Digital Life Science Open Call

Deadline: Dec 22, 2020  
CALL EXPIRED

Purpose of the call

Recent advances in research technology have led to a vast increase in data volumes produced by life science research. These datasets, many arising from large-scale screening projects, are beyond what can be handled, shared and analysed using classical tools and often contain treasure troves of data beyond what was analysed in the initial project. Making available data, tools and workflows in the cloud is therefore necessary in order to use the data produced to the fullest extent, both within and beyond the original intended scope of  individual projects. The purpose of this Open Call is to support the development of a wide variety of projects that will contribute to the long-term aims of developing an open digital space for data and tools in the life sciences, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations and advancing data-heavy research areas. The overarching goal of the project is to begin to populate EOSC with tools, data and workflows of use and impact to our life science communities.

Background

The European project EOSC-Life creates an open, digital and collaborative space for life science research. This space will comprise data, tools and computational resources together with supporting policies and services. At the heart of the project are the 13 Life Science Research Infrastructures that provide services  across domains, spanning  areas ranging from structural biology to imaging and through to clinical trials.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that Research Infrastructures have provided a route for scientific users to contribute datasets, tools and workflows into the cloud, supported by training and providing access to technical consultations with Research Infrastructure data experts and tools developers. EOSC-Life will open up a treasure-trove of Research Infrastructure data resources for reuse by the broader scientific community.

What is available?

Successful applicants can expect both funding for the project team equivalent to roughly 1 full-time salary for one year (in the range of 70,000-85,000 EUR per project, subject to evaluation), as well as training and expert advice from within the EOSC-Life consortium, to enable the delivery of complex cloud-connected life science research projects. Within the Open Call process we offer the necessary ‘match-making’ to connect applicants with EOSC-Life experts, who will provide consultation regarding technical feasibility and best practice.

What kind of projects are we looking for?

Proposals should align with the goals of EOSC (European Open Science Cloud) – ie. enabling data sharing for the purpose of furthering scientific research. The project’s overarching aim is to make life science research data publicly available in a FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) way in the EOSC. 

Proposals should fit with one or more of the following themes:

• Data curation, handling and integration for publishing into the cloud
• Tool interoperability, workflows and containerisation
• Cloud deployment and resources

More specifically, projects could fit into one or more of the following categories:

• Development of workflows and toolboxes for data preprocessing, sharing and searching
• Collection, processing, standardisation, FAIRification, and storage of existing data of different varieties, for example in microbiology, pathology, chemoinformatics, drugs and clinical data, via EOSC
• Algorithmic approaches to generating data sets within the life sciences
• Integration of existing data sets and repositories across life science fields or within individual research communities
• Migration of existing workflows into the cloud, adapting these to FAIR data standards and integrating multiple workflows
• Metadata generation and use, including automation projects

For project examples see our Demonstrator 2 and Demonstrator 5.

How to apply

To apply, you will first need to contact the relevant experts to discuss your project. This step of the process gives you a chance to receive expert advice on your project and to ensure that it is aligned with the goals of the EOSC-Life project. Scientists from both academia and industry are eligible to apply, as long as they are affiliated with an institution that is eligible to receive EU funding.

Once you have concluded consultation with our experts, your proposal can then be submitted via the ARIA platform  by 5 pm CET on 22 December 2020.

Proposals will first be assessed on technical feasibility and maturity by experts within the EOSC-Life consortium. They will then be subject to a scientific excellence and impact assessment performed by external experts. We aim to let applicants know the outcome of their application within two months of the submission deadline.

EOSC-Life is committed to assisting with research efforts targeting SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19.  Within the Digital Life Sciences Open Call scientific projects on SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 will be prioritized compared to other projects, if their relevance is striking and if there is an urgent need to start. We offer a fast-tracked review of your proposal if this applies to your project. Contact opencall@eosc-life.eu after you have submitted your proposal to request COVID-19 fast-tracked review.