Distributed System of Scientific Collections Transition to ERIC Project

Project Information

DiSSCo Transition

Grant agreement ID: 101130121

DOI

10.3030/101130121

Project closed

EC signature date 28 September 2023

Start date 1 December 2023

End date 31 May 2025

Funded under

• Research infrastructures

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 1 290 201,28

Coordinated by

STICHTING NATURALIS BIODIVERSITY CENTER
Netherlands

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - DiSSCo Transition (Distributed System of Scientific Collections Transition to ERIC Project)

Reporting period: 2023-12-01 to 2025-05-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The DiSSCo Transition Project (DTP), which ran from December 2023 to May 2025, served as a pivotal initiative to guide the Distributed System of Scientific Collections (DiSSCo) through its transitional phase. The project's primary objective was to enable DiSSCo to achieve European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) status and achieve optimal implementation readiness across its organisational, financial, technological, and data dimensions.

Five primary objectives drove the project:

* To advance the DiSSCo ERIC process and complete its policy framework, including formal submission for its legal entity status.
* To engage and support DiSSCo National Nodes to strengthen national commitments.
* To develop core e-services further, preventing technical debt before the full implementation phase.
* To continue international collaboration on standards and best practices for DiSSCo's service provision.
* To support DiSSCo RI's interim governance bodies and facilitate their transition to formal ERIC governance structures.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Formal Legal Application Submitted: Initial legal documentation was submitted for DiSSCo to become a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC), establishing the DiSSCo Interim Council.

Comprehensive Policy Framework Developed: Foundational policies covering data, access, employment, IPR, financial rules, and procurement were created for DiSSCo's operation.

Core Digital Infrastructure Prototype Launched: A Minimum Viable Product (MVP) of the core digital infrastructure was delivered, including the Digital Specimen Repository, Persistent Identifier Infrastructure, and the DiSSCover annotation platform.

Key E-services Advanced: User-facing e-services like the European Loans and Visits System (ELViS) and Machine Annotation Services (MAS) were further developed.

International Data Standards Progressed: Important community data standards such as Latimer Core, MIDS, and the Open Digital Specimen (openDS) data model were significantly advanced for seamless data sharing.

Support for National Networks: Guidance for sustainable participation was provided through a "Participatory Schema for DiSSCo National Nodes," aided by tools like the Specialisation Tool and Helpdesk training resources.

Enhanced Open Science Practices and Communication: Open Science practices were embedded by making research outputs openly accessible, complemented by extensive communication via website, social media, videos, and publications.

Development of a Socioeconomic Impact Assessment Framework: An innovative framework integrating social sciences and humanities (SSH) was developed to systematically measure and communicate the project's broader societal and economic contributions.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

New Digital Specimen Reference (openDS) & Ongoing Standards Work:
DTP developed the peer-reviewed Open Digital Specimen (openDS) data model, a "digital twin" adding annotations, PIDs, provenance, and machine-actionable semantics. This model will revolutionize specimen referencing in scientific papers using DOIs, creating a new standard for FAIR digital specimens with high scientific potential. Continuous development, harmonization, and adoption of openDS, Latimer Core, MIDS, and Taxon Concept Schema (TCS) are crucial.

Foundational Digital System (MVP) & Full Operationalisation/Technical Debt Management:
The project established a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for its central digital infrastructure, including a Digital Specimen Repository and Persistent Identifier Infrastructure. This MVP acts as a unified data source, supporting AI-driven analysis and annotation. Full operationalisation is targeted for 2026 with the ERIC's start, with data ingestion in 2025 and initial user testing of annotation services. Preventing technical debt is an ongoing priority through consistent coding standards, integration planning, and automated code reviews.

Smart Automated Data Analysis (Machine Annotation Services - MAS):
DTP created and improved Machine Annotation Services (MAS) for automatically extracting and analysing quantitative biodiversity data. This includes OntoGPT MAS (using large language models) and prototypes like Taxamorph MAS and Plant Trait Detection MAS, enabling advanced research and building large historical datasets for forecasting systems.

Improved Data Sharing Rules (Latimer Core and MIDS):
Latimer Core became a formally approved TDWG standard with practical examples. MIDS was significantly enhanced with a documentation website and automatic digitisation score calculation. Both were integrated into DiSSCo Core Infrastructure and DiSSCover, establishing consistent, computer-readable data practices for seamless interoperability.

Framework for Measuring Broader Impact & Ensuring Long-term Financial Stability:
By integrating social sciences and humanities, DTP developed a method to systematically measure and communicate the project's societal and economic contributions. This framework is crucial for ensuring long-term financial stability and aligning with national and EU objectives.

Key Next Steps:
The Step 1 ERIC legal entity application was submitted in February 2025, with Step 2 preparation ongoing. Policy documents require further discussion and finalization by the DiSSCo Interim Council. The ELViS demonstrator (TRL 7) needs user needs validation and refinement. The maDMP demonstrator (TRL 8) requires further testing and feature additions. Continued support for national partners, including data collection for the Specialisation Tool, and developing DiSSCo Helpdesk self-service resources (potentially with AI) are important.

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