On 10 October 2025, the Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) Data Stewards Unit participated in the ELIXIR session at the PMNET forum, presenting the path of Latvian universities from individual efforts to a coordinated national data management infrastructure.
The presentation “Accelerating Open Science in Latvia: A Case Study from Rīga Stradiņš University’s Participation in a National Data Steward Network” followed the presentations of internationally recognised experts – ELIXIR External Relations Manager Andrew Smith (Great Britain) and ELIXIR-UK representative Munazah Andrabi – on European opportunities and good practices in research data management.
At the ELIXIR session, the RSU Data Stewards Unit was represented by Līna Lāže, introducing the audience to RSU’s experience in promoting open science at both the university and national levels. The presentation reflected the path that began in 2021, when RSU introduced the first data steward position in Latvia, to today’s situation, when the Latvian Data Stewards Network unites more than 20 trained data stewards at four leading universities in the country – RSU, Riga Technical University (RTU), University of Latvia (LU) and Latvian University of Biosciences and Technology (LBTU).
The creation of the network has become possible thanks to the participation of these universities in the project “Support for the implementation of open science in practice, as well as creating solutions for research data sharing and participation in the European Open Science Cloud” implemented by the Higher Education and Science Information Technology Sharing Service Center (VPC).
The presentation reflected the daily tasks of data stewards at several levels. At the university level, individual consultations are provided to researchers, support in publishing datasets, as well as assistance in creating data management plans for research projects to be implemented. RSU data stewards regularly organise seminars for researchers on data management and the FAIR principles, as well as review the university’s internal documents and procedures to make open science a practice, not just a formality.
At the national level, data stewards work in joint working groups to create common standards and guidelines. This cooperation has already produced significant results – in 2025, the National Research Data Management Guide and DataverseLV, the Latvian National repository for storing and sharing research data, were published.
The presentation also outlined the unit’s future direction. In the coming months, it is planned to organise in-depth training in sensitive data processing, which is critically important for RSU as a university of health and social sciences. Cooperation is also being developed with the Finnish Aalto University on the correct and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence solutions in research.
In addition, the RSU Data Stewards Unit was represented in the Expo Hall of the PMNET Forum, displaying a poster dedicated to RSU’s practice and experience in promoting open science. The data stewards presented the unit’s role in the development of research data management at RSU and its involvement in the national data stewards network. The representatives, Līna Lāže and Viola Daniela Kiseļova, actively engaged with interested parties, shared their experiences and answered questions.
In the long term, the Latvian data management community hopes for the establishment of a Latvian ELIXIR node. ELIXIR is a European research infrastructure for life sciences, uniting more than 20 European countries. The Latvian ELIXIR node would provide Latvian researchers with full access to European research infrastructure, training resources and funding opportunities, as well as strengthen Latvia’s voice in European open science discussions.
