ELIXIR Deliverable Report - D3.1 & D3.2 First versions (MVP) of the knowledge handbook and the maturity model for RDM services providers

This deliverable presents the Minimum Viable Products (MVP) of the Data Stewardship Handbook (DSH) and the RDM services Maturity Model (MM), developed within ELIXIR DATAREX Work Package 3, to support capacity building for Research Data Management (RDM) services across ELIXIR Nodes and Institutes. ELIXIR Nodes operate in diverse institutional and national contexts but face similar challenges in organising and sustaining RDM services. Prior to DATAREX, there was no shared structure or common terminology at ELIXIR level to describe RDM service provision and practical guidance was scattered across projects, platforms and local initiatives. The objective of this work was to provide a shared, non-prescriptive framework and accompanying guidance that can be applied across different contexts. The MM addresses this by defining core areas of RDM service provision through indicators and maturity levels. The DSH complements the model by providing practical explanations, community examples, and links to supporting resources. The resources were developed through dedicated workshops and contentathons, fulfilling Work Package 3 milestones M3.1 and M3.2 and delivering Work Package 3 outputs D3.1 and D3.2. Both resources together are currently openly available as an MVP and they provide ELIXIR Nodes and Institutes with a shared starting point for developing and improving RDM services beyond the RDM Community DATAREX Implementation Study. This work was funded by ELIXIR, the research infrastructure for life science data. Project Plan for RDM Community Implementation Study - Project ID: 2023-COMM-DATAREX.