Le 18 septembre 2025
Data Collection
Research data management
Research Data Officers (RDOs) play a key role in supporting the research community by promoting effective Research Data Management (RDM) practices. They act as key interfaces between researchers, institutional services, and external requirements, ensuring data is handled ethically, securely, and in compliance with funder requirements.
Within the universities of the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, RDOs are integral to research support teams. They help ensure that data is responsibly managed, aligned with institutional and regulatory frameworks, and preserved for future reuse—thereby reinforcing research quality, integrity, and the principles of open science.
Key Responsibilities
1. Strategic Policy and Institutional Alignment
RDOs contribute to the development and implementation of institutional RDM policies that reflect evolving legal, ethical, and funding requirements. They offer strategic advice on infrastructure and governance, ensuring alignment with mandates from funders such as Belspo, the European Commission, and the F.R.S.-FNRS. At both institutional and FWB levels, they advocate for open, transparent, and sustainable data practices.
2. Expert Support Across the Research Lifecycle
From proposal to project closure, RDOs provide tailored guidance to researchers, assisting with Data Management Plans (DMPs), navigating funder-specific requirements, and promoting the adoption of FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data principles.
3. Training and Community Engagement
To strengthen data literacy and foster a culture of good data practices, RDOs design and deliver workshops, online resources, and one-on-one consultations. They promote best practices in data documentation, metadata, version control, data security, and the ethical handling of sensitive information.
In addition, RDOs from the six French-speaking Belgian universities (FWB) have established and continue to support an interuniversity network of Data Ambassadors (DAs)—volunteer researchers who act as local experts and peer-to-peer advocates for responsible data management within their disciplinary communities.
4. Technical and Methodological Guidance
RDOs advise on the selection of appropriate file formats, metadata standards, and trusted repositories—ensuring effective, compliant data collection, archiving, and sharing tailored to disciplinary needs.
5. Legal, Ethical, and Security Compliance
In collaboration with Data Protection Officers, Knowledge Transfer teams, and legal advisors, RDOs guide researchers on GDPR compliance, intellectual property rights, and institutional data policies. They support consultation with Ethics Committees, particularly for projects involving sensitive data, emerging technologies, high-risk collaborations, or dual-use research. They also help implement risk mitigation strategies across the data lifecycle.
6. Preservation and Reuse
RDOs recommend strategies for both short-term storage and long-term data preservation, working closely with library and information services to support FAIR Open Access. They help identify certified repositories that enhance the visibility, discoverability, and reusability of research data in line with international standards.
Contact your Research Data Officers:
- ULiège: rdm@uliege.be
- ULB: rdm-support@ulb.be
- UCLouvain: joelle.desterbecq@uclouvain.be (Joëlle Desterbecq, Research Administration – Central Libraries Service)
- UNamur: bernard.detrembleur@unamur.be (Bernard Detrembleur, ADRE)
- UMons: sebastien.hoyas@umons.ac.be (Sébastien Hoyas, AVRE)
