1. Hugh Shanahan, Simon Hodson Andrew Harrison
RDA/CODATA Summer Schools in Data Science and Cloud Computing in the Developing World WG
Hugh Shanahan,
Simon Hodson
Andrew Harrison
24/02/2019
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2. What challenge did the WG face?
The gap in research data science skills that stops researchers from reaping the benefits of the data revolution.
Researchers, more particularly those in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMIC’s).
Other activities of the RDA are not utilised by those who could make the most use of it.
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3. Highlights
Describe the Working Group structure (how many members, diversity of experience, geographies, etc.)
23 different countries – researchers/data managers/policy developers
Developed by one of our students
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4. Output / recommendation
Collation of material for school.
Running of schools.
Materials being deposited at
research-data-science-summer-school/
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5. Impact First school ran in Trieste, Aug 1-12, 2016.
Approximately 70 students attended, 32 countries.
Very positive feedback.
Please go to for more pictures
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6. 24/02/2019
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7. Impact Further schools are now planned.
Trieste 2017
Sao Paolo 2017
Interest in running the school elsewhere.
New CODATA Task Group set up to follow up on this.
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8. Adoption & Implementation
Who are the adopters and how have they used (are using)the output / recommendation?
Adoption by the ICTP in Italy and Brazil.
Discussion with other groups working in the same area.
SciDataCon meeting this week involving other teams teaching in East Africa (Kenya), UCSD, South Africa, ANDS, Purdue, NYU & NIH and Columbia
Close partnership with Software and Data Carpentry and Digital Curation Centre
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9. Future Adoption / Implementation
Who can implement this output?
Materials are available under CC-BY and hence can be used by anyone.
How can it be accessed / used?
Please see repository.
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10. Future Plans & Contact
Are there plans to further evolve this activity & output?
Yes! New CODATA Task Group to
Determine how to extend and modify materials with community.
Determine how to build TnT network.
Run more schools.
Get funding.
Build sustainable business model.
Is there an IG or WG that individuals can join on a related topic?
Who can individuals contact to learn more about this?
Hugh Shanahan, Simon Hodson, Andrew Harrison
24/02/2019
rd-alliance.org

11. Acknowledgements Funders
Support from Anelda van der Walt (Talarify) who came in as acting co-chair.
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12. Thoughts The outputs are the skills learnt.
Materials/standards etc. are the thing that enable that.
It would be worth considering how the WG output structure can be more easily reconciled with this.
The substantial barriers to data sharing are Human rather than Technical.
24/02/2019
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