Research Data Alliance and Ecuador’s main research alliance sign cooperation agreement on global research data management and open science

The Research Data Alliance (RDA) and Corporación Ecuatoriana para el Desarrollo de la Investigación y la Academia (CEDIA) are pleased to announce the formation of a regional partnership, aimed at further representing the practices and interests of the Ecuadorian research community while also facilitating the regional adoption of RDA standards and practices through the organization and implementation of various initiatives and activities.

Regions become RDA Regions through the negotiation of a Formal Partnership Agreement with RDA. An RDA Region is loosely defined as a “national level” geographic entity or consortium of “national-level entities.” Regional partnerships are fundamental to RDA, as they provide the essential connection to the regional community, helping us to understand and support local data professionals’ needs, as well as ensuring increased multilingualism across the global community.

Through this partnership, CEDIA will coordinate RDA efforts and awareness raising in Ecuador, and specifically:

• Promote events and training on best practices in research data management, open science for Ecuador.
• Promote local adoption of RDA recommendations in Ecuador.
• Promote the participation of Ecuadorian researchers in RDA working groups.
• Participate in training activities promoted by RDA and the insertion of RDA communities.
• Promote training in research data management, strategic plan for data management, open science for researchers in Ecuador.
• Promote the use of CEDIA's platforms and tools that are aimed at contributing to the open science ecosystem for research, such as RRAAE and REDI.

In acting as a Research Data Alliance of Ecuador (RDA-EC) Node, the specific objectives for the RDA-EC Node are:

• Generate interest among researchers in the need and importance of proper data management and data governance in research.
• Promote the dissemination of RDA events in Ecuador, mainly those aimed at researchers.
• Participation in RDA training workshops held at your programmes and events Promote training on research data management, open data and open science for researchers.
• Generate spaces for innovation through forums in which researchers can discuss and exchange information on their research projects.

Hilary Hanahoe, Secretary General, Research Data Alliance stated, "This milestone agreement is another step on the way to achieve a truly inclusive and global RDA community. CEDIA will be instrumental in raising awareness of RDA in Ecuador but also in highlighting Ecuadorian excellence in research data management and open science through the RDA network. I am really excited about this partnership.”

Eng. Juan Pablo Carvallo Vega, CEO CEDIA also commented, “This new regional partnership with RDA provides CEDIA and Ecuador with the opportunity to build our international presence, and to achieve our mission in Ecuador, namely to to encourage, promote and coordinate the development of scientific research, academia, innovation, technology transfer, entrepreneurship, internationalization and offer services related to these areas and other related areas.”

This article was first published on 14 November by Research Data Alliance (RDA)