On Tuesday, December 2, the Cabinet of Ministers supported the initiative put forward by the Ministry of Education and Science regarding support for open science and research data management in Latvia. The amendments provide for the reallocation of funds to organize more training, informational and publicity events, as well as to expand the circle of participants.
Within the framework of the project, a Latvian data curator network has already been established, bringing together more than 20 specialists from four science universities - the University of Latvia, Riga Technical University, Rīga Stradiņš University and the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, as well as the Higher Education and Science IT Shared Services Centre.
Data curators provide support to researchers at all stages of research - from planning to data storage, publication and reuse.
Since the project's launch, data curators have provided more than 1,200 consultations to researchers, supported more than 500 projects, and organized more than 50 educational and informational events. Approximately 280 datasets have been compiled in the "DataverseLV" repository.
"Quality research data management is one of the fundamental elements of modern science," emphasizes Lana Frančeska Dreimane, Deputy State Secretary for Higher Education, Science and State Language Policy. "The data curator network is already providing significant support in the research process, helping to ensure that data is used to its full potential. By expanding available support and training opportunities, we are creating an environment where researchers, lecturers and students can work more effectively with research data. This helps strengthen research quality and Latvia's competitiveness in the international science space."
During project implementation, it was found that broader support is needed for educating the research community about quality data management. With the amendments, it will be possible to organize more training events, conferences, workshops for researchers and students, develop and present training materials, as well as organize experience exchange events.
After the amendments are made, a broader community related to research data will be able to participate in training and informational events - researchers, lecturers, students and organizations that have research data at their disposal.
Previously, training was available mainly to data curators and a narrower circle of specialists. By expanding the number of participants, knowledge and method sharing will be promoted, as well as ensuring the project's sustainability after its completion in May 2026.
The data curator network and "DataverseLV" repository operate in accordance with FAIR principles (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable), which are internationally recognized data management standards. Latvia's solutions are being integrated into the European Open Science Cloud, providing Latvian researchers with the opportunity to participate in international projects and collaboration.
The project is being implemented with financial support from the European Union Recovery Fund and the Latvian state. The project's goal is to develop research data management in Latvia, providing researchers with the necessary support and promoting the development of open science. The project improves the organization of research management at the institutional and national research ecosystem level, ensuring free access to scientific information and promoting the international competitiveness of Latvia's higher education and scientific institutions.
More information about the data curator network and services is available at dataverse.lv.
The draft regulation approved by the Cabinet of Ministers on December 2, 2025 "Amendments to Cabinet of Ministers Regulation No. 52 of February 7, 2023 'Regulations on State-Recognized Vocational Education and Professional Qualification Documents, Module Certificates and Documents Certifying Completion of Parts of Vocational Education Programs'" can be viewed on the government website.
