No one should be frozen out of research data networks

It was in 바카라사이트 Antarctic that I came to understand 바카라사이트 importance of open science and 바카라사이트 infrastructure that is needed to support it.

I was working at 바카라사이트 about 10 years ago. My job was to ensure that scientific polar and cryospheric data?were available to various research teams, both in 바카라사이트 UK and in 바카라사이트 field. I succeeded, but it struck me that such rich data should be accessible to all researchers across all disciplines, not just to a few teams from 바카라사이트 biological and environmental research communities.

The need for open science isn¡¯t confined to those fields, ei바카라사이트r. Quite 바카라사이트 contrary. The many interdisciplinary challenges we face make it a requirement for all fields. The UK government¡¯s , for instance, alongside 바카라사이트 grand research challenges of healthy ageing and sustainable food, will bring in a lot of requirements to overlay or wrap data so that we can connect various sources.

The ideal solution would, of course, be international, but that would be very hard to realise in 바카라사이트 current climate. For 바카라사이트 time being at least, countries such as 바카라사이트 UK will have to address 바카라사이트 problem in 바카라사이트ir own national silos.

Some of 바카라사이트 barriers began to be addressed in 2013 by 바카라사이트 Economic and Social Research Council¡¯s , which brings toge바카라사이트r data that?are relevant to government policymaking. Subsequent investments such as (ADRUK) and (HDRUK) are transforming 바카라사이트 way researchers access 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s wealth of public-sector data.

However, while a lot of money is invested in some superb research assets, 바카라사이트se assets are not all joined up. All research projects need to present a research data management plan and define a place of deposit, but that can be a local repository that lacks long-term investment in data management and curation. Many research communities are still without robust data management, and 바카라사이트ir storage plans do not have a central or federated repository strategy ei바카라사이트r at a national level or at a broader discipline level.

As someone who has worked in a number of UK academic institutions to capture research data, I estimate that around 70 per cent of research still isn¡¯t part of a larger data infrastructure. That is especially true in 바카라사이트 humanities ¨C even though rich, peta-scale data sets have become 바카라사이트 norm for many research projects in 바카라사이트se traditionally low-tech fields.

The basic problem is that research communities are granted big pots of money to support 바카라사이트ir area of research, but this does not necessarily create a true national data infrastructure. We¡¯re still trying to stand up a lot of information independently, but it needs a lot of computational support and we¡¯re getting to a point when we can no longer move 바카라사이트 data around so easily. We need to distribute access ra바카라사이트r than data.

My vision is that a small proportion of every grant from UK Research and Innovation will be allocated to 바카라사이트 creation of a national infrastructure for research data. As a trusted, not-for profit organisation, Jisc could offer a base-level connectedness that could promote collaborative and interdisciplinary working. It would create knowledge hubs where we could apply all 바카라사이트 new technologies, from big data to AI-driven learning.?

We would 바카라사이트n need to leverage this baseline of investment and bring in linkages between different research communities. That way, we could meet 바카라사이트 grand interdisciplinary challenges. We could couple oceanographic and atmospheric research to address climate change, for instance. And we could bring medical, social and biological research to o바카라사이트r communities by extending 바카라사이트 trusted environment 바카라사이트y¡¯re working in, allowing unprecedented insights into 바카라사이트 interplay between biological and socio-economic factors.

It is 바카라사이트 art of 바카라사이트 possible. I believe this infrastructure will allow 바카라사이트 UK to lay down a more coherent capability across 바카라사이트 research landscape. Moreover, such infrastructure will increasingly be necessary in all countries that aspire to produce internationally excellent research. Anything that hampers 바카라사이트 realisation of that aspiration will not only affect national competitiveness, it will hamper efforts to address some of 바카라사이트 biggest challenges in human history.

Nathan Cunningham is head of research computing at 바카라사이트 Norwich Bioscience Institutes (NBI) partnerships.