Call for Applications for 2026 DataCite Steering and Working Groups

As a nonprofit membership association and open infrastructure provider for research organizations around the world, DataCite's day-to-day operations and strategic directions are actively shaped by ongoing community engagement and input. 

DataCite steering and working groups are one of the primary ways in which community members can get more involved in our work. We are happy to announce that we are opening our annual call for nominations to join the following groups beginning in January 2026. 

• Services and Technology Steering Group (STSG)
• Community Engagement Steering Group (CESG)
• Metadata Working Group (WG)

About the Groups 

Focus areas

The three groups with open calls for nominations have specific areas of focus:

Community Engagement Steering Group (CESG)

The CESG supports DataCite outreach activities, including monitoring and assessing community needs; providing feedback on priorities and services; and helping to build relationships and promote collaboration across the DataCite community. 

Services & Technology Steering Group (STSG)

The STSG provides expertise and advice on DataCite's service and technology development. The group helps to guide DataCite's engineering and product work by discussing planned activities and providing input on technical approaches and service considerations. 

Metadata Working Group (MWG)

The MWG advises DataCite on the maintenance of the DataCite Metadata Schema, in consultation with the DataCite community and under the guidance of the DataCite Board. In coordination with DataCite staff, the Working Group actively seeks the broader community's input and coordinates with community groups.

Group activities and responsibilities

Group members are expected to actively participate in virtual meetings throughout the year, with some asynchronous contributions between meetings. Meeting frequencies and other details are described in each group's Terms of Reference. 

Members serve multi-year terms. Terms are renewable and participation can also be terminated at any time. 

Application Process

Who should apply

We are seeking applications from interested community members with demonstrated expertise in one or more of the focus areas described above who wish to play an active role in guiding DataCite's operations and activities. 

We welcome applications from representatives of DataCite member organizations as well as from the broader community. We strive to achieve deep and broad expertise across each group by including members from different regions and organization types and with different skill sets to offer. 

How to apply

Applications are open starting today through November 17. The process involves a short application form that will ask you to describe which group you are interested in and the perspectives and expertise you hope to contribute. 

We expect to notify all applicants of our decisions in mid-December. Group activities will officially begin in January 2026. If you have any questions about the groups or the application process, please contact us at info@datacite.org.