5 June 2024
CCC has announced its role as a founding member in the establishment of the Leiden Institute for FAIR and Equitable Science (LIFES). This initiative is a collaborative effort among eleven academic and private organizations to promote the adoption of FAIR data principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and equitable data reuse.
LIFES aims to address the significant challenges associated with data reuse in the global research community. By fostering a diverse network of public and private members, LIFES will provide access to FAIR-compliant applications and services that facilitate efficient data sharing, improve research reproducibility, and enhance interdisciplinary collaboration.
LIFES will bridge gaps in current technical capabilities and research methodologies, which often hinder equitable data sharing. The institute will also lead efforts to secure public and private funding to develop strategic capabilities necessary for advancing FAIR data principles globally. This initiative responds to the pressing needs of the research community, providing solutions to the challenges of a data-driven world.
As machine learning and AI technologies become increasingly prevalent, the importance of FAIR data principles grows. These principles enable AI systems to automatically access and process vast amounts of complex data, ensuring that data is machine-actionable. The interoperability aspect of FAIR data enhances the discovery, retrieval, usability, and analysis of data, meeting legal, ethical, and consent requirements for legitimate research.
The establishment of LIFES marks a significant step forward in creating a FAIR and equitable data ecosystem. This model has the potential to be replicated worldwide, meeting the evolving needs of the global research community and supporting data-driven decision-making processes.