Building the Future of Research Together: Collaborating with a Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA)-Funded Translational Science Institute to Provide Data Management Training

Abstract

Objectives: To explore potential collaborations between academic libraries and Clinical Translational Science Award (CTSA) - funded institutes with respect to data management training and support. Methods: The National Institutes of Health CTSAs have established a well-funded, crucial infrastructure supporting large-scale collaborative biomedical research. This infrastructure is also valuable for smaller, more localized research projects. While infrastructure and corresponding support is often available for large, well-funded projects, these services have generally not been extended to smaller projects. This is a missed opportunity on both accounts. Academic libraries providing data services can leverage CTSA-based resources, while CTSA-funded institutes can extend their reach beyond large biomedical projects to serve the long tail of research data. Results: A year-long series of conversations with the Indiana CTSI Data Management Team resulted in resource sharing, consensus building about key issues in data management, provision of expert feedback on a data management training curriculum, and several avenues for future collaborations. Conclusions: Data management training for graduate students and early career researchers is a vital area of need that would benefit from the combined infrastructure and expertise of translational science institutes and academic libraries. Such partnerships can leverage the instructional, preservation, and access expertise in academic libraries, along with the storage, security, and analytical expertise in translational science institutes to improve the management, protection, and access of valuable research data.