Workshop: Great Data, Great Science

Tuesday 6 Oct 2026, 08:30 → 18:00 Europe/Berlin

Wissenschaftszentrum Bonn

Birgit Westernströer, Christian Bittner, Hans-Martin von Gaudecker, Hugo Storm, Jan Hasenauer, Jan-Henrik Haunert, Kim Alings, Meike Brömer, Sebastian Neubert, Sergej Zerr, Tatjana Tchumatchenko

Great Data, Great Science – The 2026 TRA Workshop on Data Management and Data Science Across Disciplines

 

Data-driven research is rapidly reshaping how knowledge is created, shared, and applied across disciplines. From large-scale collaborative projects to individual research initiatives, the effective management and use of research data has become a key prerequisite for scientific excellence.

 

The workshop “Great Data, Great Science” brings together researchers and practitioners from the University of Bonn to engage with current challenges and emerging practices in research data management and data science. Building on previous initiatives such as TeRAbytes and TRAnsDigital, the event provides a forum for interdisciplinary exchange, networking, and the development of new collaborations.

 

The programme addresses a broad range of topics, including:

 

• Data science methods and cross-disciplinary workflows
• Research data management infrastructures and support services in Bonn and beyond
• Data management in large-scale projects and Clusters of Excellence
• High Performance Computing (HPC) and data-intensive research
• Commercialization, knowledge transfer, and research-based entrepreneurship
• Open Science and the future of accessible and reusable research

 

Through keynote talks, interactive formats, and discussion sessions, the workshop aims to strengthen dialogue between disciplines, showcase best practices, and identify new opportunities for collaboration in an increasingly data-centric research landscape.

Presented by the Transdisciplinary Research Areas (TRA)

 

Great Data - Great Science.pdf

08:30 → 09:00 Registration

09:00 → 09:15 Welcome + Opening Remarks

09:00 Welcome by the organizing team

09:05 Opening Remarks

Prof. Dr. Maren Bennewitz
University of Bonn
Vice Rectorate for Digitalization and Information Management

09:15 → 09:45 Plenary Talk

09:15 From Theory into Practice: Building an Infrastructure for Research Data Management in North Rhine-Westphalia

The growing importance of research data management (RDM) in academia goes hand in hand with an increasing diversification of tools and methods. At the same time, it remains essential to meet generic needs through robust infrastructures. In North Rhine-Westphalia, a state wide concept on RDM, the “Landeskonzept FDM”, was published 2024 as a strategy in which universities set out chief objectives for state-wide RDM infrastructures. The implementation of this concept supervised by the state initiative fdm.nrw, is based on the state’s decision to fund central generic services and infrastructures for all universities. This allows participating universities to meet the generic needs of their researchers while simultaneously enabling them to develope locally specific profiles and priorities. The state-wide infrastructure, consisting of several, interoperable RDM state services, is designed to be integrated into concurrent developments, as they emerge in the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI) and the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). The RDM state services in NRW consist of both technical and non-technical infrastructures. Together they support researchers in learning research data management practices, tailoring them to their own needs, and integrating them into their own research. In this way, the state of NRW contributes to strengthening the digital sovereignty and performance of universities in handling research data.

This presentation provides an overview of the higher education policy context surrounding the development of RDM in North Rhine-Westphalia and introduces specific RDM state services.

Speaker: Dr Magdalene Cyra-Wolf (Landesinitiative für Forschungsdatenmanagement - fdm.nrw)

09:45 → 10:15 Plenary Talk

09:45 From Bonn to Europe: Research Data Management Services Across Scales

Effective research data management (RDM) is essential for transparent, reproducible, and reusable research. At the University of Bonn, a growing ecosystem of services supports researchers across the data lifecycle—from data management planning and efficient storage to dataset publication and long-term archiving.

This talk provides an overview of these services and situates them within a broader RDM landscape, including infrastructures currently being established at regional (NRW), national (NFDI), and international (EOSC) levels. These developments significantly expand the range of available support and create new opportunities for collaboration, interoperability, and data reuse. At the same time, connecting services across these scales is emerging as a key challenge, with significant potential to enable more integrated, user-centered, and sustainable RDM support.

Speakers: Dr Christian Bittner (University of Bonn), Dr Sergej Zerr (University of Bonn)

10:15 → 10:45 Coffee

10:45 → 12:45 Plenary Session

10:45 Practical data management: Perspectives from the Clusters of Excellence

Research data management requirements differ substantially across disciplines, shaped by the type, scale, sensitivity, and lifecycle of the data produced. This session, part of the University of Bonn workshop on research data management and data science, brings together the University’s Clusters of Excellence to provide a practice-oriented overview of how data management is addressed in different research environments. The University of Bonn currently hosts eight Clusters of Excellence spanning a broad range of domains, including mathematics, economics, immunology, quantum physics, agricultural technology, astrophysics, and the humanities, offering a uniquely diverse perspective on research data practice.

The session will highlight the kinds of data collected across the clusters, the specific challenges arising from these data, and the strategies, infrastructures, and support structures used to manage them. Topics will include data acquisition, storage, documentation, standardization, sharing, reproducibility, governance, and long-term stewardship, as well as the human and technical resources required to support these processes. By focusing on concrete practices rather than abstract principles alone, the session aims to foster exchange between disciplines identify common needs and discipline-specific solutions, and stimulate discussion on how research data management can be strengthened across the University of Bonn.

Speakers: Prof. Floris van Doorn (Hausdorff Center for Mathematics, University of Bonn), Prof. Hans-Martin von Gaudecker (ECONtribute: Markets & Public Policy, University of Bonn), Prof. Hugo Storm (PhenoRob, University of Bonn), Prof. Jan Hasenauer (Immunosensation, University of Bonn), Prof. Jan-Henrik Haunert (PhenoRob, University of Bonn), Dr Philip Bechtle (Color meets Flavor, University of Bonn), Prof. Sebastian Neubert (Color meets Flavor, University of Bonn)

12:45 → 14:00 Lunch

12:45 → 14:00 Poster Session

14:00 → 15:30 Breakout-Session: A

14:00 Research Data Management in Large Collaborative Projects: From Data Strategy to Successful Proposals

Research data management (RDM) in large collaborative projects is a complex and demanding task, requiring effective coordination across partners, disciplines, and infrastructures. This interactive session explores strategic approaches to making RDM sustainable and efficient, with particular emphasis on its role in developing strong and competitive funding proposals. We will discuss key elements expected by funders, including governance structures, resource planning, and long-term data stewardship. We will explore how these can be aligned with existing infrastructures and services within the NFDI landscape.

The session is designed as an open exchange of experiences, inviting participants to share challenges, approaches, and lessons learned from their own projects. Through discussion and peer input, we aim to identify practical strategies for integrating RDM into complex project designs, making effective use of NFDI offerings, and strengthening RDM concepts in third-party funding proposals.

Speakers: Christian Bittner (University of Bonn), Dr Sergej Zerr (University of Bonn)

14:00 → 15:30 Breakout-Session: B

14:00 Building an HPC User Forum: User Needs and Future Requirements for Sustainable HPC@Uni Bonn

After successfully bringing the HPC system Marvin into productive operation more than two years ago, nearly 1000 users from 180 working groups have used the centrally provided HPC resources for their research. To shape future development and to better align central services and offers in accordance with researchers’ needs, we propose establishing a sustained HPC User Forum. User surveys and feedback gathered during Marvin’s community events show clear interest in regular exchange, workshops, and collaborative formats.

This break-out group will explore and discuss formats and platforms for continuous dialogue amongst HPC users (and central HPC teams). Participants can contribute to: (1) identifying communication and exchange formats (e.g., working groups, thematic meetups, coffee lectures, ...); (2) collecting user requirements, priorities, and common workflows; and (3) recruiting interested researchers who will contribute to ongoing knowledge sharing. The workshop aims to produce practical recommendations and an initial roadmap for future central services for a sustainable long-term HPC User Forum at Uni Bonn.

Speakers: Dr Dirk Barbi (University of Bonn), Dr Jan Martin Brockmann (University of Bonn), Prof. Petra Mutzel (University of Bonn)

14:00 → 15:30 Breakout-Session: C

14:00 Research Data & IP Transfer: From Research Data to (commercial) use and impact with support by Transfer Center enaCom

How does cutting-edge research become real-world innovation? In this practice-oriented session, the Transfer Center enaCom shows how research data and innovative results can be transformed into commercial value. We will outline enaCom‘s services regarding knowledge and technology transfer available to researchers at the University of Bonn. Learn how enaCom supports funding applications with exploitation potential and provides tailored start-up advice on everything researchers need to know when setting up their own business. You will also learn how the University‘s Intellectual Property (IP) management ensures that your innovative know-how is protected in a legally compliant manner and made commercially viable. The session concludes with first-hand insights from a start-up built on university technologies. The founders share their experiences of turning academic research into a successful spin-off—offering an authentic look at the opportunities, challenges, and realities of entrepreneurship beyond academia. The format allows ample time for questions to discuss individual projects. Take the next step and turn your research into impact!

Speakers: Alexander von Pidoll (University of Bonn), Dr Florentin Schmidt (University of Bonn)

14:00 → 15:30 Breakout-Session: D

14:00 Open Science @ Uni Bonn – Join the Community!

This interactive breakout session introduces the newly founded Open Science Community at the University of Bonn. We invite anyone interested to learn more about our ideas, ongoing activities, and opportunities to get involved.

Locally, the community brings together researchers across fields and career stages from the University of Bonn to exchange experiences on aspects such as Open Access, Open Data, Open Source, Open Methods or Citizen Science, and discuss what they mean in practice. Globally, the community is part of a broader network of Open Science Communities, linking local engagement to an international, bottom-up movement that fosters exchange and collaboration across institutions and countries.

In an open and informal format, participants can exchange experiences, share challenges, learn from practical examples, and contribute their own perspectives. Whether you are already engaged in Open Science or just curious – this session offers a space to connect, reflect, and become part of a growing network.

Speakers: Dr Annika Tensi (University of Bonn), Ariane Larrat (University of Bonn)

15:30 → 16:00 Coffee

16:00 → 17:00 Keynote Lecture

16:00 A Guerrilla Approach to Scientific Workflow

Taking inspiration from guerrilla warfare, I discuss a framework for managing scientific research that addresses the complexity of research while advancing goals of transparency and reliability. Real science is complex, there is no single scientific method, and the AI kids are talking about automation. But science is a chaotic network of theories, data, models, graphs, comparisons, summaries, and narratives. A flaw in any part can ruin everything. How can small teams of researchers challenge this complexity and emerge victorious? More statistical training is not enough. More resources is not enough. Lawrence of Arabia once said, “Guerrilla warfare is more intellectual than a bayonet charge.” And this is how we too will win.

Speaker: Prof. Richard McElreath (MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig)

17:00 → 18:00 Wine and Cheese