Ethical, Legal and Social Aspects (ELSA)
The ELSA section addresses ethical, legal, and social aspects that affect the activities of the NFDI. Many of these topics concern several, if not all, NFDI consortia. Questions of data protection and intellectual property rights are increasingly relevant throughout the research data lifecycle. Ethical questions around data use arise with respect to data originating from indigenous and other communities. And what should societal participation in research data look like?
ELSA networks consortia and expert communities to exchange experiences and develop shared solutions. The section discusses and comments on current legislative proposals relevant to research data infrastructure. It serves as a forum for consortia and NFDI members across all disciplines.
Mission
The ELSA section focuses on relevant legal, ethical, and social topics that matter to all consortia. Within the NFDI, existing knowledge is networked and leveraged to develop a shared understanding of the issues involved. This leads to practical solutions, guidelines, position statements on pressing questions, and an ongoing exchange between different disciplines and research communities.
Section Leadership
| Role | Name | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| Spokesperson | Vasilka Paunova | Universität Mannheim |
| Deputy Spokesperson | Prof. Dr. Ulrich Sax | Georg-August-Universität Göttingen |
Working Groups
| Working Group | Focus |
|---|---|
| WG Ethics | Ethical questions in NFDI, guidelines, study groups on Dark Data, CARE Principles, and AI Ethics |
| WG Data Protection | FAIR data management and GDPR compliance, factsheets, training |
| WG LARA | Licensing & Agreement Rule Automation — tools for license selection and data use agreements |