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University degree requiring 5 years of post-secondary education
UNIVERSITY DEGREE: SCIENTIFIC DATA MANAGEMENT

UNIVERSITY DEGREE: SCIENTIFIC DATA MANAGEMENT

Training Structure
University of Montpellier
Language(s) of Instruction
French

Overview

The “Scientific Data Management” (GDS) or “Scientific Data Management” (SDM) training program aims to educate a broad audience on the challenges, practices, and tools involved in scientific research data management.

Objectives

The goal of the program is to raise awareness and provide training in open science techniques, as well as to explain their significance and the issues involved. As such, the program offers a broad range of courses in computer science applied to data management, data engineering (anonymization, storage, archiving), project management, intellectual property and digital law, and more. For this reason, the program also includes courses focused on both theoretical knowledge and practical skills (hands-on projects).

This is a degree program leading to a University Diploma (DU). However, some modules can be taken independently of one another. In that case, the program will lead only to a certificate and not to a degree.

It offers both initial and continuing education programs.

The program is affiliated withthe Montpellier Institute of Data Science andthe University of Montpellier. It grew out of the CommonData research program, now known as the SUD Platform at the Maison des Sciences de l’Homme.

Laurent Burnel, Class of 2020/2021

"I work at INRAE, and I am currently undergoing career retraining to prepare for a role supporting groups in adopting open data practices within my institute. The opening up of research data has had—and will continue to have—an increasingly significant impact on research practices throughout the data lifecycle, and therefore affects all research staff."

I was looking for a fairly comprehensive course on research data management; there aren’t many options available, which is why this university diploma program was a real opportunity for me. It offers a complete overview of the various aspects of open data, and the instructors are open data practitioners who are experts in their fields. The courses offered combine a theoretical approach—which is essential—with a practical one, well illustrated by the instructors’ experience."

Véronique Arnal, Class of 2020/2021

"The SDM University Diploma is a program designed to teach you which research data to make available to the scientific community—or, conversely, which to protect—how to make data FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable), how to extract knowledge from it, and, finally, how to manage it strategically in the short, medium, and long term! It provides you with a wide range of tools to raise awareness and advise researchers on open science policy! In short, it’s about becoming a ‘data steward.’”

Training Summary

	Degree	University degree requiring 5 years of post-secondary education
	Entry Level	5 years of post-secondary education
	Required entry level	No
	Distance Learning	Required
	Course Start Date	Sept. 20, 2021
	Registration Start Date	April 1, 2022
	Registration Deadline	Feb. 3, 2023
	Location(s)	Montpellier

Location of instruction

Other Contacts

Agnès Robin, program director: agnes.robin @ umontpellier.fr

Hélène Leay, Training Coordinator: veak-chhanny.leay @ umontpellier.fr

Affiliated with the Montpellier Institute of Science: isdm-formation-sdm @ umontpellier.fr

DU Scientific Data Management

Organization

Knowledge Assessment

A report must be submitted, followed by a defense at the end of the year for students who wish to graduate

Program

Understanding the Data Environment in Science

The first part of the training course provides an understanding of the data environment in science:

What is collaborative research?
How can we fund research focused on data collection and analysis?
What are the strategies for developing data science projects?
What are the legal and/or governance rules that apply to data?

3 modules for Part 1

Mastering Data Analysis Tools in Science

The second part of the training program focuses on mastering scientific data analysis tools—that is, tools designed to extract, contextualize, explore, secure, and protect data.

5 modules for Part 2

Managing the Opening Up of Scientific Data

Part 3 focuses on training in open science data. It involves learning how to share and publish data, as well as how to store and archive it securely so that it can potentially be reused and/or leveraged.

4 modules for Part 3

Admission Requirements

Motivation to be demonstrated
Master's degree or higher

Applications are reviewed by the teaching staff

Initial and Continuing Education
Doctoral students: Participation in the program will result in a certificate for the corresponding number of hours. However, you should first verify that the hours from this program will indeed be recognized by your doctoral school. Similarly, enrollment in the doctoral program does not constitute enrollment in the University Diploma (DU). The two enrollments are separate.

Teaching Methods

Distance Learning

Attendance is required for all live sessions

You can choose which modules to take. Be aware, however, that some modules are interdependent.

Researchers
Faculty Members
Postdoctoral Researchers
Doctoral Students
Engineers
Leaders of innovative projects (whether incubated or not)
Master's students

Expected Results

Degree Verification

Mandatory attendance: Students must have completed the coursework for all modules of the program
defense: in the form of a presentation of a scientific data management project before a panel
have earned a grade of at least 10/20 for the preparation and presentation of the project

Certificate of Training Completion

Issued upon request to individuals who have completed at least 5 modules, noting that certain modules are prerequisites for taking other modules

UNIVERSITY DEGREE: SCIENTIFIC DATA MANAGEMENT

Training Structure

Language(s) of Instruction