Coffee, cookies, communities - building research data management (RDM) networks

Slides for the presentation “Coffee, cookies, communities – building research data management (RDM) networks”, presented on 11 May 2026 at the Workshop on FAIR Data in Plasma Science (FDPS-V). The presentation highlights how RDM networks may strengthen collaboration between researchers, data stewards, research software engineers, and infrastructure providers to advance sustainable and FAIR research data practices. Using the Research Data Management Network at Ruhr University Bochum as a case study, the talk discusses community-building approaches as well as the challenges involved in establishing and maintaining effective networks. The network is coordinated by the Research Data Services (RDS) at Ruhr University Bochum and supports researchers and support staff in developing effective research data management workflows, fostering FAIR data principles, and strengthening institutional research data culture.