The document discusses opportunities for libraries to provide data management advising and planning services to researchers on campus. It outlines three main services libraries could offer: 1) Conducting data interviews to assess researchers' current practices, 2) Assisting with developing data management plans required by funders, and 3) Providing implementation support such as depositing data in an institutional repository. The library is well-positioned to take on this role given its expertise in areas like intellectual property and relationship building across disciplines. Challenges include managing the time demands and securing dedicated funding, but the need for data management support on campus will only continue to grow.

1. DATA MANAGEMENT PLAN ADVISING?
A NEW BUSINESS VENTURE FOR LIBRARIES
Andrew Sallans
Head of Strategic Data Initiatives
Special Libraries Association
15 June 2011

2. “SCIENTISTS SEEKING NSF FUNDING WILL SOON BE
REQUIRED TO SUBMIT DATA MANAGEMENT PLANS”
Press Release 10-077, May 5, 2010
Policy prior to January 18, 2011:
o “To advance science by encouraging data sharing among
researchers”
o Data obtained with federal funds be accessible to the general
public
o Grantees must develop and submit specific plans to share
materials collected with NSF support, except where this is
inappropriate or impossible
Policy after January 18, 2011:
o All new NSF proposals will be required to include a data
management plan in the form of a 2 pg supplementary document
(peer reviewed)
o New policy is meant to be a 1st step toward a more
comprehensive approach to data management
o Exact requirements vague, scientific communities will specify 2

3. THE CHALLENGE FOR INSTITUTIONS
Data is expensive
 Time, instrumentation, inability to reproduce
Increasing regulation
 Granting agencies and journals require
submission
Inadequate training
 No formal data management curriculum
Preservation of data is not a priority
 For most researchers, preservation takes time
away from the work that is rewarded
(publication, teaching) 3

4. SO…WHO’S GOING TO TAKE THIS ON?
 Researchers?
 Research Office?
 Central IT?
 Sponsored Research?
 University Library?
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5. WHY THE LIBRARY? A FEW POINTS…
 Neutral: works across the entire institution
 Strong in relationship building: has
experience fostering discussion and relationships,
and cultivates an existing support network
 Intellectual Property expertise: has dealt
with copyright, can translate to data
 Service-oriented: uniquely positioned as an
intellectual service unit within the institution
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6. THREE POINT SERVICE STRATEGY
1. Assessment through data interviews
2. Planning through DMPs
3. Implementation support
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7. POINT 1 – DATA ASSESSMENT INTERVIEWS
 Growing awareness of consulting service
 Broad assessment
 Baseline of research data management practices
 Protocol involves:
 60 minute interview discussion (researcher / SciDaC
consultants / subject librarian)
 Development of a report
 SciDaC consultants give researchers improvement
recommendations and plan
 SciDaC consultants work with researchers to
implement recommended solutions
 Based on Data Asset Framework, Data Curation
Profile, and other similar assessment tools 7

8. POINT 2 – DATA MANAGEMENT PLANNING
 Funding agency requirements - highest
priority of responding to and addressing support
needs (ie. NSF, others)
 Risk management – identifying opportunities
to improve data management practices as a
means of institutional risk management
 Coordination of effort across institution –
Library as leader, coordinates between VPR,
CIO, OSP, schools/colleges, etc.
 Boilerplate versus customized – a balance of
generic, institutional DMPs versus boutique and
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focused only on the project

9. POINT 3 –IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT
 Institutional repository “Libra”
(http://libra.virginia.edu)
 Built upon Hydra architecture
 Three components: open access publications, data, and
electronic theses/dissertations
 Working on figuring out storage and cost models to support
management of big and small data from across institution’s
research community
 Consulting with researchers on how to implement the
data management plans for their projects
 Serving as a bridge between the many silos of the
institution, with competency in the many areas of
research data management 9

10. AN INSIDE VIEW OF DATA MANAGEMENT PLANS
 Consulted on 14 data management plan (DMP) proposals (since 1/18)
 DMPs included the following areas:
 Biology (3)
 Chemical Engineering (2)
 Civil Engineering (1)
 Computer Science (1)
 Education (2)
 Electrical Engineering (3)
 Environmental Science (2)
 Gained feedback and insight of reviewing practices on first submitted
DMP
 Development of templates that associate NSF directorate
requirements with available resources and support services to
streamline plan development and allow researchers to make informed
decisions on a tight schedule (currently 7 templates)
 The bigger picture: a multi-institution, international collaboration to
develop web-based DMP authoring tool that:
1. Streamlines DMP development
2. Associates researchers with support resources 10

11. 11

12. CHALLENGES AHEAD…
 Time: how to best manage staff time
 NSF research support alone is going to be very time
consuming (UVA had about 140 proposals over the past
year, 44 in November alone)
 Funding: work with leaders to find sources
 Make the case
 Explore the options
 Test the feasibility
 Strategy: decide how to invest
 How might units be reorganized?
 How do we expand to other disciplines?
 How could staff resources and expertise be refocused?
 What additional partnerships would add value? 12

13. THANK YOU!
Andrew Sallans
Head of Strategic Data Initiatives, SciDaC Group
University of Virginia Library
Email: als9q@virginia.edu
Twitter: asallans
http://www.lib.virginia.edu/brown/data
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