Last year every Dutch university, university medical center, research institute, and also HBO’s could apply for funding with NWO to build a so-called local digital competence center. The local DCC’s are considered an important part of the research support within the organization and are especially aimed at the support of the digitalization of science and FAIR data.
To optimally full fill their role, it is expected that the local DCC’s work together with SURF and the so-called thematic DCC’s, to make sure there is a quick and simple way to connect to facilities and competence at other organizations. The thematic DCC’s can give discipline-oriented support, examples are DANS and 4TU.researchdata. To further develop the support of the thematic DCC’s, NWO will give funding for the build of so-called cluster-wide DCC’s in which the thematic DCC’s within a cluster work together. The goal of these cluster DCC’s is to remove cluster lever barriers regarding FAIR data and the digitalization of science. The cluster DCC is responsible for the direction, coordination, and cooperation within a specific cluster. Based on the different disciplines three clusters are distinguished: 1. Social sciences and humanities, 2. Life and Health Sciences 3. Beta technical sciences. In July, more information regarding this funding will become available.
All DCC’s work together in the so-called DCC implementation network, which is coordinated by SURF/LCRDM.
Related to these developments is the National Platform Open Science (NPOS). NPOS brings together national stakeholders in the Netherlands. The aim of the NPOS is to coordinate the transition to Open Science and to disseminate its importance. At this moment NPOS is working on a revised vision regarding open science for 2030. The main program lines in this vision are Open Access, FAIR data, and Citizen science.
For FAIR data an important theme will be the further development of the capacity (both in number as skills) of data stewards to support FAIR data. Through the DCC implementation network, the DCC’s are also involved in the development of the FAIR data program line. In the next DCC newsletter, we hope to give you a further update on this.
