Projects

Open Research Data Projects

Projects funded in the framework of the ORD Program

The joint ORD program of ETH Zurich, EPFL and the four research institutes of the ETH Domain has financially supported more than 60 research projects in the period 2020–2023. Funding supports researchers engaging in, or developing, ORD practices with and for their community and assists these researchers in becoming Open Research Data leaders in their field.

This page provides an overview of these projects. It highlights how researchers in the ETH Domain are currently applying ORD in exemplary ways. Some of the projects have already been completed, others are still in progress. The projects have been divided into three categories.

“Establish” projects help link existing ORD practices to a research agenda to establish them on a broader basis. They contribute to a shared and comprehensive understanding of ORD practices that can then become de facto standards.

“Explore” projects are the most extensive ventures in the program and are designed to explore and test early-stage ORD practices. The goal is to map processes of what an ORD practice might look like and develop prototypes. Through these projects, new teams form across disciplines and institutions.

“Contribute” projects help scientists integrate their research data into existing, often international, infrastructures. By standardizing the processes and making them generally accessible, the data are validated, and their potential is considerably expanded.

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MMS (Masonry MicroStructures database) - A 3D masonry microstructures database for advancing numerical research on irregular stone masonry structures

Category

Contribute

Institutions

EPFL

Researchers

Shah, Mati Ullah

Abstract

Stone masonry is an eco-friendly construction material, but its use has declined due to its vulnerability to earthquakes, mainly because of the poor arrangement of its microstructure. The microstructure includes the shape, size, and arrangement of stone units, which vary based on geographic, temporal, and material… Read more
Application Programming Interface for the River to Ocean Geodatabase for Education and Research

Category

Contribute

Institutions

ETH Zurich

Researchers

Paradis, Sarah

Abstract

In order to advance our understanding of the carbon cycle, it is essential to evaluate the spatiotemporal variations of carbon between river and marine environments and gain insights into the pathways of carbon transfer from land to ocean. To do this, we need to work jointly with riverine and marine data, accounting… Read more
Development of standardized Respiratory Open Access Research

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Contribute

Institutions

EPFL

Researchers

Dan, Jonathan

Abstract

Chronic cough is a common condition globally. While efforts are being made to develop wearables to detect and quantify cough events automatically, such monitoring devices have not yet been incorporated into routine clinical practice due to a lack of consistency in their validation, resulting in slow progress and a… Read more

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Atlas of Regenerative Materials

Category

Explore

Institutions

ETH Zurich, EPFL

Researchers

Habert, Guillaume, A. Bengana (EPFL)

Abstract

The Atlas of Regenerative Materials, aims to be a non-profit website that assembles and interconnects knowledge about construction with bio- and geo-sourced building materials. The goal is to create an open tool that provides visibility to the entire value chain in sustainable construction, linking natural resources… Read more
Promoting Open Research Data Practice for Genetic Diversity (meta)datasets

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Explore

Institutions

ETH Zurich, Eawag, WSL

Researchers

Gugerli, Felix, P. Feulner (EAWAG), A. Weber (EAWAG), F. Martin (ETHZ), C. Buser (WSL), I. Iosifescu (WSL), L. Wotruka (WSL)

Abstract

The prototype of a new national database on intra-specific genetic diversity in populations of wild species in Switzerland, GenDiB, is currently being developed as part of a project co-financed by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). With this ORD initiative proposal, we aim at (i) development of new tools… Read more
Open Laser Scanning Database for characterization of Forest Biophysical properties and beyond

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Explore

Institutions

WSL

Researchers

Ginzler, Christian

Abstract

Highly detailed 3D characterization of trees and forests with close-range technologies offers great potential for modeling carbon, energy fluxes, habitat diversity and much more. Numerous research groups are collecting complex 3D data in forests, and some are making it available as open data to the community. However… Read more
Towards an Open and Fair International Tree-Ring database for intra-annual tree-ring data

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Explore

Institutions

WSL

Researchers

Fonti, Patrick, I. Iosifescu (WSL), G. von Arx (WSL)

Abstract

Tree-ring research has played a pivotal role in unraveling past environmental conditions, understanding climate variability, and providing valuable insights into ecological changes over time. In the current era of digitalization, driven by technological advancements, the field is undergoing a profound transformation… Read more
Establishing the ecosystem for community driven scanning probe microscopy research and development

Category

Explore

Institutions

EPFL

Researchers

Fantner, Georg

Abstract

Custom instruments designed by researchers in academia are a key resource for advancing discovery and technology. However, they are very difficult and thus rarely shared openly with the scientific community. In the previous Explore project we have built an OpenSPM ecosystem around our custom OpenSPM prototypes… Read more
Enhancing 3D data visualization standards and practices for natural history collections

Category

Explore

Institutions

ETH Zurich

Researchers

De Moraes, Consuelo, S. Kenderdine (EPFL), I. Stössel-Sittig (ETHZ)

Abstract

3D imaging is a cutting-edge method for digitizing natural history collections, offering immense potential for taxonomy, general biology, and education. By analyzing 3D models, specialists worldwide can instantly access rare reference objects from collections, aiding in field interpretation and various scientific and… Read more
FAIR Data Practices for Qualitative Research in Transdisciplinarity

Category

Explore

Institutions

ETH Zurich

Researchers

Chapman, Mollie, B. Vienni-Baptista (ETHZ), E. Tilley (ETHZ)

Abstract

While ORD practices become increasingly widespread, one area that remains a challenge is qualitative data. On the one hand, qualitative data is more difficult to process and make available in open practices. On the other, ethical norms in research practice require confidentiality of research subjects. Yet interview… Read more
A FAIR Protocol for Hybrid Models and Data in Hydrology

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Explore

Institutions

EPFL

Researchers

Bonetti, Sara

Abstract

Hybrid models, which combine physics and machine learning (ML) based models, are becoming increasingly popular in hydrology and the broader Earth Science community due to their potential for improved prediction and process representation. However, hybrid models pose unique challenges to open research practices… Read more
Developing a Methodology for Open Technology Data in Energy Models

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Explore

Institutions

Empa

Researchers

Beermann, Dennis, B. Chen (EMPA)

Abstract

Despite the presence of various Energy System Model (ESM) tools and platforms facilitating data sharing across models such as CROSSDat, the absence of a standardized structure poses a significant challenge, hindering the seamless reuse of data across different modules. MOTEL tackles this problem by applying Open… Read more
Solidipes: an interoperable tool for curation of research data

Category

Explore

Institutions

EPFL

Researchers

Anciaux, Guillaume, V. Savchenko (EPFL), A. Neronov (EPFL), A. Borel (EPFL)

Abstract

Achieving FAIR open-science needs reproducible scientific data and publications to be associated. While choosing the appropriate tools and storage facilities is already difficult, ensuring the quality of an open publication of datasets relies heavily on data curation procedures. Curation calls for proper data… Read more
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