Mini-projects, as one of the important outcomes of the Open Science II project, represent a set of activities that engage a broader target audience, particularly research communities, in activities necessary for the operation of the National Data Infrastructure (NDI). Key focus areas for mini-projects include the FAIRification of research data, metadata, and repositories, ensuring system standardization and compatibility, and integrating various data technologies.
The application for the mini-project includes a Statement from the relevant EOSC CZ Working Group (WG), which confirms, on the basis of its expertise, that the planned output(s) of the mini-project significantly contribute to the Open Science II project activities or are essential for establishing a data-driven research environment for the applicant.
How to Request a Statement
The request for an EOSC CZ WG statement (updated version will be available for the next calls) must be submitted by the applicant via email to info@eosc.cz with the subject line: "Request for EOSC CZ WG Statement: [Name of the relevant EOSC CZ WG, multiple WGs can be listed]".
Requests for an statement will only be accepted on the following periods and only for the current call and round in which the project is being submitted:
Call No 1: Open Science II Mini-Projects (systemic)
- First round: 1 September – 30 October 2025;
- Second round: 15 July – 15 September 2026
- and always by 11:00 AM on the last day of submitting requests for the opinion of the EOSC CZ WG.
Call No. 2: Open Science II Mini-Projects - Open call
- First round: 1 November – 31 December 2025;
- Second round: 5 October – 5 December 2026
- and always by 11:00 AM on the last day of submitting requests for the opinion of the EOSC CZ WG.
If an applicant plans to generate multiple outputs within a single mini-project, they must submit a separate request for each planned output and compile these requests into a single document.
Procedure for issuing an EOSC CZ WG Statement on Mini-Projects
Within each round of the mini-project calls, EOSC CZ working groups convene a meeting during the review submission period, where members can discuss the submitted mini-project proposals. This meeting must take place after the deadline for submitting requests for an EOSC CZ WG statement.
The relevant EOSC CZ Working Group confirms that the proposed mini-project output(s):
- Align with a defined output type from the Output Catalogue.
Only EOSC WG members who fulfill these criteria are eligible to vote about the Statement:
- They are active working group members at the request deadline.
- They are not affiliated with the institution submitting the mini-project application (for CAS, this means they are not from the same institute as the applicant).
- They have no declared conflict of interest.
The start of the assessment is chosen as agreed by the specific working group. Eligible EOSC CZ WG members may vote about the statement for a period of 3 calendar days. They can support or reject the request or abstain from voting.
For the statement to be valid, at least 30% of eligible EOSC CZ WG members must participate in the assessment. If a mini-project contains multiple outputs, the WG has to vote about each output individually. The WG statement will be based on a majority vote among the eligible members excluding those who abstain.
If fewer than 30% of eligible members participate in the vote, a second-round vote will be held. If the mini-project fails to obtain a valid positive statement in the second round, the statement will be considered negative for the given mini-project call round.
The EOSC CZ WG statement for a specific mini-project will be confirmed by the WG secretary, who will oversee the proper execution of the evaluation process.
The applicant will receive the Statement from the relevant EOSC CZ WG within one month after the deadline for submitting requests.
When submitting a mini-project application to "IS Věda", the applicant attaches a Statement of the relevant WG and also the Request for an EOSC WG statement, on which the Statement is based.
Applicants need to bear in mind that all information and data regarding the planned mini-project outputs, as provided in the mini-project application in “IS Věda,” must be 100% identical to the information and data stated in the Request for an EOSC CZ WG Statement.
Contact
If you have any questions, please contact us at info@eosc.cz.
More information can be found on the Open Science II project coordinator's website.