Virtual Research Environments in Germany - An Overview

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1 Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Virtual Research Environments in Germany - An Overview Prof. Dr. Peter Schirmbacher Director of Computer and Media Service, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin 1

2 Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Agenda Virtual Research Environments in Germany - An Overview Agenda: 1. Introduction 2. VRE in the Field of e-science and Cyberinfrastructure 3. Funding Activities in Germany 4. Supporting Activities 5. Conclusions 2

3 1. Introduction In all scholarly disciplines research will be organized by networked structures. Therefore new research fields and methods are possible and necessary. The tasks for all institution of infrastructure is to offer research environments for scholars which are independent from time and the location in order to work together on virtual platforms. Reference: DINI Theses from

4 Reference: Michael Nentwich, 2003, Cyberscience Research in the Age of the Internet, S. 24

5 Reference: Michael Nentwich, Cyberscience Research in the Age of the Internet,

6 2. Definition Virtual Research Environment A VRE is best viewed as a framework into which tools, services and resources can be plugged. VREs are part of infrastructure, albeit in digital form, rather than a free-standing product. It would be difficult for an institution or a research group to procure a VRE in quite the same way as VLEs have tended to be deployed. The VRE, for its part, is the result of joining together new and existing components to support as much of the research process as appropriate for any given activity or role. Reference: Michael Fraser, Virtual Research Environment: Overview and Activity, 6

7 2. Definition Aims of Virtual Research Environments The aim of a VRE is to provide an integrated environment that supports the work of a community of collaborating researchers. That is, a VRE brings together previously separate tools needed for conducting the research and for collaboration, support for which is increasingly recognised as an integral aspect of researchers work rather than something that can be added on as an afterthought. Reference: Alexander Voss, 2009, Virtual Research Environments, 7

8 2. Definition Virtual Research Environment (based on M. Fraser) VRE is not a closed product, but a multilevel framework that supports the whole research process or parts of it and that consists of tools, services and resources. VRE resources include research data, research results and the people engaged in the research process, both scholars and support staff. VRE services could be discipline-based or multidisciplinary and should be understand as a part of the whole infrastructure. VRE tools represent either elements of or the whole of the research process. They should rely on international standards. VREs are supporting collaborative forms of organisation in scholarship. 8

9 2. Definition Scope of VRE Functions The Management of Research Data That means production, exploitation, maintenance, allocation and management of data Support of Experiments and Laboratories Communication tools Tools for Cooperation and Mobility Support of the Publication Process Project Administration Resource Management 9

10 3. Funding activities BMBF German Federal Ministry for education and research Roadmap for e-science Initiative Main objectives: Diversity and Synergy Standards and Practice Service delivery Networking among research organizations and between science and industry Reference: 10

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12 3. Funding activities Projects in the first period: Integration projects AstroGrid-D C3-Grid GDI-Grid HEP-Grid InGrid MediGrid SuGi TextGrid ValueGrids 12

13 3. Funding activities (selected) Research topics Security in grids (authentication, authorization, identity, private sphere, trust) Extending the existing D-Grid infrastructure by adding further services (especially application-oriented services) for joint use of resources available on the Internet such as computers, memories, applications and data, together with interdisciplinary cooperation on a national and international scale Integration of local and national grids and applications in European and international grid infrastructures Sensor grids and wireless grids for communication and interaction of elements in our environment, e.g. for security reasons, bridges, high-rise buildings, cars, airplanes, etc. Reference: 13

14 3. Funding activities Priority Initiative Digital Information by the Alliance of German Science Organisations ( ) 1. National licensing 2. Open Access 3. National hosting strategy 4. Primary research data 5. Virtual research environments 6. Legal frameworks Reference: 14

15 3. Funding activities German Research Foundation (DFG) Research Infrastructure Scientific Library Service and Information Systems Digital Information and Priority Initiative Information Management Lines of Action: 13 Virtual Research Environment 1. Announcement (30. April 2008 Euro about 5 Mio ) 2. Announcement (31. May 2009 Euro about 5 Mio) Reference: 15

16 3. Funding activities - DFG Line 13: "Virtual Research Environments" Efficient tools and infrastructures that support new methods of working are essential to the setup and effective utilisation of new communications and publication networks. These tools and infrastructures include virtual research environments that serve as platforms for web-based collaborative working methods, enabling new forms of cooperation and new ways of handling scientific data. They provide both a central point of entry to specialised resources, data and documents, as well as opportunities for the contextual linking of information units. Reference: 16

17 VRE projects funded by DFG Call 2009 History of Art Subject Area Titel (German) Aufbau einer verteilten virtuellen Forschungs- und Kommunikationsumgebung für den Bilddiskurs in der Kunstgeschichte Physics and Chemistry of the Atmosphere Bioinformatics and Theoretical Biology Integration der Publikation von Umweltdaten in den wissenschaftlichen Arbeitsprozess PUBLIKATION_UMWELTDATEN Aufbau eines Informationsnetzes für biologische Forschungsdaten von der Erhebung im Feld bis zur nachhaltigen Sicherung in einem Primärdatenrepositorium General and Subject-based Research of Education, Training, and Qualification Vernetzung im Forschungsgebiet der internationalen Bildungsmedienforschung und Erprobung neuer Formen wissenschaftlicher Kommunikation und Publikation Regional Science, Language, and Culture: Africa, America, Asia, Australia Aufbau einer virtuellen Forschungsumgebung für die Ostasienwissenschaften Architecture, History of Building and Engineering, Building Research Schaffung einer internetbasierten Informationsinfrastruktur mittels Fachwiki (inklusive Repositorium) zum Thema "Schäden durch Salze" im Forschungsbereich "Erhaltung von Kulturgut"

18 VRE projects funded by DFG Call 2010 Subject Area Ecology of animals and research of ecosystems Titel (mainly German) Development of an e-infrastructure for the animal movement ecology community History of Art Erweiterung der Bilddatenbank DILPS um einen Kern, der multimediale Datenobjekte und Bibliotheksschnittstellen unter Erhaltung des Zugriffsmanagements integriert Internal Medicine - Hematology, Oncology, Transfusion Medicine Aufbau eines dynamischen Experten- und Forschungsnetzwerks für die virtuelle Mikroskopie in der Hämatologie und Hämatopathologie General and comparative study of literature, Cultural studies Aufbau einer ko-aktiven Arbeitsumgebung für einen erweiterten Forschungsdiskurs in der Kunst- u. Architekturgeschichte zur Unterstützung des UNESCO Kompetenzzentrums, Materielles u, Immaterielles Kulturerbe Bioinformatics and Theoretical Biology Integrierte webbasierte Forschungsinfrastruktur zur Speicherung und Bereitstellung quantitativer, zeitaufgelöster Daten im Laborkontext und für die Wissenschaftsöffentlichkeit

19 VRE projects funded by DFG Call 2010 Human Geography Mechanics Subject Area Titel (German) Raum-zeitliche Kulturlandschaftsforschung in einer virtuellen Forschungsumgebung (VKLandLab) e-kinematix Virtuelle Arbeitsumgebung mit integrierter Informationsinfrastruktur für Wissenschaftler auf dem Gebiet der Bewegungstechnik und angrenzender Ingenieurdisziplinen zur wissenschaftlichen Dokumentation, Kollaboration und Publikat Interdisciplinary Virtuelle Arbeitsplattform für Technik und Organisation im verteilten Forschungsbetrieb Early and Medieval History Physical Geography Virtuelles deutsches Urkundennetzwerk Aufbau einer datenbankgeschützten Infrastruktur als virtuelle Forschungsumgebung für textbasierte klima- und umweltgeschichtliche Forschung Neuere und Neueste (Recent) History Entwicklung und Ausbau dezentraler, kooperativ und modular organisierter, virtueller Redaktions- und Forschungsumgebungen für die Geschichtswissenschaften

20 VRE projects funded by DFG Call 2010 Subject Area Medieval History, Frühneuzeitliche (Recent) History Titel (German) HAB Collaborative tagging als Instru-ment der virtuellen Fachinformation zur europäischen Kulturgeschichte des Mittelal-ters und der Frühen Neuzeit General and Historical Research of Education Entwicklung einer Virtuellen Forschungsumgebung für die Historische Bildungsforschung mit Semantischer Wiki- Technologie Semantic MediaWiki for Collaborative Corpora Analysis Interdisciplinary ProjektRepository: Ein pandisziplinäres Repository für Forschungsprojekte als Komponente einer niederschwelligen webbasierten Kooperationsinfrastruktur European and American Literature, History of Art Study of religions Entwicklung sozialer Web-Plattformen zur Datengewinnung mittels GWAP Ausbau des Online-Referenzzentrums zur Überlieferung des griechischen Neuen Testaments (NT.VMR) zu einer virtuellen Forschungsumgebung (NT.VMR 2.0)

21 3. Funding activities - DFG Meta-Image a collaborative environment for image discourse 21

22 3. Funding activities - DFG Historisches Forschungsnetz 22

23 3. Funding activities - DFG Informationsnetz Biologische Forschungsdaten (IBF) Reference: 23

24 Virtual Research Environment 4. Supporting Activities 24

25 4. Supporting Activities - KII Kommission Zukunft der Informationsinfrastruktur (KII) Commission for the Future of the Information Infrastructure in Germany AG Lizensierung (Licensing) AG Hosting und Langzeitarchivierung (Hosting and Long Term Preservation AG Nichttextuelle Medien (Nontextual Media) AG Retrodigitalisierung/kulturelles Erbe (Retrodigitisation and cultural Heritage) AG Virtuelle Forschungsumgebung (Virtual Research Environment) AG Open Access AG Forschungsdaten (Research Data) AG Informationskompentenz (Information Competence) 25

26 4. Supporting Activities - KII AG Virtual Research Environment - Recommendations The creation of VREs is important, therefore we need more funding activities. We need a suitable coordination and support structure. We need to ensure sustainability and coordinated development by researchers and service staff. We need to ensure interoperability and reuse. We need to make sure of the organisational structure and appropriate legal requirements. We need to increase education and training. 26

27 Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Thank you for your attention??? Prof. Dr. Peter Schirmbacher Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Computer- und Medienservice Institut für Bibliotheks- und Informationswissenschaft 27