CESSDA released its annual report detailing its extensive activities and accomplishments during 2023. This report showcases CESSDA's ongoing commitment and activities to support social science research through robust data archiving services and innovative projects. The activities undertaken in 2023 demonstrate that CESSDA continues to be a pivotal player in the research data landscape in Europe.

For a detailed overview, the full CESSDA 2023 Annual Report is available for download here. 

In the 2023 report CESSDA's Chair of the General Assembly, Helena Laaksonen emphasises the significant milestones achieved within the CESSDA consortium, including Switzerland's full membership and the anniversaries of key service providers. She also highlights the consortium's continued support for social science data archiving in Ukraine. CESSDA's Director, Bonnie Wolff-Boenisch mentions CESSDA's growing visibility at the European level,  its recognition for contributions to open science, and the involvement in f strategic projects aimed at fostering interdisciplinary research and supporting open science practices.

Some 2023 highlights

• Switzerland was granted full membership in CESSDA ERIC, enhancing its participation in European research infrastructures.
• CESSDA provided support to the Kyiv Archive in Ukraine, ensuring the preservation of valuable social science data amidst the ongoing conflict.
• The CESSDA Data Catalogue and the European Language Social Science Thesaurus saw significant updates, improving user experience and accessibility.
• CESSDA was actively involved in several strategic EC projects, such as EOSC Future, OSCARS, and FAIR-IMPACT, contributing to the advancement of open science and research data management.
• CESSDA launched a new strategy for 2023-2027, focusing on data, people, and landscape to better serve its members and the broader European social sciences research community. This strategic framework aligns with the latest developments in the research data landscape and the European Research Area.

But this is not all. In 2023, CESSDA actively participated in several European Commission project proposals, resulting in the approval of seven new projects, including ERIC Forum project continuation and Infra4NextGen, among others. Both CESSDA and its Service Providers provided contributions for the eRimote project, which aims to improve digital and remote service provision across research infrastructure domains. This initiative included a pivotal workshop in London, addressing governance, policy, funding, and impact implications of remote access to research infrastructure services.

A significant achievement was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CODATA (Committee on Data) to promote FAIR data principles across disciplines. CESSDA was also recognised in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide and the Open Research Europe publishing platform for its contributions to open science practices.

Finally, our financial statements for 2023 indicate a stable operating income, reflecting the effective management and sustainable growth of CESSDA's operations. 

The full CESSDA 2023 Annual Report is available for download here.