In recent years, a number of tools, solutions and approaches have been developed to help different stakeholders implement the FAIR principles. Many of these have been developed through European Commission supported activities such as the regional and thematic INFRAEOSC projects and international initiatives such as the Research Data Alliance.
It can be challenging to know which tools and/or approaches to use for different purposes and how they should be implemented most effectively. To help take some of the guesswork out of implementing FAIR, the FAIR-IMPACT project will provide a set of clearly defined support actions that will help successful applicants learn how to use specific tools/methods/approaches which will help them start (or continue) their journey to becoming more FAIR-enabling and active contributors to the European Open Science Cloud.
FAIR-IMPACT Open Calls for support
Each of the defined support actions will provide dedicated guidance and assistance to a cohort of selected applicants on implementing one or more tools and approaches. There will be at least three open calls for participation in the defined support actions over the lifetime of the FAIR-IMPACT project.
What we will provide to successful participants for each support action:
- A dedicated, tailored support package, including virtual workshops, expert guidance and advice from FAIR-IMPACT project partners and resource providers to enable participants to implement the particular tool or approach.
- Financial support to enable participation, payable by invoice upon successful completion of the support action.1 The exact amount of the financial support that will be provided will vary across the support actions as it is based on the number of days required to participate. In most cases, participation in support actions will require between 5-10 days of effort from participants spread over a 1-2 month period. Funds may be used solely for supporting staff time to carry out relevant support action activities (participating in the virtual webinars, carrying out homework, completing exit questionnaire and/or interview, etc.).
- The opportunity to share their knowledge and learn from their peers through the virtual workshops.
- The opportunity to promote their work via a published FAIR-IMPACT Implementation Story.
In their application, we expect applicants to clearly demonstrate the following:
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31st March 2023: the two first support actions launched
Applicants will be able to apply to join the first two support actions, which are designed to enhance the FAIRness of data, semantic artefacts and data-related services from March 31st, 2023, through our grants platform. For a brief summary of the open call and details on the first two support offers, please read this blog post. Detailed information about each of the support offers is provided below. On March 27, FAIR-IMPACT hosted a webinar to introduce potential applicants to the open call and to provide details about the two support actions on offer.
Are you thinking about submitting an application? If so, please join the FAIR-IMPACT webinar informal Virtual Clinic on May 16th from 15:00-16:00 CEST. During the clinic, you’ll have the chance to ask the FAIR-IMPACT team any questions you have about the support actions, eligibility, and the application process.
The support actions
#1: FAIRness assessment challenge
More harmonised use of semantic artefacts such as ontologies, terminologies, taxonomies, thesauri, vocabularies, metadata schemas and standards is a key element to achieving a high level of FAIRness. However, it can often be difficult to find and use semantic artefacts as they themselves are not always FAIR.
This targeted support action will help a cohort of dataset providers or semantic artefact developers to self-assess and work towards maximising the level of FAIRness of their resources. Successful applicants will be supported to employ a variety of assessment tools and methods, including F-UJI, O’FAIRe and FOOPS. FAIR-IMPACT mentors will provide guidance and advice on how to interpret their scores and to improve the overall FAIRness of their resources. The duration of effort required, including attendance at mandatory virtual workshops and completing the assigned ‘homework’, will be approximately five days.
#2: Enabling FAIR Signposting and RO-Crate for content/metadata discovery and consumption
The findability of both data and metadata is central to the FAIR principles. In this support action, FAIR-IMPACT will provide a method to increase the discoverability of the metadata and content. It will do so using a combination of two approaches; RO-Crate and Signposting. These two approaches are being used in combination as a pragmatic approach to making digital scholarly/research objects more FAIR. The duration of effort required to take part in this one will be five days of effort over a one-month period, again most likely in early autumn 2023.
Timeline for first open call |
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Promotional webinar to showcase the support actions on offer |
27 March 2023 - watch a recording of the webinar HERE |
Call launched and platform opened for applications |
31 March 2023 |
Virtual clinic for potential applicants | 16 May - Watch the recordings |
Deadline for applications |
1 June 2023 |
Evaluation and selection of applicants |
End of June 2023 |
Applicants informed of decision |
Beginning of July 2023 |
Expected start date for support actions |
The start date will vary depending on the specific support action. However we anticipate that these will begin in autumn 2023. |
Who can apply?
This call is open to individuals, groups and organisations from public and private research-performing organisations, including:
- Research-performing organisations and research infrastructures;
- Repositories, data and metadata service providers;
- Representatives of national and international level initiatives.
Applicants must reside and/or work in an EU or Associated Country for the duration of the grant. A key aim for FAIR-IMPACT is to prioritise support for organisations, groups, and/or individuals based in countries or representing domains that are currently less advanced in terms of their FAIR enabling capacity2.
The call is not open to individuals or groups based at any of the FAIR-IMPACT project partner organisations nor to individuals who hold the status of FAIR Champions under FAIR-IMPACT.
UPDATE: Please note that as part of this open call, FAIR-IMPACT is bound to adhere to the ‘Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/2506 of 15 December 2022 on measures for the protection of the Union budget against breaches of the principles of the rule of law in Hungary’, which places restrictions on which Hungarian entities can become a beneficiary of European Commission-funded projects. Please see the European Commission FAQs on the Decision here.
To register your interest in the open calls and to receive updates as details of the support actions on offer are released, the dates of the promotional webinars on what each support action will provide and application deadlines, please enter your details below.
1st Open Call webinar
Watch the recording of the webinar organised on 27 March 2023
If you have any questions about the support actions and open calls please contact opencalls[at]fair-impact.eu.