This one may enable me to use and further develop blog3... - Björn Brembs

This sounds very cool - are there restrictions on who can apply? - Cameron Neylon

I would guess people have to be based in Germany, but it doesn't say. It says they can be scientists, librarians, data centers, etc. as long as they are primarily state-funded. Should we think about a joint application? - Björn Brembs

More background information (in German): http://www.dini.de/fileadm... - Martin Fenner

Definitely - as I said in email will chat with Jeremy, Mark, and Dave de Roure about what we could contribute. Any thoughts from other UK/European types as to whether we can push this further? - Cameron Neylon

Google document to share ideas: http://docs.google.com/Doc... - Björn Brembs

DFG call translated into English via Google http://docs.google.com/Doc... - Cameron Neylon

Depends what you're thinking about, but if there's any chemical content, I'd be delighted to help. Have requested access to Google doc (as kowalski). A DFG grant might help leverage funding for something in Australia too. - Matthew Todd

I don't think there's necessarily any specific scientific content. I read the call as trying to facilitate the generation and evaluation of data by geographically separated groups working on similar topics. Cameron introduced me to blog3 and it seemed like a great system to start working on with a grant like that. Couldn't find anything on the web for blog3, yet. Cameron? - Björn Brembs

Blog3 doesn't officially "exist" as yet ;-) but it does seem like an excellent opportunity to build something on that framework. I will blog about it when its gets launched properly and people can have a look see. Looking at the call it does look very generic. It might be nice to have a very general project that could be used to connect a range of groups up as an example. Testing the effect of libraries of compounds on the emotional response of flies? - Cameron Neylon

I had in mind to include a handful of very disparate kinds of data to make sure the system can work with all sorts of data and is independent of the data format. Do you think this is a good approach? - Björn Brembs

Keep me posted on this ... if required, contact me offline via LinkedIn or Twitter. Why, I am an industry person !;-) - joergkurtwegner

I have updated our GoogleDoc with more info on the grant. This is starting to take some shape, but it's still a quite blurry one... http://docs.google.com/Doc... - Björn Brembs

Just requested access to the document, somehow curious, if this makes sense for industrial parntners? - joergkurtwegner

You have access now, Joerg. Suggestions on how to usefully involve other - including industrial - partners are of course welcome. - Daniel Mietchen

=========== I draw a line here to signal that we are entering the writing phase.============== Further details sent to those registered for the google doc. - Daniel Mietchen

Ok, here's the deal: The 15 people who contribute most will be included in a symposium in Berlin (maybe even two), flight/train and hotel paid (provided the proposal goes through). We need two sorts of contributions: comments and text. Comments and suggestions can either go directly in the document or we can open discussion threads in http://friendfeed.com/ff-for-... Text goes into the Google document directly. - Björn Brembs

Main areas for text contributions: state of the art and travel (symposia and visitor's program). Main areas of discussion: objectives and work schedule. - Björn Brembs

Oh yes and the deadline for receipt of the printed version is May 31! - Björn Brembs

I haven't read anything except this friendfeed thread (which I missed earlier) and the draft document. If I understand correctly, though, I think I could contribute a letter as part of section 5.2. My lab at the University of New Mexico in the USA is about to start generating lots of data, which we would like to be open. So perhaps we could be beta testers of whatever tools? - Steve Koch

Sure! A letter would be the smallest unit of contribution :-) The call specifically asks for a market analysis and if we can show many letters of people who say that our project would be unique and valuable to them, the more convincing our proposal. But if you have a look at, say, "state of the art" (2.1) and see glaring omissions or mistakes, go ahead and correct them. Or if you know of any feature you definitely would want to have but that's not in the proposal, suggest it. Or if you want to come to Berlin and discuss the project in a symposium, help us add a program and participants to the proposal. If we get funded, as a co-organizer, you will be invited. The travel costs are the only funds we are allowed to use for people not working in Germany, so that's what we offer to contributors. - Björn Brembs

Missed this earlier too. I'd like to take a look at what you guys are planning. May be able to help with some coding down the road if it gets funded :) - Brian Krueger - LabSpaces

=====Proposal was sent off in time for today's (May 31) receipt deadline===== - Daniel Mietchen

Awesome, fingers crossed. - Matthew Todd

sending all good vibes... - Bill Hooker

Sorry for not sending you my letter, totally got back logged with experiments - Brian Krueger - LabSpaces

The deadline applies to the proposal - probably nothing wrong in still sending them letters of support for this project, especially in light of Google Wave (discussed at http://friendfeed.com/cameron... ). - Daniel Mietchen

@Daniel: yup, am trying to send something to the DFG to alert them to Google Wave and to tell them that the methodology we spelled out in the grant may already be outdated. - Björn Brembs

Is that wise? We will naturally work with what is to hand once we're funded? - Matthew Todd

Yes - I would just say that this provides an opportunity to do even more exciting stuff - never tell a granting agency that what you want to do will now be easier, they'll just cut back the money :-) - Cameron Neylon

I haven't made my mind up yet 100%. If we tell them we want to use GW, we may actually also come across as being particularly on top of things... - Björn Brembs

That's fair - always good to look prepared to deal with change... - Cameron Neylon

GW is not available yet but could easily be incorporated into the project if it turns out to be as useful as it appears now. So I wouldn't panic. In my letter of support, I wrote "Many such LIMS have been designed in the last few years, but besides blog3 on which the project will build, none of those currently available are open source and scalable and designed to be integrable with the research workflows in different scientific disciplines as well as at different locations." - Daniel Mietchen

What I meant was that I was planning to tell them that we're looking into the option of maybe using Google Wave methods to implement our projects rather than the methods we have proposed - in case they should work better than what we have planned. As long as we don't know the innards of Google Wave, we can't say anything for certain. - Björn Brembs

Summarized my thoughts about the potential of Google Wave for scientists: http://bjoern.brembs.net/comment... - Björn Brembs

That tech demo was impressive, but I'm going to reserve making these extreme conclusions until I can look under the hood of the finished product and implement it. Am I impressed? Yes. Do I think this is going to revolutionize science and communication? Not quite yet. Bjorn, I think it's a good idea to keep wave in the back of your mind, but I don't think you should make it the center of the grant app. without actually knowing its capabilities. You can say that it's something you'll look into, but don't put all of your eggs in that basket ;) - Brian Krueger - LabSpaces

@Brian: something worth looking into, that's exactly what we'll say! - Björn Brembs

I think it would be good if someone would send another letter of support, underlining the timeliness of the whole project in light of Google Wave which shall be available when the project starts. From what I've seen (just the presentation, had no look at the protocol white papers yet), their "Federation" is definitely in line with what we are up to. - Daniel Mietchen