The SciDaaS project will develop and operate a suite of innovative research data management services for the NSF community. These services, to be accessible at www.globusonline.org, will allow research laboratories to outsource a range of time-consuming research data management functions, including storage and movement, publication, and metadata management. SciDaaS research will investigate what services are most needed by NSF researchers; how best to present these services to integrate with diverse research laboratory environments; and how these services are used in practice across different research communities.
SciDaaS will greatly reduce the cost to the individual researcher of acquiring and operating sophisticated scientific data management capabilities. In so doing, it has the potential to dramatically expand use of advanced information technology in NSF research and thus accelerate discovery across many fields of science and engineering. By providing a platform for researchers to publicly share data at an incremental cost, SciDaaS will also reduce barriers to free exchange among researchers and contribute to the democratization of science.
