Harnessing Committees to Drive Innovation in Research Data Services

The research landscape in higher education is always evolving, but the rapid adoption of new technologies like artificial intelligence and changes to federal guidelines have many institutions swirling. The idea of forming a data governance committee to drive policy and service transformations may seem antithetical to the speed at which organizational change is needed. Yet a committee may be the solution your organization needs to help drive such change. This presentation session offers strategies for leveraging data governance committees to make improvements within your organization and features examples from three committees charged with addressing research data needs at a public R1 institution. It includes examples of common challenges in higher education related to research data governance, including research data policy, compliance requirements, storage needs, and data management service and support models. While these examples will be familiar to individuals and groups who support research in higher education, the strategies and key takeaways shared during this session are designed to apply across organizations and contexts.