ELIXIR-CONVERGE WP1: Expert Network

The expert network will engage in providing data management support to the selected demonstrators projects (WP5) from the respective ELIXIR Nodes. Based upon the data management work in these projects, the expert network will document best practices and provide input to the tools development (WP3) in order to facilitate the processes and increase the capability of each Node.

See the Data Management Network and Data Management Coordinators pages.

The data managers will use the toolkits developed in WP3 and ensure that Data, Software and Knowledge generated by the users is appropriately structured and annotated with metadata. They will also ensure that it is deposited in specialised community databases following FAIR principles, such as ELIXIR Deposition Databases, and accessible through ELIXIR registries (connected to EOSC). This will allow the reuse and the maximum long-term impact of the data.

The network will provide expert support across national borders to disseminate knowledge. It will also have close contacts with the ELIXIR Communities in order to bridge data management activities between ELIXIR Platforms and Communities.

Leadership: Uppsala University (Niclas Jareborg and Bengt Persson, ELIXIR Sweden)

Participants: All Nodes will contribute: ATHENA-RIC (ELIXIR Greece), BSC (ELIXIR Spain), CNR (ELIXIR Italy), CNRS (ELIXIR France), CSC (ELIXIR Finland), DTL-Projects (ELIXIR Netherlands), DTU (ELIXIR Denmark), Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (ELIXIR Germany), Hungarian Academy of Sciences (ELIXIR Hungary), INESC-ID (ELIXIR Portugal), SIB (ELIXIR Switzerland), UCD (ELIXIR Ireland), University of Bergen (ELIXIR Norway), University of Cyprus (ELIXIR Cyprus), University of Ljubljana (ELIXIR Slovenia), University of Luxembourg (ELIXIR Luxembourg), University of Manchester (ELIXIR UK), University of Tartu (ELIXIR Estonia), ÚOCHB (ELIXIR Czech Republic), VIB (ELIXIR Belgium), Weizmann Institute of Science (ELIXIR Israel)

This task will explore the existing practice around data brokering, and document and resolve best practice. It will span brokering based on software tools, services and training, and cover data routed to and from ELIXIR Data Resources. Working with specific ELIXIR Data Resources, such as the ​ENA (European Nucleotide Archive) and ​UniProt (Universal Protein Resource), it will prototype new brokering models and deploy these where appropriate.

Leadership: EMBL-EBI (Guy Cochrane)

Participants: CSC (ELIXIR Finland), SIB (ELIXIR Switzerland), University of Bergen (ELIXIR Norway), ÚOCHB (ELIXIR Czech Republic), Uppsala University (ELIXIR Sweden), VIB (ELIXIR Belgium).

This task will support the development of sustainable business model(s) for the provision of data management support, starting by reviewing existing approaches, and sharing best practice of the current ELIXIR Nodes that provide data management support to local users.

The identified business model should allow for ELIXIR Nodes to take on data management roles in large projects, by providing a well-defined set of services of equal and good quality from across all ELIXIR Nodes. Successful application of the model to future large projects should realise a primary goal of ELIXIR-CONVERGE, i.e. to improve the capture, processing, analysis and archiving of data across the Life Sciences.

Leadership: CNR (Silvio Tosatto, ELIXIR Italy)

Participants: CNR (ELIXIR Italy), ÚOCHB (ELIXIR Czech Republic), Uppsala University (ELIXIR Sweden)

This task will develop mechanisms for joint actions between Nodes and create interfaces to other infrastructures at the national level. It will develop an operating model that can underpin Node-to-Node collaboration for providing joint data management and infrastructure support to national partners and pan-European consortia. This model will be based on identified scientific best practice and brokering services, and will take into account Node business models and national policy framework.

By European-wide coordination, relevant ELIXIR Nodes can provide harmonised ​data management to international projects while supporting local partners to meet both national and international funders' requirements.

Leadership: ÚOCHB (Jiri Vondrasek, ELIXIR Czech Republic)

Participants: CNR (ELIXIR Italy), DTL-Projects (ELIXIR Netherlands), Uppsala University (ELIXIR Sweden).