FASEB Launches Two Pilots for DataWorks!

By: Yvette Seger
Thursday, December 16, 2021

Two new opportunities for researchers to engage with DataWorks!, FASEB’s new initiative that brings the biological and biomedical research communities together to advance human health through data sharing and reuse, were announced on December 14:

• DataWorks! Data Management Plan (DMP) Challenge—A joint initiative with the University of California Curation Center’s DMPTool, the Research Data Access and Preservation Association, and the Network of National Libraries of Medicine, the DataWorks! DMP Challenge provides a template for researchers to use to develop a DMP aligned with the requirements stated in the Final National Institutes of Health (NIH) Data Management and Sharing Policy. With the NIH policy set to go into effect in January 2023, the DataWorks! DMP Challenge is intended to provide researchers with a template for organizing their DMP and identify areas for which additional guidance may be necessary. As an incentive, FASEB DataWorks! will award 10 Outstanding NIH DMSP awards, each of which includes a prize of $500. Additional details about the DataWorks! DMP Challenge, including rules for submission and the evaluation rubric can be found here. Submissions to the DataWorks! DMP Challenge will be accepted through January 31, 2022.
• DataWorks! Openscapes Champions—DataWorks! Openscapes Champions is a remote-by-design, cohort-based professional development opportunity for research groups in the biological and biomedical sciences to develop leadership skills in open research data practices. The two-month virtual program is designed to help research groups establish shared, reproducible practices for data management and analysis. Groups participate as teams with up to seven other peer groups to learn about open research data tools and community practices including R/RStudio and GitHub. Sponsored by the FASEB DataWorks! initiative, there is no financial costs for participating teams. Interested in participating in the DataWorks! Openscapes Champions program? Nominate your research team by January 7.

FASEB launched Dataworks! earlier this year. The initiative builds upon FASEB’s longstanding interest in fostering good data practices that increase data access and create new scientific opportunities through data reuse. This $1.5 million investment is composed of four program areas:

• DataWorks! Salons – Conversation spaces for the biological and biomedical research community to exchange ideas and design effective practices for data sharing and reuse;
• DataWorks! Prize – An award program to recognize biological and biomedical research teams who integrate data sharing and reuse to advance human health;
• DataWorks! Community – Opportunities that enable biological and biomedical researchers and teams to hone skills and mentor peers in data management and sharing; and
• DataWorks! Help Desk – Guidance for the biological and biomedical research community to navigate and adopt data sharing and reuse policies and practices.

The DMP Challenge is a pilot for DataWorks! Prize and Oceanscapes Champions is a pilot for Dataworks! Community.