This course explores how to design, implement, and communicate scientific use cases within the EOSC Federation. Combining methodology with real-world examples from first-wave nodes, it highlights challenges, solutions, and lessons learned. Through practical case studies and expert insights, participants gain the skills needed to develop impactful cross-node use cases and demonstrate the value of federated research infrastructure.
Course summary
This course introduces participants to the design, implementation, and communication of scientific use cases within the EOSC Federation. It will comprise three parts:
- Module 1 will present a methodology for creating scientific use cases, and their rationale of demonstrating the usefulness of the EOSC Federation; this will also include an introduction to expected practical and organizational challenges;
- Module 2 will draw heavily on practical experience from first-wave EOSC nodes of real examples of node-to-node collaborations implemented across the federation, featuring interviews with Node representatives to transport a clear understanding of the challenges/obstacles faced when establishing scientific use cases, and how current Nodes have overcome them; this part will be expanded as more scientific use cases are implemented in the EOSC Federation (e.g., by the EOSC Gravity Cascading Grants);
- Module 3 will present lessons learned, including step-by-step guidance for implementing scientific use cases in the EOSC Federation.
The online session targets candidate EOSC nodes from the next waves as well as beneficiaries of the Gravity Grant Calls, both Interproject and Preparatory Grants. Through practice-based case studies and practical guidance, the course aims to facilitate and accelerate the development of new cross-node scientific use cases that demonstrate the value of the EOSC Federation.
Participants will learn from existing successful and, in some cases, unsuccessful use cases, explore the processes behind their creation, and understand the technical, organisational, and communication challenges encountered during their implementation.
By the end of this course, participants will:
- Understand how the EOSC Federation’s federating capabilities can support and enable novel, cross-disciplinary and/or cross-border scientific use cases
- Understand the concept and strategic role of scientific use cases in the EOSC Federation
- Learn the process of designing and implementing node-to-node use cases, based on lessons learned from first-wave EOSC nodes
- Explore examples of (un)successful use cases in the EOSC Federation
After completing the training session, participants will be able to:
- Identify relevant services, data resources, and workflows to design a federated scientific use case
- Develop a use case implementation plan
- Communicate use case results effectively to the EOSC community and stakeholders
- Avoid common technical, organisational, and governance challenges
Contributors
Natalia Galica
Stefan Reichmann
Presenters (for online session)
Jaroslav Budiš
CVTI SR
Tibor Simko
CERN
Björn Grüning
University of Freiburg, ELIXIR Germany
Andreas Türk
BBMRI-ERIC
Massimiliano Novelli
ESS
Stéphane Pesant
EMBL
Modules of this course
Module 1: Introduction to Scientific Use Cases – Data Analysis Using Federating Capabilities
210 Minutes
This online session introduces participants to the core concept of scientific use cases within the EOSC Federation, with a particular focus on federated data analysis. It provides an overview of the Federation’s federating capabilities and demonstrates how these can be effectively deployed to enable cross-Node, cross-disciplinary, and cross-border research. It will also reflect how scientific use cases are conceptualised and positioned in the EOSC Federation Handbook.
The module highlights the added value of the EOSC Federation in advancing open research practices, including improved access to distributed data, services, workflows, and computational resources. It also emphasises the strategic role of scientific use cases as practical instruments for showcasing the benefits, scalability, and real-world impact of a federated research infrastructure.
Participants will be introduced to different types of scientific use cases, with concrete examples illustrating how federated approaches support collaborative, reproducible, and data-intensive research across domains.
This session will also ensure continuity of the use case topic by combining a theoretical perspective with practical insights from projects actively working on scientific use cases, including EOSC Beyond and/or OSTrails (tbc).
Module 2: Scientific Use Cases Deep Dive
30 Minutes
This module builds on practical experience from first-wave EOSC Nodes, presenting real examples of node-to-node collaborations implemented across the EOSC Federation. Through a series of interviews with Node representatives, participants gain first-hand insights into the processes behind developing scientific use cases, with a strong focus on the challenges and obstacles encountered, and the strategies adopted to overcome them.
The module features a curated set of use cases spanning multiple scientific domains and technical approaches, including: federated analysis of pathogen genomes, federating CERN’s REANA pipelines, imaging data workflows on Galaxy, multi-centric validation of AI models for prostate cancer screening, PaN Finder, and biological sequestration of carbon in the ocean. These examples illustrate the diversity of EOSC-enabled research and highlight how federated infrastructures support data-intensive, cross-border collaboration.
Participants will engage with a range of supporting materials, including interview recordings, published use case descriptions (with accompanying videos), academic literature on scientific use cases, and interview transcripts. This multi-format approach enables a deeper understanding of both the technical and organisational dimensions of implementing use cases within the EOSC Federation.
The module is designed as an evolving component of the course and will be continuously enriched with new use cases as they are developed across the Federation, including those emerging from the EOSC Gravity Cascading Grants.
Module 3: Lessons Learned and Guidance for Scientific Use Cases
90 Minutes
This module synthesises lessons learned from existing scientific use cases across the EOSC Federation, based on an in-depth analysis of available implementations. It distils key insights from practical experience, highlighting common success factors, recurring challenges, and effective approaches to developing and operationalising scientific use cases in a federated environment.
Delivered as an online lecture with recording, the module provides structured guidance supported by dedicated materials, including a lesson learned report and a slide deck. Participants will engage with these resources to deepen their understanding of how scientific use cases can be effectively designed and implemented within the EOSC Federation.
By drawing on accumulated experience from across the Federation, the module aims to support participants in translating knowledge into practice and strengthening their capacity to contribute to future use case development.
Course length
| Module 1 | 90 minutes to complete the online session; 120 minutes preparation (study the materials on scientific use cases) |
| Module 2 | 30 minutes per use case (i.e. 180 mins to begin with for 6 use cases) |
| Module 3 | 90 minutes to complete the online session; unlimited self-study (guidelines) |
Audience
- Beneficiaries of EOSC Gravity Interproject Calls
- Candidate EOSC nodes from future onboarding waves
- Research infrastructures and service providers joining the EOSC Federation
- Project managers and technical coordinators responsible for federated use case implementation
- Scientific communities seeking to integrate workflows and data services within EOSC
Keywords
EOSC Federation, EOSC Nodes, Scientific Use Cases, Onboarding
