Stronger together: Advancing the data repository ecosystem through strategic coopetition

This presentation summarizes the achievements and future directions of the NIH Generalist Repository Ecosystem Initiative (GREI), a collaboration launched in 2022 between seven major generalist repositories: Dataverse, Dryad, Figshare, Mendeley Data, OSF, Vivli, and Zenodo. Operating under a "coopetition" model, the initiative balances cooperation on foundational standards with competition on unique repository features.

The session highlights four years of progress in enhancing the FAIR data ecosystem, focusing on the successful implementation of a common metadata schema based on DataCite standards and the adoption of standardized metrics for data usage and citation through Make Data Count principles. These efforts have improved data discovery and interoperability across the repository landscape. The presentation also details the evolution of GREI's extensive community engagement and demonstrates its tangible impact on data sharing and scientific discovery through real-world user stories.

Looking ahead, the initiative's future direction will be significantly guided by the recommendations issued by the the NIH Council of Councils’ GREI Working Group in 2025. Key priorities for the future include:

• Shifting focus from policy compliance to more robustly supporting and measuring the impact of biomedical data reuse.

• Expanding direct engagement with biomedical researchers to better meet their needs.

• Exploring new technologies to further strengthen the data repository ecosystem and enhance interoperability.