The complementary projects will contribute to the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) endeavor by advancing and harmonising digital preservation and data curation practices and services in Europe, upskilling the key actors in the area and consolidating the position of FAIR-enabling trustworthy digital repositories in Europe.
DANS will lead parts of the project, that provide training and support, establish a sustainable business model, and create services and tools for long-term access and preservation.
FIDELIS – Establishing A European Network of Trustworthy Digital Repositories
The FIDELIS project will define and harmonize trustworthiness for digital repositories within EOSC, providing a framework for ongoing mutual support to ensure they remain trustworthy and FAIR-enabling (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable).
Early on, FIDELIS will establish a lasting European network of FAIR-enabling trustworthy digital repositories (TDRs) to represent members on key issues like policy and funding. Additionally, the project will upskill repositories and grow the network through training, engagement, and support, including cascading grants for implementing project solutions.
DANS will lead the activities on Repository Training & Support which will provide grants and guidance to repositories, as well as training on repository development and management, and support peer-to-peer mentoring programmes in order to initiate, strengthen, and consolidate the networks of and between repositories. Furthermore, DANS leads activities with regard to sustainable business model development and testing, evolving and sustaining network value-add.
“We are excited to provide training and support to repositories in the coming years. We’ve seen from previous projects like FAIRsFAIR and FAIR-IMPACT how valuable these kinds of support can be, and the peer-to-peer approach of the programmes can help foster an early sense of community while building the network.”, says Maaike Verburg (DANS) who will lead this part.
EOSC EDEN – Enhancing Digital Preservation Strategies at European and National Level
The EOSC EDEN project will create a framework to identify data for digital preservation based on usage, quality, and benefits. It will develop a re-appraisal model, test it with communities, and build tools to automate preservation. Training and outreach will engage communities in validation and promote awareness of digital preservation and FAIR data’s temporal aspects.
DANS leads the part focusing on Long-term Access and Preservation Services & Tools, and the task on engagement and synchronisation with relevant EOSC projects and networks. Furthermore, DANS is involved throughout the project in collaboration with other consortium partners.
Wilko Steinhoff (DANS) is leads the parts DANS is responsible for: “We envision a close collaboration between both sister projects. The established network of repositories and archives surrounding FIDELIS will be of great value in creating a searchable EDEN register that will add even more value to the network.”
Two projects, a common goal
EOSC EDEN and FIDELIS are complementary projects, jointly gathering user requirements for digital preservation and FAIR-enabling services to build a European infrastructure for preservation, curation, and access. Their engagement with repositories, archives, and data curators will drive adoption, enhance expertise, and strengthen the European network of FAIR-enabling TDRs.
Six facilitating partners (DANS, UiT, UESSEX, DKRZ, UBREMEN, SIB) and coordinator CSC link both projects, running from January 2025 to December 2027.
FIDELIS includes 24 European organisations, covering national general repositories and discipline-specific in Social Sciences, Humanities, Biomedical, Environmental, and Physical Sciences, with expertise in outreach, engagement, and policy. EOSC EDEN consists of 16 organisations specialising in digital preservation, curation, and FAIR data, representing seven scientific fields: Climate Simulations, Earth & Environmental Sciences, Food Sciences, High-Energy Physics, Life Sciences and Bioinformatics, Linguistics, and Social Sciences, and major global digital preservation networks.
