Scope of the call

Main goals of the call

Leveraging potential in the academic research data landscape: Dealing with data in research contexts is as important as it is challenging. In many cases, good data practices encounter missing processes, awareness and culture to be sustainable, viable and impactful. While there have been some substantial investments in digitalization and data infrastructures in the last years (e.g. by the science and research ministry or through calls of FFG), there are often the human resources missing to fully capitalize on these investments. Good ideas cannot be realized because money and attention is missing. Furthermore, most universities and research institutions have developed digitalization and data strategies which need to be implement via concrete projects and undertakings. This call, thus, also aims to support institutions in their strategic capacity. In this context, it is crucial that applications developed are not one-offs, but need to be maintained and developed beyond the project itself. 

• Projects should engage with current needs of the promotion of good data practices in a defined context in the form of "executable applications". "Applications" should be understood widely as, e.g., software prototypes, transferable use cases, modelling etc. "Executable" means that the applications developed should be easily integrated ininto code or software environments in due course thatto deliver useful services to researchers.research/ers.   
• Projects can take place in any scientific area, i.e., is not limited to computer science. However, the nature of the projects requires the integration of IT competences into the projects. 

What is the purpose of the applications developed?

The purpose of the applications should be direted towards supporting research activities in broad sense. It may connext to other tasks such as teaching, administration or third mission, but the focues should be on the development of applications for research acitvities. 

What should be the output of the project?

Rather code than text, training or talking: The output should be concrete applications in the form of use cases, best practices, data sandboxes etc. and should include code, models, application prototypes and alike. 

Activities that do not count as output:

• Research activities that produce data or the preparation of existing data sets for secondary / further use. However, concrete data sets might be used to develop applications useful to other user groups. 
• The creation of a network as a sole output
• Training and education acitivities as the sole output
• The procurement and installation of hardware 
• Purely text-based outputs such as stategy papers

Defining potential user group

Projects need to define potential user groups of the application developed. Projects should have benefits for wider user groups beyond the context of the project. These user groups can located in the own institution, across institutions as well as for scientific communities.

Sustainability and impact

Proposals need to define how the applications developed can be maintained and further developed beyond the lifespan of the project itself. 

Dissemination and exploitation strategies

Proposals should define in what ways their outputs should be shared, be it either open or in form of licensing (monetarisation). Keep in mind that WWTF prefers open science / open data approaches according to the FAIR principles, however, monetarisation strategies might be justified in the context of specific projects. How can the project's achievements can be made visible to serve as role model?