Analysis of the Financial Sustainability Task Force: Consultation on the Progress report

Relevance

The Financial Sustainability Task Force of the EOSC-A has consulted with stakeholders of EOSC via a survey to obtain feedback on the paths towards financial sustainability of EOSC, contained in its Progress Report published in November 2022. The feedback helps the Task Force inform its positioning relative to the discussions on the future of EOSC post-2027.

Scope

The consultation obtained a total of 25 responses from 11 research infrastructures, 5 e-Infrastructures, 2 Research Funding Organisations, 1 science ministry, 3 Research Performing Organisations, 3 service providers.

Target audience: EOSC Tripartite Governance, EOSC-A mandated organisations and Task Forces, relevant experts such as EOSC projects, ESFRI RIs and European e-Infrastructures.

Main highlights

The consultation aimed to collect feedback and input on the first Financial Sustainability Task Force report on the long-term sustainability of different EOSC components (link here), which  describes possible paths to ensure the long-term sustainability of the different EOSC components (EOSC-Core, EOSC Exchange and Data Federation) as understood by the members of the TF FinSust.

The consultation was targeted to specific stakeholder groups of the EOSC ecosystem, such as the EOSC-A Mandated Organisations, the EOSC Steering Board, as well as the H2020 and HE INFRAEOSC projects.

Main findings from the survey include:

• The majority of respondents agrees that combined funding is the best way forward to fund the EOSC Core from both EC and MS/AC.
• A majority of respondents agree to a shared governance between EC and MS.
• Some respondents recommend long-term commitment from the funding parties.
• There is consensus among respondents on the proposed definition of the EOSC Exchange’s main role.
• The division of services into three categories (centrally funded, commercial, and brokered not-for-profit) seems to be largely supported by respondents.
• Respondents deem important the establishment of a selection process for the centrally funded services included in EOSC Exchange.
• Long-term co-funding commitment from the EC and MS/AC, using suitable contribution models, is one of the key requirements to enable a successful and stable federation of data sources and their connected services.

Key recommendations

Conclusions for EOSC Core:

• Combined funding is the best way forward to fund the EOSC Core from both EC and MS/AC.
• A shared governance between EC and MS.
• Long-term commitment from the funding parties.
• EOSC needs to be “from science for science”, incorporating from commercial platforms only those aspects necessary to keep EOSC focused on researchers’ needs.
• Use of EOSC Core services to replace some local instances of equivalent services of RIs with a global scope, would represent a clear added value of EOSC.

Conclusions for EOSC Exchange:

• Ensure the simplicity and stability of the financial transaction mechanisms;
• Make payment mechanisms compatible with the nature of public sector institutions, and ensure that non-centrally financed services can be funded and accessed;
• Plan financial commitment from EC/MS for centrally funded services with a long-term perspective to facilitate the buy-in from RIs;
• Engage in conversations with MS to extend the mandate of national service providers;
• Provisions regarding eligible costs for research, development and innovation projects need to enable the use of project funds for service payment;
• Use domain-specific solutions already in place from the clusters, where available, in order to accelerate service uptake.

Conclusions for EOSC Data Federation:

• Support continuity in competence building;
• Contribute to establishing and operating data infrastructures connected to and federated through EOSC;
• Enable data FAIRification and the necessary accompanying infrastructures;
• Help establish EOSC-interoperable trusted digital repositories that enable data preservation.