As part of the Digital Research Infrastructure (DRI) Strategy, CANARIE will be transitioning support of Research Data Canada (RDC) to New Digital Research Infrastructure Organization (NDRIO). In this context, starting June 21st, 2021, Mark Leggott, current RDC Executive Director, will assume the new role of Director, International Relations with NDRIO.
CANARIE has been supporting the work RDC since 2015, guided by RDC’s vision that all Canadians, as well as the international community, have access to national and international collections of publicly funded research data, helping to drive Canada's knowledge/innovation economy.
“The contributions of the RDC stakeholder community through Mark’s leadership and collaborative approach over the past six years have significantly advanced Canada’s data management framework. We look forward to the ongoing work with our colleagues at NDRIO to support the evolution of research data management in Canada.” – Jim Ghadbane, President and CEO, CANARIE.
As Executive Director of RDC, Mark Leggott has been collaborating with stakeholders to launch programs aimed at strengthening Canada’s research data management (RDM) capacity. With his successful academic career as University Librarian at the University of Prince Edward Island, as the founder of the Islandora project, and involvement with various international research support organizations, Mark has considerable knowledge of the RDM ecosystem both in Canada and globally.
His new role will support all three pillars of the RDC Roadmap created in 2019. Based on this strategy, the work of RDC committees, and outputs from the National Data Services Framework Summits, Mark will continue to strengthen Canadian and international linkages and partnerships during the transition to NDRIO and beyond.
Mark will focus his efforts on:
- the development and delivery of a comprehensive international engagement strategy to ensure NDRIO’s effective and sustainable participation in DRI initiatives nationally and internationally, maximizing the benefits of NDRIO’s service delivery to researchers; and,
- a review of emerging trends in DRI standards and technologies, in national and international contexts, and the development of an agile and dynamic strategy for the evolution of NDRIO’s services.
“Mark Leggott is a strong advocate for open science, open data and open-source technology. He will be a brilliant addition to the growing NDRIO team, and we are delighted to have his leadership and expertise at this crucial time.”– Nizar Ladak, CEO, NDRIO
To ensure an effective transition of all RDC functions to NDRIO, Mark will continue to act in the role of RDC Executive Director until March 2022, with support from the RDC Steering Committee and standing Committees, as well as teams at CANARIE and NDRIO. From June 2021 to March 2022, all RDC activities will have been completed or transitioned to NDRIO.
ABOUT NDRIO: The New Digital Research Infrastructure Organization (NDRIO) is a Canadian not-for-profit organization that supports a researcher-focused, accountable, agile, strategic and sustainable Digital Research Infrastructure (DRI) ecosystem. Established in 2019, NDRIO works with partners and stakeholders across Canada to give scholars and scientists the digital tools, support, services and infrastructure they need to conduct leading-edge research that benefits society and competes globally. NDRIO is funded by the Government of Canada through Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada via the Digital Research Infrastructure (DRI) Strategy. NDRIO’s membership is composed of more than 140 of Canada’s top universities, colleges, research hospitals and institutes, and other leading organizations in the DRI space. Visit engagedri.ca
ABOUT CANARIE: CANARIE connects Canadians to each other and to the world. Our programs equip Canadian researchers, students, and startups to excel on the global stage. Together with our thirteen provincial and territorial partners, we form Canada’s National Research and Education Network (NREN). This ultra-high-speed network connects Canada’s researchers, educators, and innovators to each other and to global data, technology, and colleagues. Beyond the network, we fund and promote the development of software for research and national efforts to manage data generated from research. To strengthen the security of Canada’s research and education sector, we collaborate with our partners in the NREN, government, academia, and the private sector to fund, implement, and support cybersecurity initiatives. We also provide identity management services to the academic community and boost Canada’s startups with cloud resources and expertise in emerging technologies. Established in 1993, we are a non-profit corporation, with most of our funding provided by the Government of Canada.
Communications Contact:
Sophie Sakillarides
Communications Specialist, NDRIO
sophie.sakillarides@engagedri.ca
365-292-5155