Since the foundation of DARIAH ERIC in August 2014, 27 universities and research institutions from 9 countries that are not yet DARIAH Members have been DARIAH Cooperating Partners. This type of membership in DARIAH enables institutions to join the infrastructure and interact with the network for a certain period of time, supporting them to form a consortium and move on to full DARIAH membership.
In 2020, DARIAH re-evaluated this type of membership and decided to reshape the relationship between DARIAH and its Cooperating Partners with the aim of encouraging greater engagement, establishing closer ties and maintaining better communication. In this perspective, we set up an organisational framework proposing different measures to enhance the engagement of Cooperating Partners in DARIAH.
Based on this new approach, Cooperating Partners are expected to fill in a new application form outlining planned activities and participation in DARIAH bodies and initiatives (such as active participation in an existing DARIAH Working Group or the foundation of a new one, specific services or expertise to be made available with regard to the Marketplace or submitting courses to the DH Course Registry).
An important new element is that prospective partners are expected to also outline concrete steps in pursuing a full DARIAH membership during the period of their partnership, which is evaluated internally by the Senior Management Team and the DARIAH Coordination Office (see Application forms for EU CP and Non-EU CP).
Upon successful application, a binding agreement is formed between the institution and DARIAH ERIC for a period of three years specifying the rights and obligations of Cooperating Partners (see Template European Cooperating Partner agreement, Template non-European Cooperating Partner agreement). At the end of this period, the partnership is evaluated with the possibility of renewal.
Finally, Cooperating Partners are required to organise a ‘DARIAH Day’ in their country with the goal of showcasing research initiatives and attracting potential partners, stakeholders and funding agencies. A dedicated ‘Cooperating Partner Factsheet’ outlining important information about the benefits and requirements of becoming a DARIAH Cooperating Partner is published on the DARIAH website (check Documents for all CPs templates).
If you are interested in joining DARIAH as a Cooperating Partner or if you need further information, please write us at info@dariah.eu.
