What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to strengthen data stewardship capacity at TU Wien by training domain-specific data stewards.

March 6, 2026Open Access

Data Stewardship Pilot at TU Wien

Key Points

The aim is to strengthen data stewardship capacity at TU Wien by training domain-specific data stewards.
Pilot program launching in October 2025 across selected faculties.
Six data stewards will receive structured training combining theory and hands-on practice.
Training modules cover various critical aspects of research data management.
The program aims to establish a framework for effective data stewardship.
The initial focus is on university disciplines, improving integration of data management infrastructures.
Feedback gathered from community discussions will guide potential scalability to other faculties.

Abstract

At TU Wien, the Center for Research Data Management (CRDM) has developed and successfully operates institutional tools and services such as DAMAP (the Data Management Plan tool) and the TU Wien Research Data Repository, based on InvenioRDM. Despite these established infrastructures, there remains a clear need to strengthen data stewardship capacity across the university. With over 26,000 students and 6,000 employees in eight faculties, TU Wien’s research landscape is broad and diverse, making domain-specific data stewardship a key component for sustainable digital curation. Beginning in October 2025, CRDM will launch a pilot phase introducing data stewards across selected faculties and institutes. The Faculty of Architecture and Planning and the Faculty of Mathematics and Geoinformation (specifically Geo Department) will participate in this initial phase. Six data stewards, each bringing domain-specific expertise, will undergo a structured training programme that combines theoretical foundations with hands-on practice. Our poster will present the modular training framework we are developing, including implementation timelines and the rationale behind our design choices. The modules will cover: 1. Fundamentals of Research Data Management (RDM) 2. RDM Infrastructures and Services 3. FAIR (Meta)Data Principles 4. Legal and Ethical Frameworks 5. Research Data Quality 6. Introduction to AI/ML 7. Supplementary (optional, eg, command line systems, programming basics, etc.) Our approach stands out by bringing together researchers’ disciplinary perspectives and the university’s existing data management infrastructure, ensuring that stewards can translate RDM principles into real research workflows. By sharing our framework at IDCC26, we aim to gather community feedback on our training approach, discuss scalability to other TU Wien faculties, and contribute to the broader dialogue on building sustainable, domain-specific data stewardship models. We plan to present outcomes and lessons learned from the pilot at IDCC27.

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