FASEB: A Business Case for Sharing Research Data

Written By Alex VandeHei

Federation of American Societies of Experimental Biology

2021-2022

FASEB is the largest coalition of biomedical research associations in the United States.  FASEB, a non-profit organization, advances health and well-being by promoting research and education in biological and biomedical sciences through collaborative advocacy and service to our societies and their members.

Challenge

In 2021, FASEB was in the midst of a massive change in how it delivered value to its members and stakeholders. Given the changes wrought by the 2020 global public health crisis, FASEB had a historic opportunity to explore assumptions about its ongoing role in the biological and biomedical research community. Historically, meetings and publishing had been their main value pillars, but these had uncertain futures given the impacts of COVID-19 on events and open access on publications.  

Solution

Mighty Red Barn worked with FASEB, its member societies, and their member researchers to identify critical needs and alignment with FASEB’s mission. Through a series of online workshops, we found that the community was grappling with acknowledgement of research contributions beyond articles, particularly research data.  We developed a business case for FASEB which they used to raise $1.5m and helped the organization launch DataWorks!, a new program area dedicated to driving data sharing and re-use across the biomedical sciences.  For new initiatives like this, it is important to measure program effectiveness.  We developed a set of indicators, including a methodology for tracking community adoption of data sharing practices. This work was funded by an investment by the FASEB Board of Directors.

Deliverables

Facilitated Workshops, Budget and Staffing Model, Business Case, Program Launch Materials, Interim Staffing and Program Management, Outreach and Pitch for DataWorks! Prize, Grant Proposal, Peer-Reviewed Paper.

 

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Alex VandeHei
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