Periodic Reporting for period 2 - FAIR-IMPACT (Expanding FAIR Solutions across EOSC)
Période du rapport: 2023-06-01 au 2024-05-31
FAIR-IMPACT is a coordination and support action which closed its second year of implementation in May 2024. The project's pillar activities towards realising an EOSC of FAIR data and services focus on a) persistent identifiers (PIDs), b) metadata and ontologies, c) metrics, certification and guidelines, d) interoperability. These activities are enhanced by coordination, synchronisation, engagement and support mechanisms targeting a wide spectrum of stakeholders in the EOSC and FAIR ecosystem across disciplines at institutional, national and European level. At the same time, the project actively supports and contributes to coordination activities in the context of the EOSC partnership. FAIR-IMPACT aims to help EOSC transfer FAIR-enabling practices from communities to communities and from certain types of research objects to others. Research objects of interest in FAIR-IMPACT, beyond datasets, include (especially in WP4) Semantic Artefact, Mappings and Research Software.
The expected impacts of the FAIR-IMPACT project are: 1) A coherent implementation of PIDs across the EOSC, 2) A broader and more harmonised use of FAIR semantic artefacts in EOSC with suggested governance models, FAIR-by-design methodology, standardisation of the artefacts metadata descriptions and their catalogues APIs, , 3) Adapted guidelines and frameworks for FAIR data, research software, semantic artefacts. FAIR enabled at Trustworthy Digital Repositories (TDRs) through the functional assessment of repository trustworthiness and data FAIRness, 4) Increased data accessibility for researchers and other European data users and stakeholders, 5) Active, engaged and informed research communities supporting the implementation of an operational, open and FAIR EOSC ecosystem through increased uptake and adoption at cross-domain and pan-European level, and 6) Clear and functioning mechanisms for supporting the governance, coordination, and collaboration activities carried out by the EOSC Partnership. FAIR-IMPACT has closed its second year with significant achievements and wide engagement and support activities in the EOSC and FAIR ecosystems towards its target stakeholders.
The expected impacts of the FAIR-IMPACT project are: 1) A coherent implementation of PIDs across the EOSC, 2) A broader and more harmonised use of FAIR semantic artefacts in EOSC with suggested governance models, FAIR-by-design methodology, standardisation of the artefacts metadata descriptions and their catalogues APIs, , 3) Adapted guidelines and frameworks for FAIR data, research software, semantic artefacts. FAIR enabled at Trustworthy Digital Repositories (TDRs) through the functional assessment of repository trustworthiness and data FAIRness, 4) Increased data accessibility for researchers and other European data users and stakeholders, 5) Active, engaged and informed research communities supporting the implementation of an operational, open and FAIR EOSC ecosystem through increased uptake and adoption at cross-domain and pan-European level, and 6) Clear and functioning mechanisms for supporting the governance, coordination, and collaboration activities carried out by the EOSC Partnership. FAIR-IMPACT has closed its second year with significant achievements and wide engagement and support activities in the EOSC and FAIR ecosystems towards its target stakeholders.
FAIR-IMPACT maintains a close connection with relevant EOSC projects and initiatives, and especially FAIRCORE4EOSC: the collaboration was intensified on defining the criteria for assessing EOSC compliant PID policies, both through FAIR-IMPACT’s dedicated work package and through the PID policy support programme. A PID policy assessment methodology and related conceptual model were deployed and showcased for a global audience of different backgrounds (law & policy experts, data managers, PID service providers etc.), also from the global South, and in regular consultation with the EOSC Association PID policy and implementation Task Force. A set of PID policy recommendations for data managers were published, facilitating PID implementations within EOSC. Preparations were made for community review of the PID policy recommendations. The PID Stack methodology was introduced, presenting the composition of the PID ecosystem in a comprehensible way. Recommendations on aligning requirements for onboarding PID providers into EOSC have been made based on a deepend exploration of the EOSC structure and related services, leading to a vision on collaboration efforts needed to achieve a more coherent and technically aligned EOSC ecosystem. Furthermore, emerging vs. mature PIDs have been explored to be able to streamline the requirements for EOSC compatibility for PID service providers. Further focusing on metadata and ontologies, semantic artefact catalogues are being deployed in other communities and projects within (e.g. earth sciences, astronomy) or outside (biodiversity, technological sciences) of FAIR-IMPACT. Ongoing efforts aim to standardise how to query these artefacts (common API) and federate them, while FAIRenabling tools and methods are being transferred e.g. with multiple O’FAIRe deployments. These efforts also extend to guidelines for recommended metadata standards for research software within EOSC and the remodelling of the LOT semantic artefact design methodology to include FAIRness assessment and a FAIR-by-design methodology. A new version of MOD a: Metadata vocabulary to describe semantic artefact, is being deployed based on DCAT. Having explored the discipline-specific metrics for data and software for the social sciences and humanities, FAIR-IMPACT now expands on the earth and environmental sciences. The implementation of metrics for FAIR assessment of software in F-UJI allows public engagement and testing of new automated assessment for this object type. The methodology for semantic artefact FAIRness assessment was published by extending the Linked Open Terms methodology for ontology development and incorporating best practices and guidelines developed by the community. Guidelines for the transparent exposure of repository information related to FAIR assessment and trustworthiness have been published and presented for community evaluation, and the implementation of the guidelines in a prototype is being developed. Interoperability remains a priority for the project. A questionnaire on semantic and technical interoperability and the Semantic Interoperability Profile (SIP) wizard tool were used for information collection from integrated use case partners and key stakeholders. Close collaboration with relevant initiatives such as FAIRCORE4EOSC and WorldFAIR has enhanced the project work, e.g. on tests of technical components for core technical and semantic interoperability and interoperability with the EOSC. FAIR-IMPACT proceeded in the recommendation of a framework for metadata schemas and controlled vocabularies to enable legal interoperability based on a landscape analysis, interviews with key stakeholders and integrated use case partners, and desk research. Contributions were provided to the different Thematic Groups (business, governance, technology) of the DSSC - Data Spaces Support Centre.
FAIR-IMPACT has in its second reporting period managed to collaborate, synchronise, and foster engagement with several actors in the EOSC and FAIR ecosystems, by also maximising the impact of its activities and outputs. The project actively contributes to EOSC Horizon Europe coordination activities, and has been a pioneer EOSC project to be featured as an example of publishing its results in the EOSC macro-roadmap. Project representatives actively contributed to different sessions of the EOSC Winter School 2024 and Opportunity Areas. Engagement and subsequent impact have been intensified thanks to the FAIR-IMPACT support programmes, national roadshows, involvement of ambassadors and advisors, collaboration with relevant projects, and wide dissemination activities.