JISC

To:	Heads of Higher Education Institutions funded by the English, Scottish and Welsh HEFCs and by DEL, Northern Ireland
Copies:	Directors of Information Services Heads of e-Science Regional Centres

(A copy of this circular is also attached to the foot of this page)

Summary

1. This Circular invites HE institutions to bid to undertake a number of development projects designed to progress the development of a Semantic Grid and Autonomic Computing, based on open, vendor-independent standards. This programme will be funded in conjunction with the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC). Development projects will be funded by JISC and research-focused projects will be funded by EPSRC. The parallel call from EPSRC inviting research-focused projects.
The programme as a whole will be overseen by a joint JISC/EPSRC Steering Group.

2. Further information about the scope of the call is contained in paragraph 11-12 below. Institutions have a period of 6 weeks to respond. The deadline for full proposals is 12 noon on 11^th December 2002. Paragraphs 32-37 provide further details of the bidding process.

Figure 1 Diagrammatic Guide to the Application Procedures for Research and development Projects applying to the EPSRC/JISC Call for projects in Semantic Grids and Autonomic Computing

Background

3. The Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) and the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) wish to jointly fund projects in the areas of autonomic computing and Semantic Grids.

4. There are several basic principles which must be met before JISC will agree to fund an activity, stemming from the fact that JISC is funded through top-slicing from the funds made available to universities and colleges. Briefly, work must be of benefit to the wider academic community, rather than to an individual institution; it must provide good value for money; and it must be work that would not be done without central support.

5. The JISC is working to develop an Information Environment, which is fit to serve the needs of students, teachers and researchers in UK further and higher education into the future. It is important to avoid erecting unnecessary barriers between the JISC Information Environment and the Research Grid, and the JISC aims to ensure that common information environment developments are compatible with Grid developments.

6. Against this background the JISC, through its Committee for the Support of Research (JCSR), intends to fund a number of proposals to advance its programmes of work in the areas of Semantic Grids and Autonomic Computing. These will, for the most part, be developmental projects designed to explore technical and management issues in a number of areas detailed below, but some more substantial projects may be considered for longer-term funding where these address issues of greater complexity.

7. The programme is intended to address both the particular needs of the e-Science community, and the wider aspects of the JISC's work in developing the Information Environment.

8. The JISC is committed to the adoption and promotion of open, vendor-independent standards particularly where infrastructural services are concerned. It is also committed to working with partner organisations in the UK and in other countries to ensure that, so far as possible, common standards are adopted internationally for the infrastructure underpinning education and research.

9. Proposals are invited from HE institutions funded via the UK funding bodies. These may be from single institutions or consortia. Partnership arrangements may be developed outside the sector (for example with research council sites, commercial suppliers of IT products and services or publishers), though the lead body must be part of the HE community and funds can only be allocated through the lead site.

10. Investigators on projects that are successful in obtaining funding from this call will be invited to enter into discussions with IBM Research, regarding the possibility of collaboration in the form of equipment donation. This process places no obligation on the investigators nor IBM Research to collaborate; merely, it looks to facilitate the discussions for both partners.

Definitions and scope of the call

The Context for Developing a Semantic Grid

11. Lying at the core of scientific development is the discovery of new knowledge. Indeed the generation, support and maintenance of knowledge provides the foundation of most scientific endeavour. The rapid increase in the volume and variety of data inherent within e-Science and mirrored by e-Commerce and e-Government means that any supporting infrastructure must provide a set of semantic services. These core services must be able to equip data with meaning and generate a surrounding semantic context in which data can be meaningfully interpreted. Fundamental research on knowledge systems and services is needed to allow us to move from the current data centric view supporting the grid to a semantic grid with a powerful set of knowledge services. Development work that needs to take place includes work on:

• Techniques to manage the traceability and integrity of information and trace provenance all the way from initial data through information to knowledge structures.
• Tools, methods and techniques to support the design, development and deployment of large-scale ontologies.
• Support for collaboration and sharing across different knowledge repositories at varying scales including working across personalised knowledge structures and larger organisational and disciplinary structures.
• Support for semantic directed knowledge discovery to complement data mining methods
• The development of lightweight and incidental knowledge capture techniques.
• Development of network based reasoning and decision support services that can be tailored to meet the demands of different domains and users.

The Context for Autonomic Computing

12. Complex assemblies of open systems lie at the heart of future support for e-Science, e-Commerce and e-Government. As more of our activities depend on the use of digital services the very complexity of these systems threatens progress. We must develop a supporting open digital infrastructure that is able to handle rapid and potentially radical changes with minimum systems administration. Our current approach to system building and configuration is overly dependant on human intervention and simply does not scale. We must shift to self-configuring systems that are able to act autonomously and adapt to changes in application or user needs. This requires a shift toward autonomic computing[1] where computing systems are self-managed with a minimum of human interference. Key challenges that need to be addressed include:

• New models and metaphors to allow semi-autonomous systems to be managed through a combination of specified policies, negotiated agreements between users, services, software agents and regulatory structures.
• Techniques to allow interoperability across and between different autonomous domains and to reason about the combination of different domains.
• Techniques to model and measure performance and ensure quality of services when they depend on autonomic computational structures.
• Techniques to capture and represent context relating to location, device capabilities, history of the computation, user activity, ambient environment and to build applications which can automatically adapt to their context.

Partnership and Project Outputs (Evaluation and Dissemination)

13. The JISC and EPSRC will jointly oversee and monitor the progress of the funded projects. This will include recognition that in groundbreaking work there may be failures as well as successes, but that all such experience can provide valuable information for the community. It is also recognised that aims and objectives as well as the technological context can change, and that individual project objectives may need to be renegotiated over time.

14. The JISC and EPSRC will jointly undertake evaluation in partnership with the funded projects, which will be required to co-operate with the programme evaluation. Each project will need to build evaluation activity into its project planning. The scale and nature of this project evaluation will naturally be dependent on the size and scale of project activity, and should be appropriate to programme aims.

15. The JISC and EPSRC will draw up a dissemination strategy in partnership with the projects and other JISC and Research Council initiatives. However projects will be expected to engage in project-specific dissemination to the HE and RC sectors as appropriate (see paragraphs 25-27 below on Public Relations).

16. The JISC will look for phased outcomes as the projects progress. The nature of the project outputs will be expected to:

• provide a lasting benefit to the community;
• have a scale and nature concomitant with the level of funding provided;
• contribute to achieving the JISC's strategic aims.

17. Projects will be expected to follow the normal JISC project management guidelines. These include IPR and copyright guidance, adherence to good project management practices, regular reporting and participation of projects in steering committees. A Programme Manager based in the JISC Development Team will provide management support to projects. Project management guidelines are currently under review but an up-to-date copy will be issued to funded projects.

18. The JISC does not seek to retain IPR in the project deliverables created as part of its programmes. However funding is made available on the condition that project outputs are made available, free at the point of use, to the UK HE and FE community in perpetuity, and that these may be disseminated widely in partnership with the JISC.

19. It is intended that the deliverables created as part of this programme will, as appropriate, be deployed by the JISC as part of a long-term strategy for providing access to community resources and where this is possible arrangements for archiving of deliverables will be set in place. However, projects will also be encouraged to set in place mechanisms to ensure the continued availability and currency of deliverables after funding has ended. The JISC will not be able to commit to the long term delivery or maintenance of project outputs after the end of the programme, though guidance will be given about opportunities for continuation funding and embedding within institutions.

Evaluation Criteria for Proposals

20. Proposals will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

(i) Quality of proposal and workplan – the extent to which the proposal addresses the issues and demands outlined in the call, and shows innovation as appropriate; the quality of the proposal will be assessed on the basis of the deliverables identified and the evidence provided of how these will be achieved (30%)

(ii) Impact – the extent to which the project outcomes will be of overall value to the FE/HE and e-Science communities; included in the assessment under this criterion will be the need for sustainability of the work at the end of the project funding period (30%)

(iii) Partnership and dissemination – the degree to which the proposal demonstrates an openness and willingness to work in partnership with JISC in forward planning, dissemination and evaluation, and the potential for extended partnership beyond the funding period (10%)

(iv) Value for money – the value of the expected project outcomes vis-à-vis the level of funding requested, taking into account the level of innovation, chance of success and relevance to the target communities (15%)

(v) Previous experience of the project team – evidence of the project team's understanding of the technical and/or management issues involved, and of its ability to manage and deliver a successful project, for example through work done to date in the area or in related fields (15%)

21. In the case of consortium proposals, the strength of the consortium will be considered. This refers to evidence of the commitment shown by the consortium partners to the consortium and the proposed project, and the degree to which the work proposed is aligned with institutional strategies and is shown to be embedded within the mainstream of the consortium. Proposers may wish to produce evidence such as partnership agreements, strategic plans, working papers etc. These may be included as appendices to the proposal and need not be counted within the 10-page limit.

22. Notwithstanding the weightings of the evaluation criteria, proposals that fail badly on any one criterion may be rejected, and proposals showing exceptional strength in one or more areas with serious weaknesses in others may be funded. In making awards under this call the JISC will take into account the need for an appropriate, varied and affordable portfolio of projects and partners. It is not, therefore, necessarily the case that the projects with the highest raw scores will be those funded in all instances.

Accessibility Issues

23. In keeping with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act and Human Rights legislation, and the wider access policies of the Funding Councils, it is expected that software and IT resources in institutions should be accessible to staff and students with disabilities. Proposals should, where appropriate, take account of accessibility issues.

24. Advice and recommendations for ensuring that IT based systems, tools and resources are accessible by all staff and students can be found in the resource section of the Technology for Disabilities Service (TechDis). Further advice and consultancy is available from the TechDis Centre.

Public Relations

25. The JISC will provide help and guidance to all funded projects regarding publicity, dissemination and evaluation activities.

26. The JISC endeavours to ensure that a coherent message is given to the community covering the breadth and depth of its activities. Projects will be expected to follow the JISC PR strategy and guidelines. These include advice on developing publicity materials and producing press releases, and will be issued to funded projects.

27. Projects will be expected to establish and maintain a web site for the dissemination of information about the project (the size and scale of which will of course be dependent on, and appropriate to, the level of resourcing of a given project).

Bidding – Eligibility and Level of Support Available

28. HE institutions and departments and individuals from HE institutions funded by the UK funding bodies are eligible to submit proposals.

29. Consortium partners external to HE are welcome, but the lead partner must be an HE institution funded by the UK funding bodies. Budgets for partners outside the FE/HE community cannot be met directly by the JISC.

30. As indicated earlier, the majority of the proposals funded are expected to be for projects of no more than one year's duration, although where there is a clear need for a longer workplan, projects extending into a second year may be considered.

31. As general guidance the maximum amount allocated to any one project is unlikely to exceed £150,000 for a one-year project, but the committees are hoping to fund a mix of shorter and longer projects with an average budget per project of less than this figure. All projects are encouraged to start as soon as possible from 1^st April 2003. Funds available will not cover institutional overheads. Where possible, institutions are invited to make contributions to the work.

Bidding Process

32. The content of the bids should reflect the evaluation criteria set out in paragraphs 20-22 above. To assist in the assessment of all proposals against a common baseline, all proposals should be structured as follows:

A. Introduction – A brief outline of the nature of the work to be undertaken, the length of the project, the proposed start date (projects are encouraged to start as soon as possible) and a summary of how the project will contribute to the programme.

B. Project description – A description of the intended project plan, timetable and deliverables, and an explanation of how the detailed project outcomes will be of value to the JISC community.

C. Budget – A summary of the proposed budget which in broad outline identifies how funds will be spent over the life of the project, including a breakdown of funding across academic years (1 August to 31 July); staff costs, equipment and consumables, travel and subsistence (if applicable), dissemination, evaluation and other costs should be itemised and an indication of any institutional contributions (e.g. overheads, equipment, staff time) should also be provided.

D. Capabilities – A summary of evidence demonstrating ability to undertake the project, for example brief statements of the institution’s and project team’s experience and achievements relevant to the proposed project.

E. Key personnel – Names and brief career details of staff expected to contribute to the project, including qualifications and experience in the area of work proposed and evidence of any projects of similar nature successfully completed.

33. Proposals are limited to a maximum of 10 A4 sheets, plus cover sheet (see Appendix A to this Circular) and appendices, together with a letter of support from an authorised senior manager at the institution – in the case of consortium proposals, one from each member institution. Appendices should only be used to provide supporting information. The proposal structure outlined above should be contained within the 10 A4 sheets. Only the first 10 pages of the main body of the proposal will be used to evaluate submissions. Bidders are therefore advised not to exceed this 10 page limit.

34. Hard copies of the cover sheet, project proposal, any appendices and letter(s) of support should be sent to:

Joseph Hutcheon
JISC Executive
Northavon House
Coldharbour Lane
Bristol, BS16 1QD

35. An electronic copy of ALL the proposal documentation (cover sheet, project proposal, any appendices and letter(s) of support) should also be sent to Joseph Hutcheon. The title of the email should indicate the host institution submitting the proposal and the title of the project:

36. Both hard copy and emailed proposals must be received by 12 noon on 11^th December 2002. Faxed or late proposals will not be accepted.

37. The JISC will consider these proposals and endeavour to notify bidders of the outcome of the review process by the end of February 2003.

38. JISC will expect to work with the selected projects to agree the workplan and to ensure that the project budget is appropriate and suitably profiled: it may be necessary to negotiate some aspects of the project objectives and content with the project teams in the interest of maximising the expected benefits of the programme as a whole.

Further Information

39. Technical enquiries about the programme should be sent to:

Alan Robiette, JISC Programme for Authentication and Security, 30 High Street, Warwick CV34 4AX, tel: 01926 409627, agr@westgate.f9.co.uk
(communication via email preferred)

40. General enquiries about the proposal submission process should be sent to:

Joseph Hutcheon, JISC Executive, Northavon House, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QD, tel: 0117 931 7251.

Appendix A

Cover sheet for proposals (NB: All sections must be completed)

JISC Circular 8/02: JISC programme in Semantic Grids and Autonomic Computing

Name of lead institution/organisation

List project partners (if none, please enter none)

Name of proposed project

Full contact details for primary contact Name: Position: Email: Address: Tel: Fax:

Length of project

Project start date (earliest start is 1st April 2003)

Total cost to the JISC over life of project

Cost of proposal to the JISC in each academic year (1 August – 31 July)

Outline project description

Names and contact details of any additional contacts

[1] The term derives from the body's autonomic nervous system, which controls key functions without conscious awareness or involvement