RDA Endorsement and Logo Usage Guidelines

The RDA Logo and other related brands are registered trademarks of the Research Data Alliance Foundation. To ensure consistent adherence to the RDA’s Guiding Principles, permission is required to use the RDA Logo and branding. Permission is granted by the Secretary General (or designee) in consultation with the Council co-chairs. Typically, logo use is granted along with endorsement of a product or activity (see below). Requests to use the logo should be sent to enquiries[at]rd-alliance.org.

In the following situations, explicit permission is not required, but notification of the use is appreciated.

RDA encourages broad use of the RDA logo to promote RDA products, activities, and principles, but retains the right to deny usage in any situation deemed inappropriate by the Secretary General in consultation with Council co-chairs.

As appropriate, RDA endorses or supports events, products, statements, and occasionally proposals and projects. Unless otherwise noted, the Secretary General in consultation with the Council Co-chairs decide whether to endorse something. Endorsement allows the use of the RDA logo and includes help with promotion and coordination but does not include financial support.

RDA also formally recognizes and collaborates closely with funded national or regional RDA initiatives (e.g. RDA France, RDA United States).

Upon request, RDA endorses an event if the event:

Note: Individual WGs and IGs may endorse events on behalf of their own groups.

Typically, product endorsement is limited to formal RDA Recommendations, but, on request, the RDA may endorse particular products that especially highlight other RDA deliverables or emphasise RDA principles.

Upon request, the RDA endorses documents, white papers, statements of principle, etc. that advance data sharing and re-use and RDA guiding principles and demonstrate broad community consensus (e.g. the Joint Declaration of Data Citation Principles).

The endorsement of such principles requires approval of the full RDA Council.

Unless it is a project that explicitly advances RDA organisational objectives, RDA only provides generic support. Requests for proposal letters of support must include a clear statement of how they will use RDA to further their project objectives as well as an agreement to adopt RDA principles.

Letters of support issued by the Secretary General (or designee) typically take the following form:

Dear [colleague]

The Secretariat of the Research Data Alliance (RDA) actively supports and encourages all projects that advance research data sharing and adhere to RDA principles of openness, harmonization, balance, and consensus with a community-driven, non-profit approach. We provide communication tools and services, facilitation and coordination of global efforts, and a ready forum and neutral place for engaged work and discussion.

The [project] proposed to [agency] meets these criteria, and I look forward to working with you if it is successful. The broader Secretariat staff and I will actively help the group form and operate RDA Interest and Working Groups, as appropriate. This should help advance the work of the group and provide focus to certain deliverables in a broad and balanced international context.

A regional RDA is a geographically based branch of RDA committed to RDA principles and directly contributing to achieving the RDA vision and mission. Regional RDAs are approved and recognized in negotiation with RDA Council. RDA regions can use a section on the RDA web site and the Seecretariat facilitates the set up and access to that web site. As per Council decision in 2017, in order to adhere to RDA communications and trademark processes and policies, no external web sites (on different domains from rd-alliance.org and rda-foundation.org) should be established and published.  

RDA Regional logos are a replica of the RDA brand with the region indicated in blue underneath, example shown: