News

Groepsfoto-SEFAP-consortium-voor-het-NIOO-gebouw-in-Wageninge

On 29 April, a consortium of aquatic research facilities received the welcome news that the Smart Experimental Facilities for Aquatic Processes (SEFAP) project has been awarded €4.18 million under the NWO programme for large-scale research infrastructure consortia.

DANS maintains a strong national presence and is acknowledged internationally as an innovative contributor in the field of research data management. These are among the findings of an independent review committee in its recent evaluation of the institute. The committee observes that DANS has played a meaningful role in advancing the professionalisation of data management, both in the Netherlands and internationally. The evaluation, conducted in June 2024, covers the period from 2017 to 2023. The full report, along with responses from DANS, the Scientific Advisory Board for DANS (WAR), the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), and the Dutch Research Council (NWO), has now been made publicly available.

DANS’ Data Station Archaeology has recently expanded with new functionalities that significantly enhance the accessibility, searchability, and reusability of archaeological data. From support for 3D data and full-text search to map-based searching and automated archiving, our Data Station is evolving in line with the needs of the field. Read more about the milestones achieved, ongoing innovations, and what can be expected from one of the world’s largest archaeological data archives.

The European FIDELIS project welcomes digital repositories that practice or aspire to practice TRUST-inspiring and FAIR-enabling ways of working to join the network. The FIDELIS Network aims to grow into an advocacy group for FAIR-enabling trustworthy digital repositories, which facilitates knowledge exchange. Members can co-create the Network, engage in the pilot support offer in 2025, and engage with other Network members.

On 20 May at SURF Research Day, several DANS colleagues will deliver workshops during SURF Research Day.
Nicole Emmenegger and Nils Arlinghaus will lead a session on data interoperability in the humanities and social sciences. Mike Priddy will facilitate a hands-on workshop on supporting FAIR practices using FAIR-Aware. René van Horik will present on the infrastructure behind persistent identifiers, while Cees Hof will contribute to a session on research reproducibility and the use of RO-Crate. Below is a brief overview of the sessions.

The BRIDGE Conference took place on 20 and 21 March in Bucharest, Romania, bringing together a diverse group of researchers, data managers, and policymakers from various domains. The aim of the conference was to promote interdisciplinary research and cross-domain integration by improving practices around data management, sharing, and reuse. This was achieved through six panel discussions on topics such as discipline-specific challenges, developments within EOSC, and data stewardship — with DANS participating in the latter two.

FAIR-Aware is an online tool designed to help researchers, data stewards and other data professionals evaluate their understanding of the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) guiding principles, and subsequently improve their skills in implementing relevant practices.

We’re pleased to announce that DANS will be hosting the position of ‘RDA in The Netherlands Community Development Manager 2025 – 2026’. Kim Ferguson (she/her) of DANS’ Expert Section will be taking on this role until the end of 2026.