Research infrastructure uptake, in particular how to define, capture, measure and evaluate the uptake is of interest to many stakeholders (including researchers, funders, policy advocates) across the digital research ecosystem. For the first ~12 months, a major activity of the group the group will be to define its scope group, including:

•  Defining “Digital Research Infrastructure”, potentially including a set of categories (e.g., Research Commons, Research Clouds, Science Gateways/Virtual Research Environments, etc.) and the level at which they are provided, e.g. national, regional, domain, or institutional.  
• Defining “Uptake” in a meaningful way, i.e.  beyond simple measures such as user numbers 
• Confirming the use cases we wish to explore and the questions we would like to address for each use case. Initially, the stakeholder perspectives we wish to explore include, but are not limited to, DRI Funders, Providers and Users
• Refining and developing the outputs of the group. These include:

• • A survey of different user groups to elicit and validate their use cases and needs
  • A typology of categories of research infrastructures
  • A catalogue of qualitative and quantitative measures of uptake, as relevant for different types of stakeholders. This could include, or lead to, a catalogue of other qualitative and quantitative measures that support the outcomes beyond the immediate uptake (e.g. longer term policy/strategy change, capability, capacity, practice change, reputation and trust)
  • Develop recommendations for funders, providers and users of DRI on what measures of uptake may be relevant in what circumstances and how to capture and track them

• Group homepage: https://www.rd-alliance.org/groups/uptake-digital-research-infrastructure-ig/activity 
• Statement of Work: https://www.rd-alliance.org/groups/uptake-digital-research-infrastructure-ig/work-statement/?sow=169902 
• Virtual Plenary 24, April 2025
  • Session description: https://www.rd-alliance.org/groups/uptake-digital-research-infrastructure-ig/plenary-participation/?application_id=174611 
  • Collaborative session notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SPDg_pHbJvP0FHUPFEL4ln5NHW-8IsBu/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=104358842683409363823&rtpof=true&sd=true 
• Plenary 23
  November 2024, San Jose, Costa Rica
  • Session description: https://www.rd-alliance.org/groups/uptake-digital-research-infrastructure-ig/plenary-participation/?application_id=171815 
  • Collaborative session notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bgCtWGLAqJLNFQay0iMWgcoT0M62fCkJ/edit 
• Virtual Plenary 22, May 2024
  • Session description: https://www.rd-alliance.org/plenaries/rda-22nd-plenary-meeting-fully-virtual/establishing-understanding-and-capturing-uptake
  • Collaborative session notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Swy7gAtX3BKvrOdVEogCr4hxfxDY6LV29WvrMZwRNGw/edit?usp=drive_link
• Plenary 21, International Data Week (IDW) October 2023, Salzburg, Austria
  • Session description: www.rd-alliance.org/understanding-and-capturing-uptake-digital-research-infrastructure
  • Collaborative session notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UHP7b24jE8iQfW21GrlK_RRI608hbVxD2RmR4-jaKmo/edit

This IG started out from a BoF session held at RDA Plenary 21 / IDW in Salzburg, Austria, in October 2023, where a number of participants expressed an interest in establishing an RDA group on this topic. The co-chairs created the Interest Group and held a subsequent session at RDA VP22 to discuss key components of the Charter, including the use cases, outputs and outcomes the group wants to work on, and to establish connections with other relevant RDA groups. Following on from the RDA VP22 session, the co-chairs submitted the Statement of Work for RDA endorsement  in October 2024, and held another session at RDA P23. 

The Statement of Work was endorsed by the RDA in January 2025. The group held its first “official” session as an endorsed IG at VP 24 in April 2025.