An interview with Henrietta Farkas, a member of the ARP team, was published on the HUN-REN Extranet platform. The full interview can be read below.

Data stewards are now working in all research centres and institutes of HUN-REN Hungarian Research Netwrok, covering all major scientific disciplines. But how exactly do they support researchers and what kind of advice do they provide? We spoke with Henrietta Farkas, data steward expert and head of the HUN-REN Data Steward Network.

Proper data management and archiving have always been key in research, ensuring the traceability and reliability of results. In a data-driven world, however, this is even more crucial, as decisions, analyses, and publications increasingly rely on the accuracy and availability of data. For this reaseon, based on the findings of a 2022 needs assessment, new data steward positions were opened in the fall of 2024 within research institutes. Following the successful completion of a joint HUN-REN and ARP Data Repository training program, institutional data stewards are now active across the research network.

“Data stewards act as a bridge between researchers and developers. They maintain continuous communication with both sides—consulting with research groups to understand their needs and coordinating with IT specialists who provide the technical infrastructure,” says Henrietta Farkas, herself a data steward at the HUN-REN Centre. Whether it is the development and maintenance of a research data management framework and a research data management policy for a specific research site, data archiving, storage or sharing, the experts at the institute can provide not only advice but also practical assistance or even help you to prepare a data management plan for specific research projects. Since nearly every institute has a data steward familiar with local needs, they can tailor data practices to the specific scientific field.

Data stewards are also responsible for the institutional administration of the HUN-REN Data Repository (ARP), and supporting its usage—managing access rights, assisting researchers, and ensuring that submitted research data meets quality standards.

“According to our surveys, some research institutes already apply established data management practices, while others are still lacking in this area. In these cases, data stewards can help implement a unified, secure, citable, and searchable system,” says our data steward expert. This not only makes future data handling easier but also supports international publications and compliance with requirements such as those of Hungary’s National Research Excellence Programme (Nemzeti Kutatási Kiválósági Program).

“Storing research data at home on a USB stick is not an ideal solution—data stewards can suggest better alternatives,” explains Henrietta Farkas, encouraging researchers to turn to their institutional data steward with confidence whenever questions arise. The first phase of intensive data steward training concluded in December 2024, with participants demonstrating their knowledge in an exam held in early 2025. The program continues with a more specialized training phase over the next eight months, which also includes individual mentoring.