OCRE Earth Observation Services Funding for Research

OCRE will launch its first funding call specifically focused on stimulating the adoption of digital Earth Observation (EO) services by researchers on Wednesday 14 October 2020. Two subsequent calls for projects using earth observation services are planned to open in February and July 2021 respectively. 

Background

The OCRE project essentially has two primary objectives;

• To provide access to commercial cloud and digital services (with a specific focus on Earth Observations) to the European research community.
• Drive the adoption of these services through a number of funding initiatives through funds allocated by the European Commission.

The OCRE project operates within the broader EOSC (European Open Science Cloud) and focuses primarily on the consumption by researchers of both commodity cloud and bespoke digital services from commercial suppliers. 

The types of bespoke Earth Observation services we anticipate stimulating will include those providing for data processing; Copernicus data rendering and value add; advanced data analytics; interactive development; user algorithm hosting.  

Through its Earth Observation Services adoption calls OCRE aims to;

• stimulate the use of specialised Earth Observation Services aiding the use of Earth Observation data in research, in particular, usage of the data generated by the Copernicus programme.
• demonstrate that the use of such services can have a tangible positive impact on research execution and/or outcomes (showcases).
• contribute to the development of the nascent market of Earth Observation service suppliers.

What Types of Projects is OCRE Looking For?

Under this 1st EO funding call, OCRE aims to fund the consumption of EO services by projects which can become clear showcases for the benefits of using Earth Observation Services; projects which;

• Are a part of the European research community.
• Use earth observation data from the Copernicus programme in their research.
• Support the FAIR data principles and intend to share their research data with peers.
• Clearly demonstrate how the use of commercial Earth Observation Services can provide agility in terms of research activities; improve research or enable new research outcomes.
• Provide significant relevance within their research discipline.
• Are not currently using these tools extensively.
• Hope to continue usage of Earth Observation Services in their research.
• Can begin to use Earth Observation Services in early 2021.

Examples of some Earth Observation Services can be found here.

How Can I Stay Informed of this Call?

Sign up for the infoshare webinar on Wednesday, 14 October 2020, 2 PM CEST

How Can I Stay Informed of Future Calls?

Sign up for the OCRE call updates