Workshop: Data-driven life science and the RDA: Leveraging global data communities in regional initiatives and cross-border infrastructures

This workshop was organised as a co-located event at the RDA 20th Plenary Meeting in Gothenburg, Sweden on 24 March 2023. It was chaired by Wolmar Nyberg Åkerström (NBIS) on behalf of the National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden (NBIS), ELIXIR and SciLifeLab with support from the Case studies on pragmatic interoperability project funded by the RDA / EOSC Future Call for Interoperability Framework Contributions (March–September 2023).

Description of the workshop

This workshop will showcase how to leverage the Research Data Alliance (RDA) to support life science research today and what role the RDA and international data infrastructures can play in the transition to an increasingly data-driven research practice. It is organised by ELIXIR, National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden (NBIS) and the Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab) and includes speakers on life science data & interoperability, stakeholder engagement, and liaison strategies with the RDA.

Objectives:

• Showcase how to leverage the Research Data Alliance (RDA) to support life science research today and what role the RDA and international data infrastructures can play in the transition to an increasingly data-driven research practice
• Promote and refine strategies for liaising with global communities, and in particular the RDA, to develop and adopt solutions for data-driven life science research
• Collect experiences and input to a report consolidating examples of challenges and effective strategies for leveraging the RDA in life science research

Schedule:
09:00–11:00 CET Part 1: Showcase on leveraging the RDA for life science data
11:00–12:00 CET Part 2: Liaison strategies across communities & infrastructure
12:00–13:00 CET Networking lunch for on-site participants

09:00–11:00 CET | Part 1: Showcase on leveraging the RDA for life science data

This part will showcase examples of how to leverage activities and outputs of the RDA to converge on shared principles and practices. A series of speakers with various backgrounds will present their perspective and experiences through

1. Short presentations (5–10 min): Describing why and how the speaker/speaker’s organisation engage with the RDA to support life science research; or
2. Flashtalks (3–5 min): Highlighting activities, outputs, or liaison strategies that are particularly relevant to the speaker/speaker’s organisation today.
3. Q&A: We will use a digital Q&A service to capture questions/comments and a small selection of questions will be answered live after each talk. The speakers are encouraged to answer the remaining questions in writing. 

Schedule and topics for part 1

09:00 Welcome to Data-driven life science and the RDA by Wolmar Nyberg Åkerström09:10 Short presentations (5–10 min) + Q&A

• A research resource engaging with the RDA “The FAIRsharing journey in RDA” by Susanna-Assunta Sansone
• Support for engaging with RDA activities “FAIRtracks WG in the making” by Ari Asmi & Sveinung Gundersen
• RDA – from observing to participating to contributing “Ask not what the RDA can do for you, ask what you can do for the RDA” by Rory Macneil
• Profiling your RDA engagement by Sara El-Gebali

10:00 Social coffee and snacks (served at 10:00)

10:20 Short presentations (5–10 min) + Q&A

• RDA from a personal perspective by Francis P. Crawley
• RDA from a funder’s perspective "Funder perspective" by Christopher Erdmann

10:40 Flash talks (3–5 min) + Q&A

• Bringing a new research resources to the RDA “FAIR Cookbook: pharmas and academia join forces - a role for RDA?” by Susanna-Assunta Sansone
• An infrastructure beginning to engage with the RDA “Australian BioCommons” by Jeff Christiansen
• Organising to liaise with the RDA “ELIXIR RDA Activities Focus Group” by Gavin Farrell 

11:00 See Part 2 on liaison strategies across communities & infrastructure

11:00–12:00 CET | Part 2: Liaison strategies across communities & infrastructure

This part will focus on networking to discuss and develop your thoughts on leveraging the RDA and what liaison strategies would work in your community.

Schedule part 2
11:00 Summary and intro to the guided discussions by the organisers 
11:10 Work towards creating simple and effective liaison strategies in smaller groups
11:45 Take away messages and closing words by the organisers 
12:00 End of part 2 and the online workshop