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Springer Nature partners with Cancer Research UK to improve scientists’ skills in research data management

Three two-day workshops led by the Nature Research Academies will provide Cancer Research UK-funded researchers with training on the principles and practices of research data sharing

London | New York | Heidelberg, 9 April 2019

Early career researchers, clinical fellows and in-house research support staff at Cancer Research UK will participate in specially tailored research data training workshops organized by the Nature Research Academies. The two-day workshops cover the theory and practice of data sharing and management with the aim of ensuring researchers feel more confident and knowledgeable about how and where they should store and share their data. The first workshop will take place from 9 to 10 May at the Springer Nature Campus in London, and two further workshops are planned for July and September this year.

“Our extensive surveys of researchers in all fields and regions show that many researchers – around 65 per cent – feel that there is not sufficient training or advice to support research data management. We are delighted to have the opportunity to partner with Cancer Research UK to offer their researchers practical support that will increase data sharing and best practice. These workshops are the latest in a series of initiatives Springer Nature is championing to help researchers with their data,” said Iain Hrynaszkiewicz, Head of Data Publishing at Springer Nature. 

The in-person workshop format is aimed at groups of up to 30 participants to ensure an interactive learning experience where attendees participate and ask questions throughout the day. Trainers are specialists with years of experience as research data managers, curators, editors and publishers. 

The workshops are one of Springer Nature’s Research Data products and services for institutions, including funding agencies, which launched in 2018. In advance of the workshops, Springer Nature and Cancer Research UK have surveyed attendees to understand their training needs, and allow the content to be adapted to the knowledge and research disciplines of the group. General topics covered include:

  • Complying with data sharing policies
  • Preparing Data Management Plans
  • Creating valuable metadata and understanding metadata standards
  • Copyright and data
  • Approaches to sensitive data sharing
  • Creating reusable tabular data

“At Cancer Research UK we ensure that the data generated by the research we fund is put to maximum use by the cancer research community and, whenever possible, is translated to deliver patient benefit. It’s our policy that all data be considered for sharing and made as widely and freely accessible as possible while safeguarding intellectual property, the privacy of patients and confidential data. We are delighted to be partnering with Springer Nature to provide training to ensure our researchers are well equipped to do this,” said Dr Fiona Reddington, Head of Population, Prevention and Behavioural Research Funding at Cancer Research UK.

Further Information

See Research Data at Springer Nature for more information about our initiatives to help researchers with their data

About Nature Research Academies

Nature Research Academies are a series of training workshops that support researchers in today’s competitive academic landscape. The high-quality workshops cover a range of professional development topics including: getting published, peer review, scientific communication, applying for research positions, and clinical research methodology. The academies are available to institutions worldwide to host on-site, and are presented by expert trainers from Nature Research. Discover more at partnerships.nature.com/academies.

About Springer Nature

Springer Nature is a leading research, educational and professional publisher, providing quality content to our communities through a range of innovative platforms, products and services. Every day, around the globe, our imprints, books, journals and resources reach millions of people – helping researchers, students, teachers and professionals to discover, learn and achieve more. Through our family of brands, we aim to serve and support the research, education and professional communities by putting them at the heart of all we do, delivering the highest possible standards in content and technology, and helping shape the future of publishing for their benefit and for society overall. Visit: springernature.com/group and follow @SpringerNature.

About Cancer Research UK

Cancer Research UK is the world’s leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research. Our pioneering work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer has helped save millions of lives. Cancer Research UK receives no funding from the UK government for its life-saving research – every step it makes towards beating cancer relies on vital donations from the public. Cancer Research UK has been at the heart of the progress that has already seen survival in the UK double in the last 40 years. Today, 2 in 4 people survive their cancer for at least 10 years. Our ambition is to accelerate progress so that by 2034, 3 in 4 people will survive their cancer for at least 10 years. Cancer Research UK supports research into all aspects of cancer through the work of over 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses. Together with its partners and supporters, our vision is to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured.

For further information about Cancer Research UK's work or to find out how to support the charity, please call +44 (0)300 123 1022 or visit www.cancerresearchuk.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Contact

Elizabeth Hawkins | Springer Nature | Communications
tel +49 6221 487 8130 | elizabeth.hawkins@springernature.com