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Newcomer’s Guide to RDA 26th Plenary

New to RDA Plenaries? Your Guide to Getting Started

What are RDA Plenaries?

RDA Plenaries are biannual working meetings where the global data community comes together to solve real-world challenges in research data sharing. These aren’t just events. They are productive collaborative sessions where data professionals work together to create practical solutions for sharing data across disciplines, technologies, and countries.

Who should attend?

Whether you’re a researcher, data steward, librarian, policy maker, or industry professional working with data, you’re welcome at RDA Plenaries. The community is multidisciplinary and includes everyone from early career professionals to global leaders in data science.

How to join VP26 (16-20 March 2026)

  • Register: Visit the registration page. Fees are kept low to ensure broad participation, with special support for those from low, lower-middle, and upper-middle income countries.
  • Review the programme: Check the programme to see what sessions interest you.
  • Attend newcomer sessions: VP26 offers dedicated “RDA for Newcomers” sessions in different time zones (Monday 16 March at 15:30-16:15 UTC and Tuesday 17 March at 05:30-06:15 UTC) to help you get oriented.

How to navigate the programme

VP26’s programme is organised into 11 thematic “pathways” to help you find sessions matching your interests.

To create your personal schedule:

  • Use the “Filter by Pathway” dropdown in the Programme to see sessions in your area of interest
  • Combine with “Date” and “Time zone” filters to match your availability
  • Each session is clickable to find out more details about the agenda, speakers, useful links, how to get involved, etc. 

What happens at sessions?

Sessions include:

  • Working Group (WG) sessions: Groups developing specific tools, standards, and practices
  • Interest Group (IG) sessions: Communities exploring broad topics and building connections
  • Birds of a Feather (BoF) sessions: Informal discussions on emerging topics
  • Plenary sessions: Community-wide updates and announcements

First-time tips

  • Start with the newcomer sessions – they’re designed specifically for you (16 March at 15:30-16:15 UTC and 17 March at 05:30-06:15 UTC)
  • Don’t feel pressured to attend everything – focus on 3-5 sessions that match your interests
  • Join the networking sessions to meet others and ask questions
  • Participate in the online platform topic discussions or create your own – anyone can join!
  • Sessions are recorded, so you can catch up on anything you miss

Still not sure about joining? Check out the benefits of attending

  • Affordable: Low registration fees to maximise accessibility
  • Global: Join from anywhere – no travel required
  • Financial Support: Complimentary registration for attendees from low, lower-middle, and upper-middle income countries.
  • Time Zone Friendly: Sessions scheduled across all global time zones
  • Multidisciplinary: Topics spanning AI, FAIR/CARE principles, data infrastructure, ethics, career development, and more
  • No Commitment Required: Drop in and out of sessions based on your schedule and time zone
  • Expert-Led: Sessions delivered by leading data professionals and researchers
  • Interactive Platform: All-in-one event platform to join sessions, network, participate in polls, and engage in discussions
  • On-Demand Access: All session recordings and materials available 24 hours after each session
  • Networking Opportunities: Informal meetups and small group discussions to connect with peers
  • Community-Driven: Learn from RDA members who volunteer their expertise to advance open data
  • Career Development: Connect with members and explore opportunities in the data community