Realities of Academic Data Sharing

an open hand stretching to the sky with the sun the background.

The Realities of Academic Data Sharing (RADS) Initiative, based at Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries & University Museums, is a collaborative research effort funded by 12 academic institutions, focused on understanding the costs and practices associated with providing research data management and sharing infrastructure. Now in its third phase, RADS builds on earlier work to identify strategic areas for institutional investment in data management and sharing.

The initiative was originally led by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) in partnership with the Data Curation Network (DCN). Early phases were supported by a 2021 U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) EAGER grant (NSF #2135874) and a 2023 U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) National Leadership Grant (LG-254930-OLS-23).

The RADS Initiative seeks to answer three key questions in its current phase:

  1. What service and cost models do institutions use to support research data management and sharing policies?
  2. What are the direct expenses for institutions, particularly academic libraries, in implementing federally mandated data-sharing policies?
  3. What costs do researchers incur to comply with funded research data-sharing policies?

To address these questions, the project employs mixed-methods research protocols, including surveys to administrators and funded researchers, as well as interviews with researchers funded by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). This research aims to accelerate understanding of expenses and service models across a wide range of disciplines, guiding strategic investments for research libraries and institutions in data management and sharing. 

For more information and to view project outputs from RADS phase one, visit the ARL website.

Research Team

  • Cynthia Hudson Vitale (project PI), Associate Dean for Technology Strategy & Digital Services, Sheridan Libraries, Johns Hopkins University
  • Jake Carlson, Associate University Librarian for Research, Collections and Outreach, University at Buffalo Libraries, University at Buffalo
  • Leslie Delserone, Research Data Services and Science Librarian, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  • Betsy Gunia, Data Services Consultant, Sheridan Libraries, Johns Hopkins University
  • Joel Herndon, Director, Center for Data and Visualization Sciences, University Libraries, Duke University
  • Alicia Hofelich Mohr, Research Support Services Coordinator, University of Minnesota
  • Amanda Koziura, Head, Scholarly Communication and Data Services, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
  • Jennifer Moore, Head of Data Services, University Libraries, Washington University in St. Louis
  • Fernando Rios, Associate Specialist, Research Data Management, University of Arizona Libraries
  • Hejin Shin, Data Services Librarian, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa
  • Shawna Taylor, Project Manager, Sheridan Libraries, Johns Hopkins University
  • Stacy Winchester, Research Data Librarian, University of South Carolina
  • Isaac Wink, Research Data Librarian, University of Kentucky
  • Nicholas Wolf, Head, Data Services and Research Data Management Librarian, New York University

Participating Institutions

  • Duke University
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • New York University
  • University at Buffalo
  • University of Arizona
  • University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
  • University of Kentucky
  • University of Minnesota
  • University of Nebraska–Lincoln
  • University of Nevada, Las Vegas
  • University of South Carolina
  • Washington University in St. Louis

See the ARL RADS joining cohort news release for more information.