The NIH Data Commons pilot initiative in RM-17-026 describes the overarching principles for an ambitious new data ecosystem. Chief among these principles is the need for highly accessible data and tools distributed across a network of providers. Our group?s role will be to foster consensus across the Data Commons Pilot Phase Consortium (DCPPC) members as the Commons is operationalized to ensure each constituent part integrates effectively into a larger system. We will also contribute to its effectiveness through continuous testing, training and engagement with the NIH research community. Among our greatest strengths is an ability to work within a larger research network to rapidly adapt and enable the collective to achieve its goals. Our role in facilitating success of the Commons will be in generating a consensus roadmap to implement the Data Commons, and to promote an effective, self-governing consortium that will monitor and review the Commons operationalization. Therefore, the role of the Data Commons Facilitation Center (DCFC) will be to: i) promote data access across TOPMed, GTEx, and the Model Organism Databases, by harmonizing their metadata together with the other equally important Common Fund data resources; ii) ensure discoverability of all Commons digital objects by enabling queries against the harmonized metadata through a web portal; iii) advance workflow orchestration by bridging the gap between portable and scalable workflow systems and providing tools that can access all digital objects hosted on the Commons, and; iv) assist in comparative use-case review of data analysis systems created by the DCPPC using a non-invasive style that treats each funded site as an independent incubator and tests the effectiveness of the individual DCPPC products in the context of the larger Commons ecosystem. This will be done with particular attention to the user?s experience, while at the same time engaging the community to raise user awareness of all Commons resources through outreach, a helpdesk, and training. We are well-qualified and highly motivated to achieve the above goals. We are also prepared to engage in ongoing course modifications that are often required in consortium initiatives as bold as the Commons. In anticipation of this, we divided each of our offerings into standalone Research Components. The components are meant to serve as an a la carte menu of options to draw from during Commons operationalization. Not all components need to begin at once. Each component is designed to operate effectively on its own. We will nimbly adapt each component to fit into the changing landscape of data, usage patterns, and computing systems in the Commons, and we will synergize with the DCPPC. We do not expect to ?own? any particular Commons asset; our interest is to be highly compatible with all elements of the Commons ecosystem and jointly develop systems with other DCPPC members once it is established. We are truly excited to provide facilitation of the NIH Data Commons initiative and our responses to the Key Capabilities outlined in RM-17-026 are presented in the following sections.
