eResearch @ UPEI: Highlighting Evolving Roles for Libraries

International funding agencies are requiring researchers to prepare and submit data management plans with their grant proposals and deposit their articles and research data in open access repositories. In October 2013, Canada’s research funding agencies launched a consultation process on research data. There is no national strategy for managing publicly funded research data, but work is underway by CARL and individual universities. Libraries are well situated to provide leadership, services, and infrastructure to fulfil these new requirements. Robertson Library has been actively involved in developing and providing a Virtual Research Environment (VRE) Service for UPEI researchers since 2007, and the University’s Open Access policy (approved by Senate in 2012) includes the deposit of research data in the institutional repository framework. The next phase of effort will include an investigation of the support required by researchers to incorporate data management planning and stewardship throughout the entire research cycle. A team from UPEI, including three members from the Library and a science researcher, is participating with a cohort of fifteen universities in a four month E-Science Institute to develop a strategic eResearch agenda for our institution. We are conducting an environmental scan of the UPEI eResearch landscape and a review of eResearch services at other post-secondary institutions in Canada that will inform eResearch policy development, services offerings, and infrastructure to support scholars at UPEI. The presenters will highlight their findings, policy recommendations, and provide an overview of planned eResearch services and tools, as well as reflections on the last 7 years of delivering data stewardship services