At MagIC’s July monthly meeting, Elvira Costa, Head of Library and Documentation Services, led an awareness session on two key projects shaping the future of research practices at NOVA IMS: the Re.Data project and the NOVA.ID Research Data Management Competence Centre.

These projects are not just institutional commitments—they are strategic investments in the future of research. As the landscape of science becomes increasingly open, transparent, and data-driven, researchers need stronger support systems to meet new demands from funders, publishers, and society at large. That’s where Re.Data and the RDM Competence Centre come in.

The Re.Data project is building a national infrastructure for Research Data Management in Portugal. By fostering communities of practice in policy, training, and data curation, and promoting alignment with FAIR principles, it lays the groundwork for a stronger, more connected research environment. NOVA IMS is playing an active role in these efforts, particularly in developing national guidelines and training frameworks.

In parallel, the NOVA.ID-RDM Competence Centre is creating an internal ecosystem at NOVA for robust data stewardship. With a cross-disciplinary reach, it will support researchers in managing data in alignment with open science values and institutional priorities. NOVA IMS is contributing in key areas such as policy development, infrastructure, sensitive data handling, and comprehensive training programs for data stewards and researchers.

For MagIC and NOVA IMS, these efforts reflect our identity as the data school of NOVA—a community with the expertise and responsibility to lead. Our involvement ensures that our researchers have access to the guidance, tools, and training they need to navigate Open Science and RDM with confidence. More than compliance, this is about enhancing the impact, visibility, and integrity of our research.

By actively participating in these national and institutional initiatives, we are helping to shape a research culture rooted in openness, rigor, and collaboration—values that define not just good science, but meaningful science.