In 2015 the vision of a European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) emerged. EOSC would provide an open and trusted environment for accessing and managing a wide range of publicly funded research data and related services, helping researchers reap the full benefits of data-driven science. EOSC is currently in its implementation phase (2021-2027) which requires active engagement and support to ensure widespread implementation and adoption of the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles, to define and share standards and develop tools and services, to allow researchers to find, access, reuse and combine research results.
The FAIRCORE4EOSC and FAIR-IMPACT projects will support the realisation of this web of FAIR data and services by delivering new core infrastructure components as well as by supporting the implementation of FAIR-enabling practices, tools, and services.
FAIR-IMPACT: Expanding FAIR solutions across EOSC
The FAIR-IMPACT project will support the implementation of FAIR-enabling practices, tools and services across scientific communities and across research outputs at a European, national, and institutional level. FAIR-IMPACT will translate and adapt solutions across scientific domains on persistent identifiers, metadata and ontologies, metrics, certification and interoperability aspects via a set of integrated use cases in the social sciences and humanities, photon and neutron sciences, life sciences and agri-food, and environmental sciences. These solutions will enable repository managers, research performing organisations, funders and policy makers to support FAIR data management, and researchers and citizen scientists to produce FAIR data.
Coordinated by DANS and supported by 27 additional partners from 11 countries, the project will build on the successful practices, policies, tools, and technical specifications from FAIRsFAIR, other H2020 projects and initiatives, and from the FAIR and other relevant Working Groups of the former EOSC Executive Board.
FAIRCORE4EOSC: core components supporting a FAIR EOSC
The brand new FAIRCORE4EOSC project will deliver nine new EOSC-Core components in support of a FAIR research life cycle, bridging the gaps identified in the EOSC Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda. Towards the establishment of a Web of FAIR data and a Minimum Viable EOSC by 2027, the components will enable an EOSC PID infrastructure, an EOSC research software infrastructure, support for sharing and access to metadata schemas and crosswalks and offer advanced research-intent driven discovery services over all EOSC repositories.
The nine FAIRCORE4EOSC components will be crucial in supporting the FAIR research life cycle. Five community-centric case studies will drive the development and testing of the new components. The selected case studies share similar challenges that are common to many other stakeholder groups, the co-design methodology will ensure the FAIRCORE4EOSC components are tailored to user needs.
Led by CSC–IT Center for Science in Finland, the 22 complementary partners of the FAIRCORE4EOSC consortium include service providers, research performing organisations and global expert networks. The consortium partners have long-lasting experience in the provision and development of research data services. They have also significantly contributed to the EOSC SRIA and are active members of the EOSC Association Task Forces, providing the project a unique insight and capacity to boost the development of EOSC, a Web of FAIR Data and Related Services.
FAIR-IMPACT and FAIRCORE4EOSC aim to workin close collaboration with other actors in the EOSC ecosystem, including the EOSC Association itself,the H2020 project EOSC-Future and many others.
The two projects are complementary instruments enabling an operational, open and FAIR EOSC ecosystem. Where FAIRCORE4EOSC will develop EOSC-Core components to adopt, FAIR-IMPACT in its turn will support the implementation of FAIR-enabling practices across scientific communities and research outputs at a European, national, and institutional level.
Both projects will run from June 2022 to May 2025, and will set up collaboration mechanisms via six shared partners, regular coordination and communication meetings and tools. Technical alignment between the two projects and with the broader technical EOSC infrastructure will be ensured by aTechnical Bridging Team, led by DANS and CSC, and consisting of the technical leads of FAIRCORE4EOSC, FAIR-IMPACT, EOSC Future as well as the CTO of the EOSC Association.
