University of Tartu aims to make research data management easier for researchers

The Institute of Computer Science, together with partners from Finland and the Netherlands, will strengthen research data management capacity and professional data stewardship at the University of Tartu. The aim is to provide researchers with more systematic support and integrate good data management practices into the university’s workflows and training system.

According to Hedi Peterson, Professor of Bioinformatics at the University of Tartu, the volume and importance of data have grown rapidly, making it increasingly important to consider how data is managed throughout the research lifecycle. “Researchers should not have to figure out for themselves with every new project how to store and describe data or share it with collaborators. Good data management should be a natural part of research, supported by clear principles, professional expertise and institutional support,” said Peterson.

Finnish and Dutch expertise comes to Estonia

In January 2027, the University of Tartu will launch the international ELEVATE-DM project (Elevating data management for excellence, evidence, and sustainable impact) to strengthen research data management capacity. In addition to the University of Tartu, the project partners are CSC – IT Center for Science in Finland and the Dutch research data infrastructure Health-RI. Finland brings extensive experience in research data management training, nationally coordinated data services and the development of machine-actionable Data Management Plans. The Dutch partner contributes expertise in making data accessible and usable by both people and machines, professionalising data stewardship and building professional communities.

“Estonia has a strong digital foundation, but there is still room for improvement in research data management. The experience of our Finnish and Dutch partners gives us the opportunity to learn from solutions that already work and adapt them to Estonia’s needs,” said Peterson.

However, the University of Tartu is not only a learner in the project. Estonia’s strong digital infrastructure, its small size and the ability to test new solutions quickly make it a suitable environment for testing and developing approaches created in Finland and the Netherlands. The experience gained in Estonia can, in turn, be used by the project partners and the wider international research data management community.

Establishing data stewardship as a professional field

One of the project’s aims is to increase professional expertise in research data management. Currently, people often take on the responsibilities of a data steward as part of their work without having specifically trained for the role. ELEVATE-DM aims to establish clearer learning and career pathways, comprehensive micro-credential programmes and professional communities where data stewards can exchange knowledge and experience.

“Data management should not be seen as a bureaucratic requirement to complete the necessary documents at the beginning of a project. Well-managed data is one of the foundations of high-quality research. When data is properly described, stored correctly and easy to find, it can be used reliably both in ongoing research and in the future,” explained Heleri Inno, Data Steward at the University of Tartu.

The solutions developed through ELEVATE-DM will first be implemented and tested at the University of Tartu Institute of Computer Science. The longer-term goal is to integrate good research data management practices into the University of Tartu’s guidelines, workflows and training system, thereby strengthening research data management capacity across Estonia.

The project will not be limited to academia. Good data management practices will also be expanded into the public and private sectors. The project will produce openly available learning materials that can be used both in Estonia and elsewhere.

How much does good data management cost and save?

The project will also examine the costs and economic value of research data management. The aim is to gather evidence on the benefits of professional data management and why sustained institutional and national investment in it is worthwhile.

“The cost of poorly managed data is not always immediately visible. It may only become apparent years later, when a necessary dataset can no longer be found, its contents are not sufficiently documented, or it cannot be reused in a new study. We want to better understand both the cost and the value of good data management and demonstrate that it is an investment in research quality with long-term impact,” said Diana Pilvar, Data Steward at the University of Tartu.

ELEVATE-DM is funded through the European Commission’s highly competitive Horizon Europe Twinning programme. A total of 1,905 applications were submitted across Europe, of which 179 were selected for funding, giving a success rate of approximately 9.4%.

The project has grown out of years of collaboration between data management professionals from Estonia, Finland and the Netherlands within the Research Data Management community of ELIXIR, the European life sciences infrastructure. Through the ELIXIR network, the knowledge gained and solutions developed during the project will be shared across Europe.