Deadline: 22 February 2012 at 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)

Topic description:

As an environment designed to be conducive to technological, economic and societal progress, the European Research Area must support seamless and transparent access to, use and re-use of, and trust in scientific8 data. In order to favour the development of this type of environment, policies addressing the complex area of scientific data are required. Based on the approach that “publicly funded research data should in principle be accessible to all”9 and that “access to and dissemination of scientific information […] are crucial for the development of the European Research Area”10, the present topic calls for co-ordination and support actions that move forward policy development in the area of scientific data. Proposals should address open access11 to and dissemination of scientific data, and ideally preservation and curation of scientific data and/or use and re-use of scientific data (including intellectual property issues).

This topic calls for proposals bringing together actors concerned with the broader area of “open data”. It aims to enable the exploration and analysis of the relevant scientific ecosystems and legal/ethical contexts with a view to developing an international, comprehensive framework for a collaborative data infrastructure. Proposed actions should aim at co-ordinating policy, research and/or dissemination activities. For example, they may include the exchange and dissemination of good practices, or the definition, organisation and management of joint or common policy activities.

The following actions are particularly welcome:

• actions using a comparative approach (e.g. cross-national, cross-disciplinary);
• actions aiming at creating networks of one type of not-for-profit actor or structure (e.g. funding bodies, libraries, repositories, universities) from different EU Member States, Associated Countries or other third countries that are interested in exchanging good practices and exploring common policy development;
• actions proposed by consortia representing different stakeholders (e.g. national research funding bodies, libraries, repositories, universities, publishers, industry users of publications).

Where appropriate, financial aspects of continuation of activities or structures after expiration of the grant agreement must be addressed.

Expected impact: Support to the Commission’s policies on open access to scientific data; network-building among concerned stakeholders at the European and international levels with a view to supporting the development of joint or common policy agendas and activities in the area of scientific data.

8 The term “scientific” refers to all fields of basic and applied research, including social sciences and the humanities.

9 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Economic and Social Committee on “scientific information in the digital age: access, dissemination and preservation” of 14 February 2007, COM(56) 2007.

10 Council Conclusions, 2832nd Competitiveness, 22 and 23 November 2007.

11 For this topic, the term “Open access” means free of charge access over the internet.

Further information: http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/page/capacities?callIdentifier=FP7-SCIENCE-IN-SOCIETY-2012-1