From high-performance computing to connectivity and scientific research support, the FCCN Unit has developed innovative initiatives in several areas. Learn about some of them here:
RCTS100 – Connecting knowledge at high speed
Over the past five years, the RCTS100 has been expand the fiber optic infrastructure of the national education and research network and ensure its technological updating. “We are building a new generation RCTS,” emphasized the Area Director of Network Services at the FCCN Unit, Ana Pinto, in an interview published in January 2021. At the same time, the project also allowed internally train internal networks of nine public higher education institutions.
To the standardize fiber access and activate an optical transmission system with national coverage, it was possible to guarantee equal conditions of access to the network, regardless of the location of the participating entity. At this time, RCTS teaching and research entities located in the south or in the north can now access multiple services at 100Gbps, this project being, for this reason, a response to the “digital divide” [asymmetries felt, in different parts of the country, with regard to available connectivity services].
Learn more about the RCTS100 here.
Innovation Program GÉANT
Support community ideas
The GÉANT Innovation Programme is an initiative that provides funding up to 30,000 euros for innovative projects implemented by the European national research and education networks community, as well as the entities they serve (universities, research institutes, among others). "The goal of this program is to support innovative ideas that come from our community," explains GÉANT, on the program's website.
Over the past two years, GÉANT has been implementing this innovation support program, supporting dozens of projects across EuropeThe FCCN Unit has been helping to promote the program in Portugal, supporting applications. The third edition is already underway, with applications open until January 30th. If you belong to the RCTS Community and have an innovative idea that you would like to see funded, contact us to put it into practice.
INDEXAR – Towards Open Science
“To be an online reference in the location, validation and preservation of relevant scientific content in the areas of science, technology and culture” is the objective of the FCCN Unit service created in July 2022 – the INDEX. This service consists of a directory of digital scientific repositories and journals, nationwide. Thanks to a classification and enumeration system, users can find these repositories and scientific journals segmented by their areas of interest.
INDEXAR has two communities of interest. In addition to the academic and research community (researchers, faculty, and students) and the general public seeking documentation repositories, INDEXAR aims to reach repository managers, sharing the guaranteed benefits and promoting registration on this platform.
Learn more about INDEXAR here.
Project EUROCC
Empowering for Advanced Computing
Co-financed by European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU), the EuroCC constitutes a European network of competence in High Performance Computing (HPC), which promotes cooperation and the implementation of best practices in this area, throughout Europe. The goal is to support academia, research, public administration, and industry through National Competence Centers (NCCs) to benefit from the expertise, experience, and HPC resources available within Europe.
Since 2020, the Portuguese competence center EuroCC has been coordinated by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), through its FCCN Unit, and integrates several entities partners who, through this project, provide experience and capabilities in supporting the adoption and use of HPC, thus fulfilling the global purpose of EuroCC.
Learn more about EuroCC here.
Polen – Manage and share research data
The newly created Polen project aims to promote Open Science and respond to the community's needs in research data management. This initiative foresees the creation of several services that allow members of the teaching and research community to management and sharing of research data effective, through three fundamental elements: a system of data management plans, a research data repository service and a community support and assistance service.
As part of this project, the period for expressing interest and applying for use of the Polen Research Data Repository Service, in its pilot implementation phase, is now open. Selected institutions will have the opportunity to use and play an active role in testing the research data repository, issue recommendations or suggestions for improvement, ensure the deposit of their project's research data (up to a predetermined volume), and convey the national scientific community's concerns regarding the deposit and safeguarding of their research data.
Learn more about Polen here.
EOSC Synergy – Creating synergies on the European continent
Ensure a common research data platform where information is searchable, accessible, interoperable and reusable is the ultimate goal of the EOSC – European Open Science Cloud. In this way, it highlights the EOSC association, created in 2020 to implement this platform, will make it possible to promote “interdisciplinary and impactful science in the context of the digital age”.
The objectives of the initiative are convergent with the European Commission's vision for implementation of an Open Science policy on the continent. For this reason, the EOSC has a profound impact on national research communities, since both national research data service providers and the institutions that use them to conduct science will have to align themselves with this European initiative.
In Portugal, the Foundation for Science and Technology, through its FCCN Unit, has been developing efforts in this area. Since October 2020, the FCT has been the organization mandated to represent Portugal's interests within the EOSC association.
Learn more about EOSC here.
–» Discover more innovative projects promoted by the FCCN Unit in https://www.fccn.pt/inovacao/
