Data sharing challenges in international cooperation - COST

"The modern practice of research generates massive amounts of raw data, metadata, and data products. Making research data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) is essential to verify and build on previous research findings and to optimise the reuse of research data. 

At first glance you may ask why international research networking programs like the U.S. NSF’s AccelNet programme and Europe’s COST Actions would be so interested in the topic. These programs are unique because they fund international networking activities, not research. But research networks collect, manage, use, analyse, and visualise huge amounts of data. As such, data management is a critical component of a successful research network. By ensuring that data is properly collected, stored, and shared, researchers can conduct high-quality research that is transparent and reproducible.  

International research networks can involve hundreds of researchers and innovators from all over the world. Despite recognition of the importance of good research data practices, data sharing at international level is met with fundamental barriers such as variation in regulations, practices, and infrastructure. This can have significant implications for data protection and research security while also hindering the collaborative process.   

As part of the Science Summit at the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79), COST is co-organising a session with the U.S. National Science Foundation’s AccelNET Program in New York. Save the date of 23 September for this collaborative hybrid event on ‘Hurdles to International Science Cooperation: Data Sharing & Management‘. In preparation of the event we learn from four COST Actions about the challenges they face in their respective research fields, how they address them, the importance of global collaboration, and if there are innovative solutions on the horizon:..."