TG7 – Purpose and Remit
The Networking & Knowledge Exchange Task Group (TG7) is part of the larger Professionalising Data Stewardship Interest Group
The Networking and Knowledge Exchange Task Group (TG7) serves as a collaborative network for professionals working in research data management (RDM) and data stewardship (DS). TG7 enables members to:
- Share resources and showcase successes
- Address common challenges
- Build connections across initiatives, networks, and individuals
- Strengthen and evolve their practice through community engagement
Objectives
As part of the Professionalising Data Stewardship Interest Group (IG), TG7 supports the broader IG Charter by working to:
- Foster a welcoming space for data stewards and RDM professionals to share support, knowledge, and collaboration opportunities
- Encourage the development of new national or regional DS and RDM networks
- Promote cross-network engagement and knowledge exchange
- Disseminate tools, updates, and resources from the IG and related communities
Portuguese Data Stewards Network (RPDS)
The Portuguese Data Stewards Network continues to expand, now reaching 107 members across Portugal.
2025 Highlights
- National workshop on electronic laboratory notebooks
- National survey on RDM support professionals
- Public presentation of an emerging competency profile for data stewards
Looking Ahead to 2026
- Five thematic sessions planned, including a pre‑RDM Forum event
- Next thematic session (March 2026): Electronic laboratory notebooks
Hungarian Data Stewards Network
Recent Events & Milestones
A series oft activities and initiatives have highlight the continued growth and momentum of the Hungarian Data Stewards Network.
Recent months have brought a rich set of events, trainings, and infrastructure developments.
- 8th Hungarian Data Steward Meeting – 23 January 2026
- 7th Hungarian Data Steward Meeting – 20 November 2025
- Launch of the second cohort of the Data Steward postgraduate programme at Eötvös Loránd University (18 students)
- XIII. Hungarian Open Science Forum – 6 February 2026
- Launch of the University of Szeged data repository (Fall 2025)
- HUN‑REN Data Ambassador Programme – Wave III
- Roundtable on medical data usability – 16 December 2025
Czech Data Stewardship Community
The Czech Data Stewards Community has grown rapidly from a small 2023 Discord group into a national community with over 400 members.
Community Development
Broad membership including universities, libraries, research institutes, infrastructures.
Activities now include:
- Online meetups and discussions
- National workshops, conferences, and summer schools
- Shared guidance materials and practical handbooks
- New GitHub space for resource sharing
- Two active sub-communities:
- STEM
- Social Sciences & Humanities (SSH)
Focus Areas
- Role definition for data stewards
- Institutional sustainability
- Engagement with European Open Science – EOCS-CZ developments
Connect with the community:
Discord or reach out via email; matyas.hirman@ruk.cuni.cz or georgia.koutentaki@cvut.cz
Comunità Italiana Data Stewards (CIDS)
Entering its third year, CIDS celebrates key achievements from 2025:
2025 Milestones
- Publication of the CIDS Manifesto on Zenodo (Italian & English)
- Two in‑person community meetings in Florence and Turin
- Monthly online events on:
- Privacy
- Interoperability
- Semantics
- Italian EOSC Node presentation
Major Publication
Mapping data stewardship in Italy: findings from the first national survey
- Published on Open Research Europe
- Provides insights into roles, activities, and professional pathways across Italy
These developments mark significant progress for the professionalisation of Data Stewards and the advancement of FAIR and Open Science across Italy.
Sonraí Irish Data Stewardship Network
Sonraí marks its fourth year with continued growth and national impact.
Highlights from the Past Year
- Secured funding in 2025 from the National Open Research Forum to future Sonraí activities through community building and training.
- Hosted a master class on the CARE Principles
- Launched Ireland’s first accredited training in Data Stewardship
- 24 students enrolled
- Teaching contributions from DS experts across Ireland
- Celebrated the publication of Navigating Open Research, a national guide for early-career researchers
- Continued to network and forge links across the national landscape with a growing committee and steering group and agreements in pace with the Irish Reproducibility Network(IRN) and Open Repositories of Ireland (ORI)