DiSSCo PREPARE listed 12 major expected impacts:
1. Improving technologies capacity and effectiveness of the infrastructure: DiSSCo develops a basic model for the prioritisation of digitisation of objects held in Natural Science Collections (NSCs). The work is complemented with digitisation workflows supporting the standardisation and efficacy of digitisation processes. Work on the service infrastructure enables the development of prototypes as part of the Digital Specimen Architecture (DOA). The development of the DiSSCo Knowledgebase facilitates the understanding of DiSSCo’s technical building blocks and is a trusted source for other e-services. The work on digital competency supports DiSSCo institutions to self-assess and improve their digital capacity, while the secondment procedures will support a spread of digital capabilities across partner institutions.
2. Keeping abreast with ever-changing scientific needs: DiSSCo works on a service development framework focused on users in NSCs and research applications to guarantee the update on scientific needs.
3. Building on existing investments and leveraging cross-infrastructures collaboration: DiSSCo PREPARE work is based on the knowledge and experience established in former or current EU-funded projects. On top of that, communication with existing, well-established RIs, facilitates the understanding of what is really needed.
The interaction between implementation at the national level and coordination by the central coordination hub is an essential starting point for the DiSSCo RI.
4. Paving the way for a fully FAIR infrastructure: DiSSCo Knowledgebase provides curated access to different information and link to other resources and e-services in the DiSSCo universe. DiSSCO’s key design decisions and best practices rest on three essential pillars: the FAIR data principles, intrinsic outcomes of the Research Data Alliance (RDA), and the concept of FAIR Digital Objects (FAIR-DO) substantiated as Digital Extended Specimen (DES). DiSSCo is a partner in the EU-funded project ENVRI FAIR WP11.
5. Better EOSC integration: DiSSCo’s technical architecture is closely connected in particular to EOSC’s Persistent Identifier approach, and Authentication and Authorization Infrastructure (AAI) approach.
6. Early involvement of national-level RI funders: DiSSCo works on legal, policy, financial and organisational aspects, pay special attention to the support from the National-level RI stakeholders.
7. Establishing clear rules of participation: DiSSCo PREPARE developed an extensive engagement programme to prepare all DiSSCo partners for the technical and organizational transitions to ensure that all institutions achieve a sufficient level of technical alignment and interoperability with DiSSCo’s core services.
8. A simple and convincing financial and business model: DiSSCo's business model will bring the methodology and tools to evaluate service costs and overall operational costs.
9. Gender balance and geographic inclusiveness: DiSSCo RI works towards a better gender and geographical inclusiveness.
10. Intellectual Property (IP) and ethical issues: DiSSCo PREPARE developed a handout for licensing of software developed in the DiSSCo context.
11. Capacity enhancement and Human Resources: DiSSCo PREPARE works to ensure that the staff acquire the skills and competencies needed to enable them to optimally use DiSSCo when addressing digitisation, exploitation, and enrichment of digital collections.
12. International coordination: DiSSCo PREPARE activities imply international coordination for the development of the work in all the five readiness dimensions of the project. Regular communication and collaboration with GBIF, TDWG, RDA, EOSC, iDigBio, CDIWG, BcoN, ALA, and existing ERICs.
