National Research Data Management Network consolidates open data ecosystem in Portugal

The National Research Data Management Network took a decisive step in consolidating the national open scientific data ecosystem with the 4th General Assembly Meeting of the Re.Data consortium, held on February 9 at the University of Minho. The meeting marked the end of the project that made it possible to create 13 Research Data Management Centers (GDI) and consolidate the Re.Data consortium as a national infrastructure dedicated to supporting, qualifying, and FAIRifying research data produced in Portuguese scientific institutions.

This initiative was part of the National Program for Open Science and Open Research Data (PNCADAI), in which the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) participates through the FCCN unit, and which is funded by measure RE-C05-i08 – More Digital Science, of the Recovery and Resilience Program (PRR).

During the workshop, which was part of the event program, significant advances were highlighted in three key areas:

Contributions from the Re.Data consortium, with strategies and tools created to support the adoption of Open Science policies, as well as new training initiatives and progress in research data curation. These results reinforce the consortium's role in empowering institutions for robust GDI practices aligned with international standards.

Demonstration of services POLENservices, with special emphasis on: POLEN Blueprint, POLEN DataHub, POLEN Sync, services designed to support research institutions in all phases of the data life cycle, which expand the national capacity for scientific data management, interoperability, and preservation.

Impact of Centers for the GDI , highlighting the 13 Centers created under the project and emphasizing the role of local teams in promoting good practices, training researchers, and directly supporting the scientific communities of their respective institutions.

The creation of the National Support Network for RDI represents a milestone in the evolution of Open Science in Portugal. Throughout the project, training activities, webinars, courses, specialized resources, and MOOCs were promoted, which contributed to increasing literacy in research data management, training new GDI specialists and Data Stewards, disseminating good practices aligned with FAIR principles, implementing institutional data management and sharing policies, and strengthening the maturity and preparedness of institutions in the face of the challenges of digitization.

New strategic phase for PNCADAI

Although driven by PRR investment, PNCADAI will not be limited to the funding cycle now completed and is embarking on a new strategic phase, based on the results achieved and the national network that is now fully operational. In the coming years, the program will: strengthen the adoption of OAI practices in institutions; promote better conditions for access, interoperability, and preservation of scientific data; support the sustainable implementation of policies aligned with FAIR principles; and consolidate the role of POLEN as the central axis of coordination for the national scientific data ecosystem. With these strategies, PNCADAI intends to continue strengthening the national commitment to Open Science, making it more collaborative, transparent, and prepared for emerging challenges, including those arising from artificial intelligence and the digital future.

In this new phase, the resources integrated into the National Support Network for GDI are now widely available, providing a solid foundation for the continued development of the area. To learn more about the work of the consortium and the Centers for GDI, visit the National Network | POLEN FCT portal.