#3: Testing the trustworthy and FAIR-enabling repositories prototype

Context

FAIR-enabling and trustworthy data repositories play a central role in making and keeping data FAIR over time. While there is ongoing debate on what constitutes trustworthiness, there is broad agreement that transparency and evidence is essential to enable end users to make informed decisions about the repository services they use.

In this support action successful applicants will have the opportunity to test a prototype developed by FAIR-IMPACT to expose relevant metadata at the organisational and object level. Participants will also have the opportunity to learn about these updated Guidelines for repositories and registries on exposing repository trustworthiness status and FAIR data assessments outcomes. The focus of this support action is on digital data repositories with access to the hosting infrastructure and technical expertise. Specifically repositories which are interested in increasing the findability and interoperability of their organisation by exposing machine actionable metadata about themselves and their datasets.

Applicants to this support action will have the opportunity to test a prototype developed by FAIR-IMPACT to expose relevant metadata at the organisational and object level.

Who should apply?

This support action is suitable for those working in data repositories and in particular those interested in increasing the findability and interoperability of their organisation. 

Skills needed to participate

Applicants should have:

  • Sufficient technical skills and authority to implement metadata changes (implementation in a test environment is also ok)
  • Knowledge about metadata and data hosted and overall organisation of the repository
  • Technical abilities and developer resources to provide a (test) instance of their repository and expose metadata via JSON-LD and e.g. signposting
  • Be familiar with the RDA Common Descriptive Attributes of Research Data Repositories
Virtual workshops 

This support action will consist of four virtual workshops. 

  • Kick-off workshop to introduce the prototype, 27 January 2025, 10-12 CET
  • Q&A support session, 24 February 2025, 10-12 CET
  • Q&A support session, 10 March 2025, 10-12 CET
  • Final peer exchange workshop to share results, 24 March 2025, 10-12 CET
Support providers and mentors 
  • Wim Hugo (DANS)
  • Robert Ulrich (KIT)
  • Robert Huber (University of Bremen)
  • Herve L'Hours (UKDS)
How much time will this support action require from participants? 

In addition to participation in the four virtual workshops, successful applicants are expected to:

  • Carry out independent work to test the prototype and review the guidelines
  • During this time mentors will offer regular office hours to provide support;
  • Provide feedback on the prototype and guidelines and to share their experiences with implementing them

We anticipate that this will require about 10 days of effort between January and April 2024.

What FAIR-IMPACT will provide to enable participation?
  • 5000 €  will be provided to support staff time for each participant/small team to participate in this support action. Funds will be paid upon successful completion of the support action. The amount provided is based on the number of days required to participate in the action using a flat daily rate and not the size of the team (i.e., 5000 euros is the maximum award regardless of the team size). 
  • Prototype repository Implementation examples to expose repository metadata
  • Access to updated recommendations for trustworthy and FAIR-enabling data repositories
  • Prototype registry
  • Test instance of F-UJI
  • Test instance of re3data for DCAT
  • Information about repository certification 
What do we expect from participants?

  • Active engagement in the virtual workshops plus the required independent work in between the workshops;

  • Engage with their peers throughout the process to share experiences with each other and with mentors;

  • Participation in a mandatory exit interview which will result in a published Implementation Story to share real life experiences in making FAIR a reality

  • Participation in follow-up questionnaires.
How many applicants  will be supported?  Up to 5 individuals/teams will be supported to participate in this support action.

 

 

Supporting materials

 

Timeline for this support action
Introductory webinar (recording available) 9 October 2024

Call platform open for applications

11 October 2024  

Deadline for applications

4 December 2024

Applicants informed of decision

8 January 2025

Start date for support actions

mid to late January 2024

Who can apply? 

This call is open to individuals, groups or 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.