Dr. Adele Haythornthwaite1
1University Of Sydney, NSW, Australia
Biography:
Adele leads a team of research data consultants at the University of Sydney, and works across the university's research community to help find better ways of managing and governing research data. Following a diverse career in corporate IT and in research as an ecologist, she recognises the value of collaborating and consulting widely with stakeholders to achieve workable outcomes in RDM.
Abstract:
The research data landscape at any large research institution is complex, with responsibilities for the management of research data being shared in roles across various departments, portfolios, faculties, schools and research groups (the ‘silos’).
This complex operational environment poses a challenge for effective engagement with multiple stakeholders – how do we best communicate and consult with a large and diverse group to identify common objectives, issues, solutions? How do we capture and use their knowledge and expertise to help us collectively identify problems, devise new processes, recommend investment in new systems?
In 2023, we asked the University of Sydney’s executive research committee to endorse our request to form a new sub-committee, the Research Data Advisory Group (RDAG). The RDAG is chaired by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (PVC) Research and provides a forum for senior stakeholders from across the university to discuss and recommend improvements to our operational management and governance of research data. RDAG representatives bring together Associate Deans Research from all faculties, directors and senior managers of cybersecurity, privacy, IT, library, strategy, policy, research ethics and integrity, defence, international, legal, and PVCs of Research Infrastructure and Training.
The RDAG meets quarterly and has already helped inform and action several initiatives, and has established agile Tiger Teams to directly advise on in-train projects (including persistent identifiers, generative AI, data strategy). After a year of operation, all RDAG members were polled as a ‘temperature check’ on the efficacy of the RDAG and agreed that our approach is working, recommending that RDAG should continue.