This is the eleventh in the series of short statements from candidates in the coming CODATA Elections at the General Assembly to be held on 17-18 October 2025. Steven McEachern is a candidate for CODATA Treasurer; incumbent and standing unopposed. He was nominated by the DDI Alliance.

My name is Dr. Steve McEachern, and I currently serve as Director of the UK Data Service. I commenced in this role at the University of Essex in August 2024, following 15 years as Director of the Australian Data Archive (ADA) at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, Australia. As Director of UKDS, I am responsible for the strategic development and direction of the UK Data Service, leading a partnership of 5 organisations delivering the UKDS award from the Economic and Social Research Council from 2024-2030.

Over the last 25 years, I have been actively involved in the development and application of new methods, and technological advancements, in data archiving and social survey data collection, and in the teaching of research methods in the social sciences. Over the last few years, I have lead work packages in major projects in social science data infrastructure, within Australia, the UK and Europe, including WorldFAIR and the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Research Data Commons.

I have had an active role in CODATA activities since first engaging with CODATA through the Dagstuhl workshop series in 2017. Since 2017 I have co-convened the CODATA-DDI Alliance Dagstuhl workshops, and facilitated the associate membership and Memorandum of Understanding between the DDI Alliance and CODATA. I subsequently lead the Social Surveys work package in the recently completed WorldFAIR project lead by CODATA.

I was elected as the treasurer of CODATA, nominated by the Australian National Committee, in 2021, and served on the Australian Academy of Science’s National Committee on Data in Science (the National Committee responsible for CODATA participation) from 2021-2024. Since that time I have moved to the UK to take up my new role, and joined the UK International Research Data Initiatives Forum, which serves as the UK National Committee, in 2024. Thus I bring experience of membership from 2 national committees and 2 associate members to my role.

Alongside my CODATA participation, I am also vice-chair of the DDI (Data Documentation Initiative) Alliance Executive Committee; co-chair of the Research Data Alliance Social Science Interest Group, and member of the Service Directors group of CESSDA, the Consortium of European Social Science Data Archives.

During my tenure as Treasurer, in collaboration with the CODATA Secretariat and Officers, we have been able to maintain and strengthen CODATA’s strong financial footing. I am therefore very keen to continue my role as CODATA Treasurer to continue the development of CODATA’s strategic goals and support the operational and financial activities of the organisation, and put forward my candidacy for your consideration.