JISC

The JISC and the Research Council's e-Science Core Programme are inviting bids to establish a national Digital Curation Centre (DCC) to lead research and development into key areas of digital curation for data and publications, and to pilot the development of generic support services for maintaining digtial data and research results over their entire life-cycle for current and future users.

The DCC is intended to provide a national focus for research into curation issues and expertise in the processes of digital archiving, preservation and management. Particular emphasis will be placed on the needs of users of the Centre's outputs.

The funding for the DCC will be for three years and made up of a grant of £250,000 pa (plus overheads, paid at the standard Research Council rate of 46% (ie up to a total of £365,000 pa)), from the eSCP to support the needs of the research activities of the Centre, and a further £750,000 pa from the JISC to fund the development, service and best practice activities.

Submissions of interest in establishing the Centre should be submitted by 12 noon on Friday 26 September 2003. The deadline for the submission of full proposals is Thursday 13 November 2003. A town meeting will be held on Monday 8 September 2003 at the Regent's College Conference Centre, London where further details about the circular will be available together with the opportunity to ask any questions regarding the bidding process.

Notes from the town meeting are now available.

Please contact Ann Lloyd to reserve a place (0117 931 7124).