With support from our new Vice President for Research, Indiana University is establishing a Research Data Commons that draws upon expertise in the Libraries, IT, faculty researchers, and the VPR. The broad mission of this initiative is to serve as a university-wide resource for discovering, sharing, and accessing data resources across IU, to build on our centralized cyberinfrastructure, to present researchers with easier and more integrated pathways to data resources, to enable richer training opportunities for students, and to empower IU to better serve our partners locally and throughout the state. This presentation will describe opportunities for facilitating a community-based approach to research data stewardship within the context of this initiative. In particular, how might we foster greater connections between groups providing research support across IU, as well as bridging between research support groups and the emerging data communities that this initiative seeks to foster? How might developing stronger connections across relatively siloed communities both empower faculty to better manage their data and reduce the burden on them to navigate increasingly complex issues related to data protection, privacy, and reuse.