About FRDN
The Flemish Research Data Network (FRDN) is a network of 36 Flemish research performing organizations that collaborate on Open and FAIR data. This way, it supports individual institutions to implement the Open Science policy of the Flemish government, and to connect with international initiatives, such as the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC).
We are on a mission.
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Our vision
By joining forces and co-creating the necessary building blocks for Open Science, we support Flemish research institutions in enabling researchers to exchange and reuse FAIR and/or open research (meta)data. This way, we contribute to the integrity, quality, and efficiency of research, and thus to accelerating research impact and innovation in society.
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Our mission
As a network and community of research data professionals, we support Flemish research institutions in implementing the (Flemish) Open Science policy by coordinating and facilitating peer-to-peer learning, collaboration(s), and co-creation, and by shaping the prerequisites for making research (meta)data interchangeable and reusable. During this process, we help research organizations in supporting their researchers to implement Open Science practices and we provide input for policymakers to facilitate this process.
Our values
The governance and activities of the FRDN are guided by a set of core values.
Professional and reflective
The network is high-quality, self-learning, result-oriented and agile. It focuses on scientific integrity and the advancement of expertise, and is able to tackle the challenges in a rapidly evolving (international) landscape.
Collaborative and responsive
The main strength of the network is to build a community across institutions, focused on solving practical problems. We focus on interaction between research data professionals and build solutions together with those directly involved.
Inclusive and complementary
We make full use of the heterogeneity of the network. In this way, researchers from knowledge institutions and from different disciplines in Flanders, can advance towards Open Science.
Open and transparent
Knowledge institutions work together on common goals in an open and transparent climate. It is clear how and why decisions are made as we strive for maximum knowledge sharing within the network.
Innovative and research-oriented
As a network, we want to introduce innovative practices that put Flanders on the map in the international (Open) Science landscape. Conversely, we wish to implement the latest international and European developments on Open Science in the Flemish framework. Researchers are the sounding board for solutions and developments that take shape in the FRDN.
These values are the result of a participatory process involving all members of the network.
Coordination Hub members
Joke Meeus
Policy officer network coordinationJoke Meeus
Bart Dooms
Chair Working Group ArchitectureBart Dooms
Ulrike Kenens
Member Coordination HubUlrike Kenens
Elisa Maes
Member Coordination Hub"Together we can make Open Science a reality"
Elisa Maes
Hannelore Vanhaverbeke
Member Coordination Hub"No vision without pragmatism – No pragmatism without vision"
Hannelore Vanhaverbeke
Sarah Decoster
Chair Working Group RDM & OSFor a responsible and sustainable Open Science ecosystem, truly at the service of researchers and adequately connected with society.
Sarah Decoster
Evy Neyens
Chair of the project group ecosystem and project group trusted repositoriesEvy Neyens
Tessa Acar
Communication officer and Knowledge Hub community managerTessa Acar
Bart Dumolyn
EWI Open Science officerBart Dumolyn