...
Part-time within a central unit. Hired from a library, knowledge hub or IT team to support multiple projects.
Dedicated to a project. Embedded within the research team for hands-on data stewardship.
Department- or division-based. Assigned within a specific department or research unit to align local practices with institutional policies.
External support. Engaged as a consultant to cover missing competencies.
In some organisations, data stewardship is an extended role for existing data specialists or data managers. Departments may choose to train their existing data specialists to take on data steward responsibilities, rather than hiring a separate data steward. This approach helps integrate data stewardship into existing research workflows.
Some researchers may allocate their own budget to hire a data steward. In addition, some funders allow data stewardship costs within project budgets. If a dedicated steward cannot be hired, check whether your organisation provides existing data stewardship support to ensure proper coverage.
...