The RDA Council maintains the vision of the RDA, ensuring the guiding principles of the organisation are maintained, and formally endorses RDA Working and Interest Groups and Recommendations.
The Council is responsible for the overall oversight, success, strategy, and sustainability of the RDA. The powers and authority, together with the processes governing Council membership and responsibilities of the Council are described in the RDA Governance Document.
Elected Council Members also serve as Trustees for the RDA Foundation, an official Charity registered in England and Wales under Company Number 9021881. Details are described in the Foundation’s Articles of Association.
Membership
Council Members are nominated by a Nominations Committee and elected by the general RDA membership. In addition to the 9 elected members, the Council has one permanent representative from UKRI-STFC, the Foundation’s legal entity host, and other consensus forming non-voting members representing the Organisational Advisory Board (OA and OAB), Regional Advisory Board (RAB), Technical Advisory Board (TAB), and the Secretary-General.
Elected Council Members serve three-year terms and may be reelected for a maximum of two consecutive terms. Two co-chairs serve offset two-year terms. Full details on the Council election processes, balancing criteria and procedures (updated in 2022) are available in the RDA Council Election Processes & Procedures document.
University Librarian
The University of Western Australia
Head of Data Division
Science and Technology Facilities Council, UKRI
Programme / Project Manager
Dutch Research Council (NWO)
Researcher
University of Botswana
Librarian
Chilean National Agency for Research and Development (ANID)
Director
State and University Library Goettingen
Deputy Director
Research Center for Open Science and Data Platform (RCOS), National Institute of Informatics (NII)
Program Head for Data Management Services
Massachussetts Institute of Technology
Director of Research Data Management
Digital Research Alliance of Canada
Council Rotation Schedule
| Term expires 2025 | Term expires 2026 | Term expires 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Jill Benn (2nd term) | Joyce Gosata Maphanyane (2nd term) | Maria Cruz |
| Lee Wilson | Wolfram Horstmann | Patricia Muñoz Palma |
| Amy Nurnberger | Mikiko Tanifuji |
Meetings
The Council meets four to six times per year – twice in person, at the annual hybrid plenary and in conjunction with a data related event, and with virtual meetings. Minutes of the meetings are available below:
2024
2014 – 2023
Minutes 2017
Minutes 2016
Minutes 2015
Minutes 2014
Subcommittees
The Council has established several Council subgroups to assist them in business and to advise in important areas. Subgroup members are appointed by the Council and may include members outside of the official Council.
Emeritus Council Members
| Name and Term | Name and Term | Name and Term |
|---|---|---|
| Claudia Maria Bauzer Medeiros 2018-2024 | Ingrid Dillo 2018-2024 | Jason Haga 2018-2024 |
| Edit Herczog 2017-2023 | Robert Hanisch 2019-2023 | Sarah Jones 2023-2023 |
| Sandra Collins 2017-2023 | Mark Leggott 2019-2022 | Kay Raseroka 2014-2020 |
| Fran Berman 2014-2019 | Bernard Minster 2016-2019 | Ross Wilkinson 2014-2019 |
| Doris Wedlich 2014-2018 | Michael Stanton 2014-2018 | Satoshi Sekiguchi 2014-2018 |
| John Wood 2014-2017 | Patrick Cocquet 2014-2017 | Tony Hey 2014-2016 |