The European Open Science
Cloud and the Open Science
Policy
EERA-Session: Open Science and Educational Research> Inclusion and
Exclusion at the European Science Cloud
September 5, 2018
Bolzano, Italy
European Commission
DG Research and Innovation
RTD.A2. Open Data Policy and Science Cloud
Katarzyna SZKUTA

Opening up the full research cycle
It’s not only about Open Access or Open Data, it is changing the way we do science,
and the system of services, products and standards is building up
Szkuta, Osimo
2016

For citizens and policy makers
• More transparency of the
science system: the public taxpayer
has this right and it can only enhance
the quality of science
• Fit for 21st century science
purpose: all grand societal challenges
need cross disciplinary research
• Faster circulation of new ideas:
in the academia and beyond - we have
22 million EU SME's that will have
access to top notch research without
having to significantly pay for it!
• Better ROI of the R&I
investments: if all the results of our
public research are made reusable,
more productive use follows by default
Why promoting Open Science?
For researchers:
• Wider dissemination and
sharing of their results
• More visibility and credit
• New career paths e.g. data
scientists, start-ups, science
diplomacy

Enablers
Image by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Alpha Stock Images
o policy measures,
o individual practice
of scientists,
o and new
infrastructure and
services.

"As I see it, European success now lies in sharing as
soon as possible, (…). The days of open science have
arrived."
"Presidency Conference Open Science", Amsterdam, April 4th,
2016
Therefore: top level
policy priority

2007 • EC Communication on Scientific Information
2008 • 7th Framework Programme (FP) Open Access Pilot
2012
• Recommendation on OA to and preservation of scientific information
• Communication on European Research Area (ERA)
2014 • Horizon 2020 Open Access and Open Research Data policies
2015 • Digital Single Market (DSM) strategy
2016 • Council Conclusions on open science (Member States)
2016
• European Cloud Initiative Communication (ECI)- The European Open Science
Cloud (EOSC)
2018 • Revision of the 2012 Recommendation in conjunction with PSI Directive
2018 • Council Conclusions on EOSC and the launch of the first phase of the EOSC
2018 • Preparing Open Science for the 9th Framework Programme - Horizon Europe
How the European Commission is working on making science more open?

HOLISTIC POLICY AGENDA
SCOPE & AMBITIONS
4 with regard to the use & management of research
results and data
 Open Data: FAIR data sharing is the default for funding scientific
research
 Science Cloud: All EU researchers are able to deposit, access and
analyse European scientific data through the open science cloud,
without leaving their desk
 Altmetrics: Alternative metrics (next generation metrics) to
complement conventional indicators for research quality and impact
(e.g. Journal Impact Factors and citations)
 Future of scholarly communication: All peer-reviewed scientific
publications are freely accessible
7
8 policy priorities
agreed in 2016

HOLISTIC POLICY AGENDA
SCOPE & AMBITIONS
4 with regard to relations with research actors
(researchers, institutions and funders)
 Rewards: The European research career evaluation system fully
acknowledges Open Science activities
 Research Integrity: All publicly funded research in the EU adheres to
commonly agreed Open Science Standards of Research Integrity
 Education and skills: All young scientists in Europe have the necessary
skills and support to apply Open Science research routines and
practices
 Citizen Science: Citizens significantly contribute and are recognised as
valid knowledge producers of European science
8
8 policy priorities
agreed in 2016

• The main changes
• Research data management (incl. FAIR data)
• Incentives schemes and reward systems for researchers to share
data and commit to other Open Science practices
• Skills and competences regarding scientific information
• Text and Data Mining (TDM) and technical standards that enable
re-use
• Infrastructures for Open Science (incl. European Open Science
Cloud)
• The expected impact
• An even more powerful policy instrument that is fit for purpose
• The next steps
• A new compass for Member States
Commission Recommendation on access to and
preservation of scientific information
A stronger instrument

The evolution of the EU funding
programmes for R&I
FP7
OA Green or
Gold+Green
Pilot
H2020
OA Green or
Gold+Green
obligation
& ORD/DMP Pilot
H2020
OA Green or
Gold+Green
obligation
& ORD/DMP by
default
FP9
Will go beyond OA
and embrace and
embed Open
Science

Open Science across the programme
 Mandatory Open Access to publications: beneficiaries must ensure the existence of
sufficient rights to comply with open access requirements
 Mandatory Data Management Plan for FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable,
Re-usable) and Open Research Data : the norm for all research data with possibilities
to opt-out from open access requirements
Horizon Europe will support researcher skills and reward systems for open science. Certain
work programmes may require additional open science practices and the use of European
Open Science Cloud.
Open Science
Will ensure better exploitation of R&I results, increase
the innovation potential of results and support the
active engagement of society

Open Science policies: summing up the current focus
of work
• Designing an FP9 that is permeated by open science and
reflects ambitions!
• Launching the 1st phase of the EOSC
• Revision of recommendation and Public Sector Information
Directive - mainstreaming/uptake in MS
• Provide more options for grantees and do as we preach: the
Open Research Europe publishing platform
Significant emphasis on research data, especially
through EOSC and FP9 policy

The European Open Science Cloud
Not a cloud made in Brussels

• Vision is now as clear to external
stakeholders as it is internally.
• Single online platform where all
European researchers will be able to:
• Find, access and re-use data
produced by other scientists.
• Deposit, analyse and share data
they have been paid to produce.
• Initially (until 2020), the EOSC will
build on existing investments, no/little
fresh money is needed
• The Commission provides top-up
money to set up and organise the
federation and to start creating
common European resources.
• EOSC will provide 1.7m EU researchers an environment
with free, open services for data storage, management,
analysis and re-use across disciplines.
• EOSC will JOIN existing and emerging horizontal and
thematic data infrastructures, bridging todays
fragmentation and ad-hoc solutions.
• EOSC will add value (scale, data-driven science, inter-
disciplinarity, faster innovation) and leverage past
infrastructure investment (10b per year by MS, two
decades EU investment).
From Vision …. … to Action
After the EOSC Vision has been adopted and embraced by
the relevant stakeholders, it is now time for action
Source: RTD
Vision endorsed by the EP, by the
EESC and the CoR, by the G7 and
copied, literally, by a host of
nations globally: Japan, Canada
and China. 14

EOSC
PORTAL
ESFRIs
e-Infrastructures
EIROs
SERVICE
CATALOGUE
Applications
Computing
Software
Storage
Data
Under the federated model, access to data would be universal
but legacy would be taken into account
Source: RTD

Stakeholders meetings: EOSC Summit 2017
Followed by the EOSC
Declaration, 26 October
2017
• 33 high level statements
 Data culture & FAIR data,
 Research data services &
architecture,
 Governance and funding
• Signed by +70 scientific
stakeholders ('Coalition of the
Doers')

2nd EOSC Summit: 11 June 2018
o A plenary session to
share and discuss the
EOSC implementation
roadmap
o 2 workshops & launch
of stakeholder
consultations (11 June
- 5 August):
o EOSC Rules of
Participation
o FAIR data action
plan

Launch of the European Open Science
Cloud (EOSC) Governance Structure
– 23 November
● at the Austrian Presidency Conference
● University of Vienna
● https://www.eu2018.at/calendar-events/political-events/BMBWF-
2018-11-23-EOSC-Launch.html

Source: RTD, SWD 2018 (83)
Implementation Roadmap for the EOSC
FAIR data management and tools. A common data language to ensure data
stewardship across borders/disciplines based on FAIR principles.
b. Data
Rules of participation for different EOSC actors. An opportunity to comply with
existing legal and technical frameworks and increase legal certainty & trust.
e. Rules
Architecture of the federated infrastructures as the solution to the current
fragmentation in research data infrastructures which are insufficiently
interoperable.
a. Architecture
Governance of the EOSC, aiming at ensuring EU leadership in data-driven
science but requiring new governance frameworks.
Mechanisms/interfaces for accessing EOSC. A simple way for dealing with open
data obligations or accessing research data across different disciplines.
d. Access &
Interface
Available services from a user perspective. A rich environment offering a wide
range of services covering the needs of the users.
c. Services
f. Governance
19

 The process of federation will be implemented:
 Gradually;
 On a voluntary basis;
 According to a well-defined extent of involvement for
data infrastructures;
 Based on simple guidelines consistent with existing
good practices.
Architecture
Federation of research/data infrastructures

Services for European researchers
1. A researcher will find five types of services in the EOSC:
1. Identification and authentication, and an access point and routing system
towards the resources of the EOSC
2. A protected & personalised work environment/space (e.g. logbook,
settings, compliance record and pending issues)
3. Access to relevant information (e.g. status of EOSC, list of infrastructures,
policy-related information, compliance framework) and specific guidelines (e.g.
how to make data FAIR, certify a repository or service, procure joint services)
4. Services to find, access, store, re-use and analyse (e.g. analytics, data
merge/fusion, mining) the data generated by others, catalogued appropriately
5. Services to make their own data FAIR, to store them and ensure long-term
preservation
Researchers would NOT have to pay for most services under 1, 2, 3 & 4, but may
need co-funding via a grant or other mechanism for services under 4 & 5 (especially
when big data is involved, customization required or great computation power).
Services

Cost of not having FAIR data: minimum calculations *
Indicator #1 :
Time spent
Indicator #2 :
Cost of storage
Indicator #3 :
Licence costs
Indicator #4 :
Research
retraction
Indicator #5 :
Double funding
• Split academics &
non-academics
• EU28 Average
researcher salary
• Number of
researchers
• Time dedicated to
research
• Time wasted
• Data volume per
researcher/year
• Cost per TB
• Number of
repositories
where data is
stored
• Data retention
period
• Reduction of the
number of
repositories
where data is
stored (FAIR)
• Current research
data Open
• Proportion of data
that could be
Open
• Licence costs
bearded by
academic
research
organisations in
EU28
• Split academics &
non-academics
• EU28 Average
researcher salary
• Number of
researchers
• Time dedicated to
research
• Time wasted due
to retraction
• Funds allocated to
research grant in
EU28
• Number of
research grant in
EU28
• Number of
suspicious
overlaps
#1 in € + #2 in € + #3 in € + #4 in € + #5 in € = € 10.2 bn annually
FAIR Data
* PwC study conducted for the European Commission

EOSC model/access & interface
A user should have the choice between different entry points for accessing EOSC
services, for practical reasons and to ensure a smooth transition from legacy systems.
These different entry points to the EOSC should be similar but not equivalent, all
consisting of:
 a web-based user interface / front-end, tailored to the specific needs and
context of particular user communities, including individual data
infrastructures. These entry points would need to comply with a set of
minimum requirements.
 a common platform (building on the "EOSC Hub" project and further
developed in the INFRAEOSC-06-2020a call) or back-end, offerings
access to all EOSC shared resources (cf. data pillar) and to the full range of
EOSC services via machine-to-machine interfaces.
By default, EOSC services should be accessible via the EOSC portal, which should
act as a universal entry point for all potential users via a full-fledged user interface,
irrespective of geographic location or scientific affiliation.
Access &
Interface

o The rules of participation define the rights, obligations and accountability of the EOSC actors
(notably data producers, service providers, data/service users) against:
 agreed tools, specifications, catalogues and standards (‘EOSC shared resources’) and
applicable methodologies (framework for FAIR research data)
 adopted principles for regulating transactions in the EOSC (e.g. financial mechanisms
and procedures, agreements/bylaws established by the EOSC governance framework)
 applicable legal frameworks (e.g. GDPR, copyright rules, Data Security and Cybercrime,
dispute resolution and redress mechanisms, e-commerce directive)
o Differentiating the rules to different EOSC actors taking into account:
 The specificities of different scientific disciplines
 The diversity and level of readiness of infrastructures and services at discipline, MS
and EU level (RIs, eInfras) and the differences in their established rules and processes
 The variety of service providers and users that will be involved in the EOSC (e.g. public
vs private; horizontal vs specialised)
 Changing needs and practices regarding the implementation of the rules, in particular
concerning compliance with existing legal frameworks (e.g. GDPR) and emerging ones
(e.g. free flow of data)
Source: RTD
Rules of Participation
Rules

 Staged approach in setting governance:
 Phase 1 (<end 2020): steering and overseeing the initial EOSC development,
primarily led by MS and EC, with stakeholders consulted and advising
 Phase 2 (>2020): (following a thorough evaluation) steering and overseeing
initial EOSC operations and further development, largely stakeholder-driven, with
MS/EC keeping a higher-level oversight role
 Guiding principles for 1st phase, supported by EOSC Declaration:
 Separation between advisory role, decision-making and implementation
 Stakeholders (mainly) advise, propose and implement, while funders (MS/EC)
(mainly) set orientations and endorse proposals,
 Low intervention cost, light mechanisms, high accountability
 Any proposal for governance in 2nd phase would be included in FP9 proposal
Source: RTD
Governance guiding principles
Governance

Source: RTD
Governance
Three layer structure
 EOSC Board of MS/AC and
EC representatives to ensure
effective supervision of EOSC
implementation
 Executive Board of
stakeholder representatives to
help ensure proper EOSC
implementation and
accountability
 Stakeholder Forum to
provide input from a wide
range of actors

Financing of the EOSC: staged approach
 In Phase 1, until 2020:
 the Commission will invest EUR 300m to support the core functions
of the EOSC as per milestones
 Member States would flag the national initiatives that they want to
federate into the EOSC and the resources they are willing to provide
in kind;
 Research funders would start making costs eligible for FAIR data
only.
In Phase 2, after 2020, the activities of the EOSC could be financed by a mix
of funding including possibly deposit fees from national funders
The Governance Framework would produce a full cost estimate for the
running of the EOSC in Phase 1; based on this, it will prepare a financial
prospect for Phase 2, addressing scalability and legacy.

EUROPEAN OPEN SCIENCE CLOUD IN
HORIZON EUROPE
•Introducing stronger obligations regarding the
technical conformity of research data management
with EOSC standards
•Launching FAIR-conformant certification
schemes that ensure compliance with the FAIR
principles
•Introducing an obligation to store all FP9-funded
research data in FAIR-certified repositories –
EOSC compliant
•Creating a formal entity for further development of
the EOSC (2nd phase)

 EOSC Summit forming the coalition of the willing
EOSC policy milestones – the Road to Vienna
June 2017
 EOSC Implementation RoadmapMarch 2018
End 2020  MS+ EC agreement on the future strategic orientation and financing
scheme for the EOSC
Oct 2017  EOSC Declaration published for endorsements and to seek commitments
Nov 2018
 Establishment of the Governance structure; MS designate representatives to the
EOSC board. Selection of members to the governance structure
 Council conclusions endorsing the EOSC RoadmapMay 2018
Fall 2018
 Launch of the EOSC governance structure (Austrian Presidency event in Vienna)

Thank you for your attention
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/research/openscience/eosc
E-mail: EOSC-RTD@ec.europa.eu, katarzyna.szkuta@ec.europa.eu