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. A major activity of the group has been to define its scope, 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 26, March 2026:
  • Session description: https://www.rd-alliance.org/groups/uptake-digital-research-infrastructure-ig/plenary-participation/?application_id=211300
  • Collaborative session notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14mWWifUbSU4Udw-65ACgmzKwJFtOe1yhSJ-BZ_x_qSU/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.gqimcjr7e4i2
• Plenary 25, IDW 2025, Brisbane, October 2025:
  • Session description: https://www.rd-alliance.org/groups/uptake-digital-research-infrastructure-ig/plenary-participation/?application_id=187482 
  • Collaborative session notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1h3Mnjwkw-j5sCzETO644ABeZGRw4hGB9/edit 
• 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. Subsequent sessions were held at RDA VP22 and 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, and has held sessions at P25 / IDW 2025 in October 2025 and VP26 in March 2026.