Statement of Purpose - Draft, Oct 2010

The overall objective of the BioSharing forum is to work at the global level to build stable linkages between funders, implementing data sharing policies, and well-constituted standardization efforts in the biosciences domain, to expedite the communication and the production of an integrated standards-based framework for the capture and sharing of high-throughput genomics and functional genomic bioscience data, in particular.

This overall objective has several components, each of which can be further decomposed:

1. Web site to centralize bioscience data policies, reporting standards and links to other related portals

• Providing a “one-stop shop” for those seeking data sharing policy documents and information about the standards and technologies that support them.
• Exposing core information on well-constituted, community-driven standardization efforts and link to their reporting standards (checklists, ontologies and file-formats), documentation, training material, news and contact point.
• Linking to exiting portals or new resources (to be developed collaboratively with other groups and initiatives) for those seeking information on systems serving or implementing the standards.

2. Communication forum for funders and leaders of the standardization efforts to achieve harmonization and mutual support

• Lobbying for intra-harmonization within the two stakeholders groups to promote
  i. exchange of ideas and policy components among public and private funders, and between funders and potential fundees, to ensure the difference among the policies (such as the reporting standards supported) do not impede seamless interoperability of the data, ultimately;
  ii. cross-project activities among the standardization efforts to create interoperable reporting standards and avoiding unnecessary overlaps, duplication of efforts and incompatible tools.
• Identifying a mutual support system between the two stakeholders groups to ensure
  i. funding agencies are abreast with challenges the standardization efforts face and can provide targeted funds to sustain their development and maintenance;
  ii. ensure that when community-developed standards are mature and appropriate standards-compliant systems become available these are channelled to the appropriate funding agencies, that in turn endorse them in their data sharing policies, thus achieving wider harmonization of the data.

The BioSharing forum will have a combination or targeted and open-attendance meetings, normally as part of larger meetings so as to reach as broad an audience as possible especially potential fundees and therefore future users of standards. The forum will utilize all possible means to disseminate information (such as RSS feeds, position papers, presentation).