moderate special cases. The SC makes decisions based on absolute majority voting by SC members (Section 5, 5.3). Moreover, the SC handles violations according to the standard procedure. The SC is a continuous body of the SRDSN and depends on longevity of the SRDSN community. The SC consists of up to four continuous members (e.g., 5 years) plus up to two short-term members (e.g., 2 years). Selection must consider representatives from different HEIs, Research institutes or public infrastructure as well as gender balance and language regions. The SC members can be elected by open on-site and online voting by the SRDSN members during the fall SRDSN meeting. 4.2. Operational Committee (OC) The SRDSN Operational Committee (OC) is formed by active network members and coordinates and organizes bi-annual events and reviews memberships. It also manages the editorial board for the network's communication channels, including the website and Zenodo Community. This permanent body includes at least eight administrative members, with new members invited annually to ensure diverse representation. Representatives from the nodes members will also be invited to join the Editorial Board of the OC to advertise node events and workshops. The OC manages internal communication channels and internal platforms for storing and sharing internal documents and other materials produced by the network. Those interested in joining the OC can express their interest and motivation to the existing OC members, and admission will be determined by a vote of the OC members. The prerequisite is that the necessary working time can be invested. The OC aims for representation from different institution types, language regions, and stakeholder groups. To enable participation of representatives from different organisations and cantons, new members will be invited annually to join the OC. 4.3 Nodes Each node focuses on a specific topic and aims to enhance RDM services and support. They can be temporary or ongoing, and have predefined goals and timelines. Nodes regularly report progress to the SC and present annually at the SRDSN fall meeting. Nodes can be initiated by SRDSN members or proposed by any of the organizational bodies of the SRDSN. They require approval from the SC, which is given based on criteria like cross-institutional relevance and potential collaborations. Nodes can also consist of already existing working groups (from related networks). The SC is responsible for reviewing, accepting or rejecting node applications and annual reports of the nodes. The SC meets with all node leads at least once per year. Swiss Research Data Support Network SRDSN page 5 of 10 www.researchdatasupport.ch v.1.0 | 24 October 2025 4.4 Sounding Board (SB) The SRDSN Sounding Board (SB) is a temporary body based on invited Sounding Board external stakeholders and experts, who are external to SRDSN and can provide advice and feedback on the SRDSN’s governance structure, synergies and structures of existing and future nodes. 5 Voting 5.1 Members The SRDSN community strives for openness and transparency. Every member of the SRDSN has the right to open voting on-site and remotely online regarding: RDM topics for events, Nodes or actions: - suggested events - selection of organising committee and host for SRDSN meetings and events - suggested SC candidates - suggested topics by the SC for the SRDSN In case of conflict situations, only one vote per accredited Swiss Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in accordance with the Federal Act on Funding and Coordination of the Swiss Higher Education Sector*, Research Institutes or publicly funded infrastructures with a professional role in RDM support in Switzerland will be counted if the majority of representatives by one organization. The OC will be responsible for counting votes and reporting to the SC and SRDSN community. 5.2 Operational Committee (OC) Voting for new OC members is conducted on a regular basis by the SRDSN members, taking into account gender diversity and multilingual representation. Decision-making is obtained by majority vote of the SC members' attending the meeting. OC members can be elected by open voting on-site and online by SRDSN members during one of the fall SRDSN meetings. 5.3 Steering Committee (SC) Decision-making is obtained by majority vote of the SC members' attending the meeting. SC members can be elected by open voting on-site and online by SRDSN members during one of the fall SRDSN meetings. 5.4 Nodes The node lead (chair or contact person) and co-lead (deputy) are elected by majority vote of the node members attending the meeting. Swiss Research Data Support Network SRDSN page 6 of 10 www.researchdatasupport.ch v.1.0 | 24 October 2025 5.5 Review of Voting Procedure Review of voting procedures is conducted by the SC as needed. 6 Sustainability The SRDSN aims for sustainability, driven by available infrastructures and the established network of RDM professionals. Members of the network participate within the scope of their institutional employment and based on their resource availability. 7 Communication and Dissemination 7.1 Communication We encourage SRDSN members to actively participate, communicate and disseminate relevant outputs both inside and outside the network. In addition to knowledge transfer, we aim to facilitate knowledge exchange with other national and international related networks. We aim to raise awareness of and promote the SRDSN and its activities to potential new members and relevant stakeholders. 7.1.1 External Communication Knowledge exchange and transfer as well as promotion of the SRDSN are the main objectives of external communication. The SRDSN community aims to communicate with other national RDM networks to facilitate the exchange of experiences, knowledge, information, and best practices. It also fosters interactions between its members and global initiatives to ensure Switzerland aligns with international practices on ORD and RDM. The SRDSN may communicate to entities outside the network to promote the network with the objectives of: (1) obtaining new members; and (2) to seek partnership and/or knowledge exchange with related networks on national or international levels. The SRDSN has a publicly-available website http://www.researchdatasupport.ch/ and is present on LinkedIn for external communication, for members to share existing resources, events, posts, etc with various research communities, and as a way for new members to join. 7.1.2 Internal Communication The SRDSN uses the internal messaging tool, to send individual messages between members and for communications to specific groups and Nodes. The OC is responsible for maintaining the internal communication platforms including the messaging tool and filing storage and structure. The OC is also responsible for onboarding new members, including how to set-up and use the communication tools. Swiss Research Data Support Network SRDSN page 7 of 10 www.researchdatasupport.ch v.1.0 | 24 October 2025 7.3 Dissemination The SRDSN publicly publishes and disseminates results and other outputs via the Zenodo Community and/or the SRDSN website. The SRDSN outcomes (e.g., nodes' milestones, presentations) can be publicly disseminated unless there are explicit objections raised by the SRDSN members or copyright restrictions (e.g., SRDSN logo, which is copyrighted by the University of Bern). The OC Editorial Board reviews the content of the Zenodo Community and SRDSN website before publishing. 7.4 Acknowledgements - SRDSN logo: Copyright protected by University Library, University of Bern - SRDSN Website: acknowledgement of swissuniversities - Event slides single publications: SRDSN acknowledgement when relevant 8 Access Rights 8.1 General Principles The SRDSN aims for openness and transparency following sound scientific practices, FAIR and CARE principles. Therefore, SRDSN considers access as open as possible and as restricted as necessary, based on ethical, legal, and confidentiality clauses. Training materials, protocols, guidelines and other institutional outputs are encouraged to be published under CC0 or CC-BY licensing following open data strategy and good scientific practice, unless there are legal restrictions. 8.2 Access Rights for SRDSN Members All SRDSN members are granted the right to access internal documentation like SRDSN meeting materials, minutes, protocols, slides and infrastructures for document exchange and reuse. Any non- (or not yet) open documents and publications should only be discussed and stored within the internal communication tools. 8.3 Access Rights for Entering and Leaving the SRDSN For new network members, the OC will provide access and grant access rights to the communication tools and infrastructure (including shared documents). An individual who leaves SRDSN will have access to publicly available presentations via the Zenodo SRDSN community. However, access to internal communication tools and documentation will be removed when membership is ended. Swiss Research Data Support Network SRDSN page 8 of 10 www.researchdatasupport.ch v.1.0 | 24 October 2025 8.4 Access Rights on Website Content, Structure and Organisation All SRDSN members can provide suggestions and remarks on website content by informing the OC Editorial Board. The OC Editorial Board reviews suggested events and news by SRDSN members and has exclusive access rights to modifications and posting of website content. 8.5 External International Collaborators, Future Partners and Nodes The SRDSN welcomes external national and international collaborations to extend networking and knowledge sharing. Access to the SRDSN internal documentation can be granted upon request after consultation with the SC. 9 Miscellaneous 9.1 Language When SRDSN members from different language areas work together, English should be considered as the working language. 9.2 Personal Data Personal information (e.g., names, address, phone number, private email) of persons is treated in compliance with the Swiss Federal Data Protection Act (FADP). 9.3 Photos, Audio and Video Recording The SRDSN members and guests agree that photos, audio and / or video recording during the SRDSN online or onsite events, webinars, workshops can be taken. In case of objection, members should contact the OC. 9.4 Disclaimer SRDSN Website The processing of personal data by SRDSN is subject to the relevant data protection provisions of Switzerland (FADP) and - where applicable - the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). 9.4.1 Digital Events For some of SRDSN online events, the network can use video conferencing solutions from Zoom and Microsoft Teams. The software is managed by the specific institution that is hosting the event. The data protection declarations of the respective institution, as well as the provider of the specific video conferencing solution, are applicable. Swiss Research Data Support Network SRDSN page 9 of 10 www.researchdatasupport.ch v.1.0 | 24 October 2025