On 17 June 2025, the Republic of Lithuania officially became a full member of the Consortium of European Social Science Data Archives (CESSDA ERIC), joining 22 other countries committed to consolidating and strengthening high-quality research and open data practices in the social sciences.

Lithuania’s national service provider will be the Lithuanian Data Archive for Social Sciences and Humanities (LiDA), based at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU). LiDA is hosted by the Centre for Data Analysis and Archiving within KTU’s Faculty of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities.

Established in 2006, LiDA provides access to more than 600 data collections for both local and international researchers. It plays a key role in promoting open science in Lithuania and abroad through support for research data management, dissemination of standards and best practices, and training activities.

Dr. Giedrius Viliūnas, member of the Research and Higher Education Policy Committee of the Research Council of Lithuania, welcomes this important step in strengthening Lithuania’s role in the European research infrastructure landscape:

“Becoming a full member of CESSDA ERIC is a remarkable milestone for social science in Lithuania. It marks the achievement of an aspiration first raised when the Lithuanian Data Archive for Social Sciences and Humanities (LiDA) was established. Together with membership in CLARIN, ESS, and SHARE ERICs, it forms the backbone of Lithuania’s international engagement in the social sciences and provides a solid foundation for the long-term impact of social science on national and European public policies and social development.”

Lithuania’s full membership reflects a national commitment to strengthening research infrastructures and supporting open, FAIR and CARE-aligned science. The move was endorsed by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania in October 2024, leading to the adoption of a five-year membership plan. The Research Council of Lithuania (RCL) provides funding for the membership and associated activities, including LiDA’s continued integration into the European research infrastructure.
Representing Lithuania in CESSDA’s General Assembly will be Artūras Malysis (Ministry of Education, Science and Sport) and Prof. Audronė Telešienė (Kaunas University of Technology), with Prof. Vaidas Morkevičius (KTU) joining the CESSDA Service Provider Forum.

"Membership will enable us to bring cutting edge international technical and legal expertise and know-how on data collection, documentation, storage and dissemination to Lithuanian academic community. As a full member of the CESSDA ERIC, Lithuania will have access to a wide network of European data archives, which will allow for valuable collaboration, data exchange and knowledge sharing," said Prof. Vaidas Morkevičius.