This grant provides partial support for data collection, production, and distribution of a study by the National Research Council on the training of professionals in data curation. Convening a high caliber group of scientists, technologists, educators, and university administrators, the Academy will study a handful of pioneering programs around the country that have developed curricula for training students in data curation and synthesize these curricula into a set of best practices with an eye toward preparing students for the specific data curation needs of researchers in the natural and social sciences. In addition, the report will focus on quantifying future need for data curation as a profession. The report promises to provide a blueprint for other U.S. colleges and universities who wish to begin their own programs to meet the growing need for qualified, well-trained professionals with expertise in stewarding, archiving, and maintaining data.