RDA Plenary Session
Large Scale Data Projects meet RDA
Call for Presentations
Session Description
Around the world large scale national and international efforts (US, EU, China, Japan, etc.) are in
progress to implement data services for researchers in multiple domains. The tasks associated with
data in the research process for a domain are driven by a number of different requirements,
including the need to improve scientific productivity and reproducibility. For some of these the
large-scale data projects act as aggregators within a domain and in an integrative role across
domains, which is important to increasing the impact of domain specific projects. These large scale
data projects will be additional drivers in changing data practices.
This suggests that a close interaction needs to be maintained amongst the groups: large-scale data
projects, research projects and the RDA to create the integration across the different domains and
scales. In some cases cross-fertilization has already taken place such as for EUDAT, some European
research infrastructures, the NSF DataNet projects, and NDS; in many other cases such large-scale
projects are still far removed from RDA activities. The task is to facilitate and increase the
interactions to make it easier to follow all RDA activities and results.
At the RDA plenary in San Diego March 2015 we will organize a session that will address two aspects:
 advance the goals of the adoption day by following up with the tool developers and the
researchers in the larger context of large data facilities and projects,
 identify additional uptake and dissemination possibilities from the side of the data projects
with invited speakers from large impact projects in around the world.
The outcomes will lead to a clearer understanding of the different requirements from the viewpoints
of the tool developers, the researchers and the large data facilities. This might result in the creation
of an interest group that would focus on these issues, exchanging information with other RDA
groups and with researchers. We expect this session to be of high interest for all WG and IG cochairs and experts to interact with the experts from these large scale data projects.
Call for Presentations
We therefore invite interested large data projects and facilities to submit a one page position paper
or abstract by February 8th, 2015 where the following issues should be addressed:
 What are the scientific questions or drivers for your work and what are the outcomes that
would be most beneficial for your research that could come from the RDA?
 Which aspects of the emerging data landscape does your work involve?
 Which are the essential data components and characteristics for your work?
 Which are the largest barriers for efficient data driven work in your domain?
 Which gaps should be addressed that are currently not taken up by RDA?
 What relationship do you have to current RDA activities?
 Would collaboration within an RDA Interest Group make sense to you?
We plan to uses the position papers to invite a set of researchers to give 15 minute presentations
and will try to arrange for posters or short intro talks to provide opportunities for as many interested
people as possible to interact. They will also be posted before the meeting for everyone to read.
Dates
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February 8th (7pm Central US time): Submission of a 1-page max. abstract
February 14th: notification about decision
March 8th: presentation at the special session within the adoption day
Questions and Submission Address:
Please send your submissions to Rob Pennington: robp@ncsa.uiuc.edu
In case of questions, please, contact Rob.
Program Committee:
Ed Seidel (chair, NCSA), Rob Pennington (NCSA), Kimmo Koski (EUDAT), Damien Lecarpentier
(EUDAT), Peter Wittenburg (RDA TAB, EUDAT), Beth Plale (RDA TAB), Peter Fox (RDA TAB), Larry
Lannom (RDA), Zhu Yunqiang (RDA), Ross Wilkinson (ANDS, RDA Council), Walter Steward (RDA OAB)