Strengthening Current Research Information Systems (CRIS) in the Institutes of the Leibniz Association

The "Strengthening CRIS" initiative started in November 2022 as a two-year project; an extension for one further year is currently being applied for. The central aim of the initiative is to promote the use of current research information systems (CRIS) in the Leibniz Association. The 96 institutes and the Leibniz Association's headquarters are to be enabled to collect, process and exchange standardised information faster and better and to make it available in a variety of ways, assisted by suitable APIs. Institutions that are not yet using an integrated current research information system are to receive comprehensive support during the preliminary and implementation processes (including consulting services and a comparison list of CRIS products) and in building up expertise. 

Current and planned activities of the "Strengthening CRIS" initiative include

- Direct support and advice to Leibniz institutes on CRIS topics
- Organisation of specialised online workshops on overarching CRIS topics as well as specific CRIS products
- Organisation of an annual two-day in-person workshop ("CRIS Days")
- Compilation of product information into comparative CRIS profiles for the systems used in institutes of the Leibniz Association
- Preparation of a framework agreement for providing external consultancy services on CRIS topics to the Leibniz institutes
- Update of the data model of the "Information system for data collection and analysis" (IDA) at the Leibniz headquarters with a stronger orientation towards the overarching standard ”Kerndatensatz Forschung” (KDSF)
- Broad support for the provision of 'open' research information and the use and further development of open source CRIS

Additionally, the further funding phase of the initiative will focus on these areas:

- Support for greater distribution and use of open source CRIS
- Promotion of open research information
- Interfaces between systems (APIs)
- Dissemination of standards and PIDs in the Leibniz Association

The activities are very well received by the Leibniz institutes and are being continuously developed based on current circumstances in the CRIS field. A large and lively professional community of CRIS experts and people interested in using CRIS has formed across all 96 Leibniz institutes.