KU Libraries, IT land grant to improve region's research data storage

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas Libraries and Information Technology, in partnership with the Greater Western Library Alliance and the Great Plains Network, have been awarded a grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Studies to explore and plan a shared regional approach to help researchers manage data collected during research.

The Institute is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. Through grant making, policy development and research, the Institute helps communities and individuals thrive through broad public access to knowledge, cultural heritage and lifelong learning.

As the amount of data that researchers are able to acquire and analyze grows, so does the need for strategies to help researchers manage it over time. Nationally and internationally, researchers, technologists and librarians are working to develop best practices, services and infrastructure to make data easier to archive, share and reuse over time.

The $48,480 award will enable an interdisciplinary project team to collect and analyze information about research data practices at regional institutions; to develop a two-day regional workshop to consider and discuss issues, policies and practices for managing research data; and to develop a plan and a funding strategy for a data management "test bed" within a regional academic consortium that includes members of the Great Plains Network and the Greater Western Library Alliance. Together, these two organizations represent 47 universities in 20 Midwest and Western states.

The University of Kansas is an institutional member of both the Greater Western Library Alliance and the Great Plains Network. The Greater Western Library Alliance is nationally recognized as a leader in the transformation of scholarly communication and a facilitator in the application of new information technologies. The Great Plains Network serves as a community of research and education professionals using advanced technologies to enhance the missions of member institutions, partnering to connect members to the National Research & Education infrastructure, including Internet2, and enabling the use of advanced cyberinfrastructure across the network.

Members of the grant team from the University of Kansas include librarians Deborah Ludwig and Scott McEathron and Chief Information Officer Bob Lim. Also on the team are Joni Blake, executive director of the Greater Western Library Alliance, and Greg Monaco, director of the Great Plains Network.