Physical Sciences Data Infrastructure – Community workshop

Data needs in research are growing at previously unimaginable rates and the need for collaboration around data has never been clearer. However, in the Physical Sciences, many research bodies, from large facility to laboratory, have their own data infrastructure with limited ability to share, integrate and reuse data across systems.

PSDI aims to provide a data infrastructure that connects existing experimental and computational facilities within Physical Sciences and beyond. PSDI is currently in a development phase, heading towards operation of initial services in 2025. In the longer term PSDI aims to enable:

• A platform for data collection, sharing, aggregation, integration and curation

• Supporting analysis across experimental simulation and reference data

• Combining and enhancing existing data infrastructures

• Sustaining data resources beyond the lifespan of individual research projects

To know more about the project: https://www.psdi.ac.uk/

Workshop aim

The PSDI project is organising a series of workshops over the next couple of months to hear your views on challenges to manage and share research data in the Physical Sciences and how those could be addressed by a new data infrastructure for the Physical Sciences.

The first workshop will take place in Edinburgh on the 24th of July (https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/physical-sciences-data-infrastructure-community-workshop-tickets-939587731197?aff=PSDI) and will be followed by a workshop in Southampton (8th August), and two other workshops in Sheffield and Cambridge later on.

Outline agenda

• Coffee available from 10:15
• 10:30-11:00 - Introduction to PSDI
• 11:00-12:30 - Activity 1 - Focus Group
• 12:30-13:30 - Lunch and networking (Light lunch will be provided)
• 13:30-14:15 - Feedback and group discussion
• 14:15-14:40 - Wrap-up and next steps

Target audience

Anyone working with research data in the Physical Sciences, such as data stewards, researchers or research support staff, is welcome to attend!

Participation in the workshop

The workshop will consist of an introduction to the PSDI project and an opportunity to share challenges and inform services that PSDI might develop to help address these. The latter will be structured as a focus group, followed by a discussion of the points raised by each of the groups.

A short survey will be sent to the participants ahead of the workshop to help us prepare the event.

Venue information

The event is being held in Sir James Matthews Building, University of Southampton, Above Bar Street, Southampton, SO14 7FQ

The nearest station is Southampton Central Station (0.4 miles away). It is a 5 minute bus ride or an 11 minute walk. Southampton Airport is 5 miles away. It's a 25 minute train ride or a 40 minute bus ride. See Unilink for bus routes and times.

For any questions, you can contact us at psdi@soton.ac.uk