The Digital Network of University Collections project explores the basis for a sustainable collection infrastructure within the four partner institutions and develops a recommendation for its sustainable development. A comprehensive digital infrastructure for approximately 90 collections aims to support their usability and visibility, as well as facilitate research. The project is led by Dr. Yong-Mi Rauch (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), Dr. Andreas Brandtner (Freie Universität Berlin), and Prof. Dr. Schnalke (Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin).

A Digital Research Space for the BUAA digital research space for the Berlin University AllianceThe Berlin University Alliance generates an immense scientific output in the form of publications and research data. So far, these diverse digital resources have been made available on the data repositories of the respective institutions, distributed across several data silos. The 'A Digital Research Space for the BUA' research project aims to develop an open-source platform for exploring and analyzing these digital resources, as well as improving their accessibility and discoverability.

Project partner

• Prof. Dr. Claudia Müller-Birn, Institute for Informatik, Human-Centered Computing, Freie Universität Berlin
• Dr. Sonja Schimmler, Department of Telecommunication Systems, Chair for Open Distributed Systems, Technische Universität Berlin
• N.N., Institute of Software Engineering and Theoretical Computer Science, Quality and Usability Lab, Technische Universität Berlin

The Alliance Center Electron Microscopy (ACEM) of the Berlin University Alliance (BUA) is a jointly supported virtual and interdisciplinary electron microscopy equipment center of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and is cross-method, cross-disciplinary and cross-university.

Humboldt-University of Berlin, RMZ, Project Leader: Dr. Jens Ambrasat, Project Staff: Dr. Denise Lüdtke.

The Berlin Science Survey (BSS) is a scientific trend study on the cultural change in the Berlin research landscape. For this purpose, the experiences and assessments of scientists in the Berlin research area are regularly surveyed in an online questionnaire. The pilot study took place in the winter semester 2021/22, the second data collection wave, which has been extended to better cover non-university research institution in Berlin as well as to include selected universities in Germany to allow for comparisons took place in the winter semester 2023/24.

Project duration: 05/2020-10/2026 (05/2020-04/2022 - Pilot Study)

Free University of Berlin, Project Leader: Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Beatrice Gründler, Project Staff: Dr. Theodore S. Beers, Xenia Kudela, Collaboration Partner: Dr. Jonas Müller-Laackman, Office for Digital Research Services, State and University Library Hamburg Carl von Ossietzky, Free University of Berlin, Marwa M. Ahmed, Free University of Berlin, Duration: 01/2021-09/2023. Continuation of the project under the title Closing the Gap in Non-Latin Script Data II: 10/2023-06/2026.

The project aims to expand and coordinate subject-specific infrastructures in the field of digital humanities and research data management for the group of research-intensive regional-studies and humanities disciplines within the BUA. These disciplines are characterized by a heterogeneity of digital "data" in non-Latin scripts (NLS), both due to their subject matter and international collaborations in research and teaching. The project supports the BUA initiative "Concept Development for Collaborative Research Data Management Service" and aims to contribute to the integration of data handling in non-Latin scripts into all planning for the establishment of subject-specific "data communities.

Co-Financing with Objective 5, Freie Universität Berlin, Co-Project Leader: Prof. Dr. Claudia Müller-Birn, Technische Universität Berlin, Co-Project Leader: Dr. Sonja Schimmler, Project Collaborator: Veronika Weiß, Duration: 01/2021-06/2024

The project aims to prepare, conduct, and follow up on co-creation workshops, where the requirements of different interest groups (stakeholders from research, library, administration) regarding data sharing and associated value considerations should be identified. In several workshops, requirements for identifying existing value conflicts and their reflection will be analyzed and reflected upon, and the requirements will be transformed into low-fidelity prototypes (mock-ups) and further developed collaboratively with the interest groups. The results will be passed on to the Technische Universität Berlin for implementation, thus contributing to the development of the high-fidelity prototype.

CARDS focuses on the sustainable development and expansion of tools, services and educational offers for research data management (RDM) for researchers and multipliers. It will also support the implementation of best practices in data management in clusters of excellence. CARDS aims to simplify FAIR-compliant data management at the BUA institutions, to professionalize the planning and implementation of data-based projects and to increase RDM literacy in the BUA context.

Building on the predecessor project Concept Development for Collaborative Research Data Management Services (BUA-FDM), the project develops measures for the targeted optimization of RDM expertise at the institutions as well as for improving the management of research data in order to promote the quality and reusability of research data in Berlin as a science location.

The project Improving the administrative framework aims to create transparent and efficient processes and structures that enable low-threshold access to knowledge and research services as well as seamless collaboration. To this end, a detailed understanding of the initial situation and the requirements for these framework conditions has been developed in several workshops with experts of various BUA-departments in previous preliminary projects, which took place from September 2023 to March 2024.

By bringing researchers together from across the BUA partner organizations the ideal environment to promote cutting-edge research is achieved. The project Joint Researc Buildings oversees the joint application for and implementation of state-of-the-art research buildings, which are acquired via the joint federal and state funding program with Art. 91 b GG.

The 'Lab-Know-How' project is located at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Its goal is to make individual laboratories more accessible to all (junior) researchers and students within the network. To achieve this, individual laboratories will be cataloged, the existing equipment will be cataloged in a database, and laboratories will be supported as shared resources in their management. Protocols for laboratory access, use, and data protection with an expanded user base will be published. Infrastructure will be established to effectively share and exchange the know-how of researchers already established in these areas, including the use of methods and equipment, data analysis, and interpretation.

Project Leadership:

Prof. Dr. Fabian KlostermannCharité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin Email: fabian.klostermann@charite.de

Prof. Dr. Pia KnoeferleInstitute for German Language and Linguistics Faculty of Language and Literature - Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Email: pia.knoeferle@hu-berlin.de

The innovation group Matters of Research Assessment and its Implementation (MAI) comprises two separate projects under the leadership of Dr. Cornelia Schendzielorz (HU, RMZ) and Dr. Miriam Kip (QUEST) The focus of the project at the RMZ (MAI-A) is on research assessment in research networks and the project contributes to a functioning, goal-oriented and sustainable management of the BUA. The project based at the QUEST Center (MAI-I) is concerned with an application-oriented optimization of research assessment in the area of appointments and tenure track evaluations at the individual BUA institutions.

Project duration: MAI-A 6/2023-10/2026 und MAI-I 2/2023-10/2026

Open IRIS introduces a central and transparent platform for research infrastructures within the BUA. Open IRIS allows for the display of publicly funded large equipment and research services provided by all BUA partners. At the same time, the alliance consolidates resources to optimize the efficiency and utilization of large equipment and core facilities. The project is led by Dr. Claudia Flügel (Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin).

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Roland Jochem, Technical University of Berlin, Prof. Matthew Larkum, Humboldt-University of Berlin, Prof. Dr. Tim Landgraf, Free University of Berlin; Duration: 09/2021-12/2023. Continuation of the project under the title Open.Make II: 09/2023-06/2026. Freie Universität Berlin, co-project leader Prof. Dr. Tim Landgraf, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, co-project leader Prof. Dr. Matthew Larkum, Technische Universität Berlin, co-project leader Prof. Dr.-Ing. Roland Jochem, co-project leader, Prof. Dr. med. Petra Ritter, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Project staff: Moritz Maxeiner, Freie Universität Berlin, Dr. Julien Colomb, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Robert Mies, Technische Universität Berlin.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the significance of open hardware became evident as 3D-printed face shields for medical professionals could fill a crucial production gap. The concept of open hardware applies the principles of freely usable, open-source software to products, allowing for their replication and quality control. With an interdisciplinary approach, the project is developing new methods, guidelines, and standards to examine and publish open hardware in an academic context.

Freie Universität Berlin, Open-Access-Büro Berlin, Principal Investigator: Maxi Kindling, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, QUEST Center, Principal Investigator: Dr. Evgeny Bobrov, Duration: 10/2021-12/2023. Continuation of the project under the title Open Science Magnifiers: 01/2024-10/2026. Freie Universität Berlin, Open Access Office Berlin, co-project leader Dr. Maxi Kindling, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, QUEST-Center, co-project leader Dr. Evgeny Bobrov. Project staff: Maaike Duine, Freie Universität Berlin, Anastasiia Iarkaeva, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, QUEST-Center.

The more open science practices become established, the more, systematic monitoring becomes. However, there are no established indicators that serve as criteria for such monitoring. The project builds on Charité's expertise in the biomedical open science field and develops indicators for selected further disciplines as well as tools for the (semi-)automated collection of key figures. These indicators are developed together with scientific communities in pilot projects and later be made available as dashboard prototypes. At the same time, the aim is to expandthe existing internal Charité dashboard to include indicators of the reusability of research data (FAIR data).

The aim and core idea of the Shared Service Catalogue is to set up a service catalog for the distributed use of services in research in order to enable the joint use of infrastructure in the medium term by providing information and to make the services offered by the individual institutions visible and comparable. The services are not limited to those offered by the IT centers or libraries, but also include the structured services of the technical departments or the research service centers.
In terms of quality, effectiveness and range of services, a cross-institutional service catalog is a mammoth project. Researchers should be offered a service catalog that allows them to easily access services from other institutions and, in some cases, book them directly.