- Please circulate widely -
*JISC Digital Repositories Programme: Initial Announcement*
The JISC will be issuing a call for proposals early in 2005
in the area of digital repositories. This will be a two to
three year programme of work to help the learning and
research community move forward with all the issues
involved in setting up and using digital repositories.
This will include consideration of repositories being set
up within institutions, and the interaction of repositories
within the national and international context. The
programme is concerned with the range of repository content
that can support learning and research: ePrints of journal
articles, learning objects, technical reports, multimedia,
research datasets etc. The programme may also include an
investigation of more informal repository issues such as
personal repositories.
Funding in the region of 2.5 million GBP per annum is set
aside for the programme.
The programme will focus on the following types of outputs:
*Projects to explore the role of digital repositories
within learning and research and the related cultural
issues and impediments. For example populating
repositories, embedding them within institutional practice,
and ensuring sustainability. Projects that can bring
together different groups within the community, for example
learners and researchers would be of particular interest.
*Piloting new technologies and software tools relevant to
the digital repository area in a practical testbed. This
might include technologies to support distributed
repositories as well as repositories within a specialist or
subject domain.
*Pilot services; for example to support the discovery of
resources held within repositories and to demonstrate the
potential for common or shared services across
repositories.
*Reviewing and developing standards, specifications,
protocols and frameworks to support this area.
*Evaluation, review and supporting studies. For example
ongoing review of current digital repository practice and
related issues such as intellectual property rights and
repository data integrity and authenticity. This will
include an element of user requirements gathering and
analysis.
The call for proposals will be issued to further and higher
education institutions in the UK and their partners,
including those within the publishing industry. (Though
bids must be lead by an FE or HE institution).
This programme will build upon the outputs and achievements
of a number of key JISC programmes in particular;
FAIR (Focus on Access to Institutional Resources)
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=programme_fair
X4L (Exchange for Learning)
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=programme_x4l
and MLEs for Lifelong Learning
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=programme_mle_lifelong2
Of special relevance are also
Digital Libraries and the Classroom
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=programme_dlitc
Linking Digital Libraries with VLEs
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=programme_divle
and Digital Preservation and Asset Management in
Institutions.
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=funding_circular4_04
The Digital Repositories Programme is supported by funds
from the JISC Integrated Environment Committee and is also
part of the Distributed E-Learning Programme.
----------------------
Catherine Grout
Programme Director
JISC Development Group
JISC Office
Strand Bridge House
138-142 Strand
London WC2R 1HH
UK
voicemail: (0044) 0207 848 1800
fax: (0044) 0207 848 2939
e-mail: catherine.grout_at_kcl.ac.uk
Received on Fri Dec 03 2004 - 18:34:45 GMT