The Research Data Librarian is a Faculty Librarian in the University Library System reporting to the Head of Digital Scholarship Services.

The position provides support and expertise to students, faculty, and researchers engaged in research data management planning, data acquisition, data sharing, and computational research methods. This position emphasizes collaborating with researchers and students primarily in the sciences and social sciences; however, supporting data practices and literacies in a wide variety of disciplines is also expected.

Through consultations, instruction, outreach, and collaborative initiatives, this position supports data practices across many phases of research and learning. The Research Data Librarian draws on a broad knowledge of the research data lifecycle and computational research activities, communicates clearly and effectively with researchers and colleagues, and monitors and creatively responds to emerging research data needs across the University.

The position also maintains a liaison relationship to STEM-related departments as assigned. The liaison role includes proactively building relationships and partnerships with faculty, staff, and students in the assigned departments; staying current with user needs; promoting awareness and use of Library resources and support, including those in other library units and departments (e.g., Science & Engineering Library, Metadata & Discovery, Archives & Special Collections); developing curricular and co-curricular engagement opportunities; and providing academic and research support for students.

As a member of the Digital Scholarship Services team, the Research Data Librarian works alongside colleagues who support related aspects of critical data literacies, open scholarship, and reproducible research practices, including those in the Health Sciences Library System, which is administratively separate from the ULS. In collaboration with other colleagues, the Research Data Librarian contributes to the services, strategies, and relationships that enable robust library support of computational research and data management by faculty, students, and staff at the University of Pittsburgh.