E-Infrastructure requirements of researchers in Europe

1. E-Infrastructure requirements of researchers in Europe EUROCRIS Seminar 17 September 2007, Brussels Dr Malcolm Read JISC Executive Secretary 13/07/2014| Supporting education and research | Slide 1

2. e-Infrastructure defined here as ICT based infrastructure to support the research process: • Computer Networks • ‘Middleware’ • Computer Facilities (including HPC) • Online Content

3. Why fund and manage e-Infrastructure? • Strategic Requirement • Economies of Scale • Competitive Advantage

4. Network Provision • National Research and Education Networks (all European and developed countries) • Gěant links European NRENS • International Links

5. Typical European NREN • Links universities, colleges, research institutions • Gigabit connectivity (e.g. 2Gb to institutions, 20Gb backbone) • Usually ‘dark fibre’ • Adequate bandwidth but demand always growing

6. GÉANT map

7. GÉANT World Map

8. High Performance Computing • DEISA (Distributed European Infrastructure for Supercomputing Applications) – to integrate existing platforms, common system software and grid middleware. • FP7 – HPC in Europe Task Force (www.hpcineuropetaskforce.eu) provision to compete with US and Japan

9. Access Management • Control (authentication and authorisation) of access to on-line resources • Some national services: UK, CH, AUS, N, NL, SF • Interoperability required: technical and policy/trust issues

10. Middleware Well defined but including: • Support for virtual research communities • Facilitate findings and management of on-line resources • Controlling research processes

11. Virtual Communities • Stimulated by e-Science/Grid Programme • The purpose of a VRE is to help researchers in all disciplines manage the increasingly complex range of tasks involved in carrying out research. A VRE will provide a framework of resources to support the underlying processes of research on both small and large scales. • JISC’s VRE programme is in its second phase, with four funded projects, which began in March 2007 and are due to complete their work by March 2009. These will build on the work of the 15 phase 1 VRE projects, which have all now ended.

12. VREs: International Dimension • Manuscriptorium (http://www.manuscriptorium.com) is a VRE aimed at collecting and making accessible on the internet information on historical book resources, linked to a virtual library of digitised documents. The service is funded by the National Library of the Czech Republic • In New Zealand BeSTGRID hosts a number of VRE projects (http://www.bestgrid.org/index.php/VRE_Hosted_Projects). The projects cover a range of disciplines, including social science statistics, CNC manufacturing technologies, research into ageing, and language databases. • In Canada, the University of Prince Edward’s Island has established a VRE (http://vre.upei.ca/) to support collaborative research.

13. European Information Environment Activity DELOS Project: - Network of Excellence on Digital Libraries - Main objectives are research and technology transfer - next generation of digital library technologies - Funded under the EU Sixth Framework Programme - International partnership - UK partners include UKOLN and various university departments regularly funded by JISC (e.g. Southampton, Edinburgh, Strathclyde, Glasgow) - UKOLN helps to ensure the Information Environment informs this work DRIVER Project: - Digital Repository Infrastructure Vision for European Research - Funded under the EU Sixth Framework Programme - International partnership - UK partners include UKOLN and SHERPA - Scoping and building a repository infrastructure for European research - Heavily informed by the Information Environment, especially the standards-based approach adopted by the Information Environment

14. European Information Environment Activity CASPAR Project: - Cultural, Artistic and Scientific knowledge for Preservation, Access and Retrieval - Funded under the EU Sixth Framework Programme - International consortium - UK partners include HATII (University of Glasgow), STFC and ICSRiM (University of Leeds) - Main aim is to build practical services and tools to help ensure long-term access to digital cultural and scientific assets - Involvement of Digital Curation Centre personnel ensures JISC/Information Environment input

15. Repositories: Policy issues • Growing number of repositories either subject based or institutional repositories Issues: • Linking them and interoperability • Digital rights management • Open access to research outputs and data • Managed and Web2.0 approaches

16. UK Repositories Programme • £14m investment in UK HE repository and digital content infrastructure • Repositories Support Project: advice for the development of repositories focusing on installation, implementation and deployment (SHERPA, Aberystwyth & UKOLN) • The Depot: a national facility for the deposition of post-prints under terms of open access for those academic authors in UK HE without an institutional facility • Intut Repository Search Project: cross-searching facilities across repositories • funding for institutions to create new and enhance existing repositories to develop a critical mass of content • preservationsolutions & clarification of roles and responsibilities.