ELIXIR, the European bioinformatics research infrastructure, announces in today’s press release that it has been awarded €19 million from the EU. Over the next four years the implementation of Europe’s life-science data infrastructure will be accelerated. Starting September 2015, ‘ELIXIR-EXCELERATE’ will facilitate the integration of Europe’s bioinformatics resources, supporting all sectors of life-science R&D. It will deliver excellence to ELIXIR’s users by fast-tracking the development and deployment of essential data services.
EXCELERATE funding will help DTL, the host network of ELIXIR-NL, to coordinate and extend the national focal areas data interoperability, infrastructure as a service and training. “I am delighted with this international recognition of the importance and the quality of the 17 country ELIXIR network”, says Barend Mons, Head of Node of ELIXIR-NL. “The Netherlands has supported ELIXIR throughout the preparatory and implementation phase and will continue to participate, with a focus on data stewardship and FAIR data. The infrastructure and education needed to secure good data stewardship will also be developed with DTL partners throughout the Netherlands and across research infrastructures.” Mons echoes the words of ELIXIR Director Niklas Blomberg that in the age of big data, it is critical that we can all make the most of the bioinformatics capacity that has been developed in each of participating member states.
ELIXIR- EXCELERATE will support DTL partners to implement critical services and assets with a dedicated funding of €1.3 million directly for DTL.