Professionalising data stewardship in the life sciences
With a Fellowship of ambassadors across UK research-performing organisations
Through UKRI funding gained in 2021, we have established a national Data Stewardship Fellowship in a seedcorn group of 17 UK universities and institutes.
Fellows have been supported in creating learning materials and offering local training in their fields of FAIR data expertise by leveraging existing resources, materials and contact points within their institutions.
These activities have supported a short-term mission to develop a sustainable data skills training programme in the Life Sciences, realised through embedding material locally into existing in-house training programmes and research infrastructure.
Learn more about the activities
You can find all the activities Fellows have been involved in by visiting the dedicated microsite.
This Fellowship now front-loads a longer-term vision to grow a FAIR data community and national capacity in Data Stewardship. Through mobilising ELIXIR communities, services and platforms, we aim to support Fellows and UK Data Stewards in becoming FAIR data ambassadors within a network of peers and mentors.
This community aims to:
- Support professionalising data stewardship in the life sciences
- Develop resources to help researchers make their data FAIR
- Upksills life sciences professionals about the importance of making their data FAIR
- Work with publishers to make sure that data is published in a FAIR way
Tailoring activities with a conscious approach to existing resources
Learn more about the activities
You can find all the activities Fellows have been involved in by visiting the dedicated microsite.
Meet our Fellows
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Adam Partridge -
Andrew Mason -
Annabel Cansdale -
Ciara Loughrey -
Diane Hatziioanou -
Edward Parkinson -
Elvina Gountouna -
Emma Karoune -
Gabriela López González -
Katarzyna Kamieniecka -
Korneel Hens -
Krister Jazz Urog -
Laura Cooper -
Lijing Lin -
Manuel Lera Ramírez -
Nilam Khan -
Phillip Crout -
Richard Ostler -
Rob Ewing -
Sandra Ng -
Saskia Lawson-Tovey -
Sonal Henson -
Toryn Poolman -
Vasileios Panagiotis Lenis
The community’s landscape
Expanding our reach beyond the ELIXIR-UK Network
We have embedded the Fellowship program within the broader ELIXIR-UK strategy, granting Fellows long-term support for their work with a national and international outlook.
Through UKRI funding gained in 2021, the Fellowship has founded a network of Data Stewards in a seedcorn group of UK research-performing organisations. A cohort of 24 Fellows across 17 organisations, spanning diverse bioscience disciplines, have mobilised their Research Data Management colleagues in libraries and research offices.
Fellows come from both ELIXIR-UK members and other UK research-performing organisations, expanding the reach of our network and mission. As a result, some Fellows have spearheaded their organisations’ applications to join the UK Node.
Embedding Fellows into the Node’s core activities
Within the ELIXIR-UK community, dedicated RDM and training working groups facilitate cross-disciplinary cooperation. These groups hold monthly meetings, which also include the active participation of the Fellows.
Opening up Fellows to the wider ELIXIR Europe network
Such groups are also connected to the pan-European ELIXIR Communities, including the recently established Research Data Management Community and the ELIXIR Training Platform. Members of the fellowship coordination team lead many of these activities.
Partnering with other initiatives and ELIXIR members
In addition, we are working with the ELIXIR Netherlands and Luxembourg Nodes to build their national data stewardship fellowship based on our success.
Our partnership with the Software Sustainability Institute (SSI) and the Galaxy Training Network, further provide us with valuable expertise in building communities of practice and fellowship programmes.
The community’s operational essentials
A support system: the coordination team
Our Fellows have continuous support from a dedicated coordination team, creating a sense of belonging within the ELIXIR-UK initiative. This support extends to:
- Diverse communication channels: A variety of active communication channels, including Slack, emails and online/face-to-face meetings, facilitate knowledge sharing not only related to the Fellowship outputs but also support Fellows in their daily work and career growth.
- Regular troubleshooting sessions: several monthly drop-in sessions to troubleshoot issues, address common challenges and exchange valuable insights have kept the Fellows supported and connected.
- Community engagement: Monthly or bi-monthly community calls and yearly in-person retreats have given a space to discuss relevant topics with speakers that introduce valuable tools, resources and initiatives. Fellows have used this space to showcase progress, inspire others, solicit constructive feedback, and shape the Fellowship’s activities.
- Onboarding process and community intranet: documenting and ensuring all community members have the required information is crucial to our success. For instance, all Fellows attend an inaugural meeting, complete the ELIXIR Train-the-Trainer and have access to a centralised intranet with guides, templates and resources.
“The organisation, dedication and enthusiasm of staff has been exceptional and inspirational.”
“I loved the supportive and positive environment.”
“The Train the Trainer course at the start has been incredibly useful. This was my first time attending a course of such a kind, and it will reshape how I teach. Thank you.”
Compensation and recognition
Recognising and compensating the contributions of our Fellows and Mentors is a central pillar of this initiative. Fellows receive an honorarium for the time invested in the activities within this Fellowship.
While financial compensation is not the primary motivation for our Fellows, we strongly believe in professionalising data stewardship as an essential component of research. This goes beyond being an afterthought or an additional burden on researchers’ daily responsibilities and into an enticing career path that supports their work.
A badge of recognition as ELIXIR-UK Fellows
While we welcome professionals who work with data in the life sciences at any career stage, a panel of experts scrutinises applications.
All candidates must not only demonstrate a strong understanding of data management in their fields but also have excellent communication and teamwork skills. Only some can pass this thorough selection process, not only guaranteeing excellence but also providing our Fellows with a badge of recognition for their skills and experience.
Several Fellows have attested to the amplified impact of their voices in advocating for data management best practices in their organisations after becoming ELIXIR-UK Fellows. After being selected, they had a stronger voice in meetings, a motto we have adopted in our outreach: “Trust me, I’m an ELIXIR-UK Fellow.”
“As a Fellow, I gained influencing power at my institute for RDM. It gave me more authority. I’m no longer a single voice saying we should care about RDM. Instead, I have the ELIXIR-UK community behind me. Don’t underestimate that value!”
What our Fellows say about their experience
“I obtained funding in partnership with my university in collaboration with ELIXIR-UK as a Fellow.”
“Discovering and having access to ELIXIR resources was very useful.“
“Attending the Bioinformatics Education Summit sponsored by the Fellowship opened my eyes to a whole load of new themes, topics and ideas.“
“Discovering and having access to ELIXIR resources was very useful.“
“I loved the supportive and positive environment.“
“The Fellowship brings cohorts from different disciplines, fostering interesting conversations and offering a great learning experience.“
“Discovering and having access to ELIXIR resources was very useful.“
“I obtained funding in partnership with my university in collaboration with ELIXIR-UK as a Fellow.”
“I appreciate having a community of practice that I belong to.“
“The organisation, dedication and enthusiasm of staff has been exceptional and inspirational.“
“As a Fellow, I gained influencing power at my institute for RDM. It gave me more authority. I’m no longer a single voice saying we should care about RDM. Instead, I have the ELIXIR-UK community behind me. Don’t underestimate that value!“
“I was glad to have flexibility. There was a unique openness to Fellows, other ideas and input.“
Reasons to apply (orange) vs the benefits current Fellows have experienced (blue).
Funding
This Fellowship was funded as part of the UKRI Innovation Scholars: Data Science Training in Health and Bioscience call (DaSH). (MR/V038966/1)
