Open Data Impact Award
Call for Applications

Individual researchers or research group (naming one representative) from all disciplines currently working at a university or research institution with a representation in Germany, who have granted open access and re-use of their data sets and who can showcase or make a plausible case for an innovative adaptation of their data beyond the academic world. If the innovation has not been fully developed yet the applicant should at least show the potential impact for the society at large that could be developed by re-using their research data.

Data sets or data streams in research and science (not public administration data) that are licensed as public domain (CC-0), CC-BY or equivalents and open for various types of re-use. A publication which describes a data set but does not publish the primary data is not sufficient.

Any type of re-use outside the academic world that is creating an added value for society and is openly available for a large number of users (for example an app, a product, a technical device, a cultural subsequent use (journalism, a festival, an art project). The secondary use originates in a profit or non-profit organization but has a societal impact and benefit. The realization does not have to be completed but it should be conceivable.

There will be three awards of 15,000, 10,000 und 5,000 Euros each. The winners are the researchers or research groups that collected and published the data. The prize money will be transferred to the university or research institution of the applicant (situated in Germany or with a representation in Germany). The prize money is dedicated to a specific project in the field of open data at that institution conceived by the applicant.

A jury comprising representatives of Science, Management, and Civil Society will choose the winners out of all applications. The criteria are:

• Level of openness and accessibility of the data and compliance with the FAIR criteria
• Degree of maturity of the innovation as a secondary use
• Added value for society

You've got a fascinating contribution where your open research data created an innovation for everyone? Then this award is for you!
As part of the application process you will be asked to answer the following questions in your maximum two-page proposal (4,000 characters)

What type of research data are you submitting?
Who was involved in collecting and processing the data?
How was the data made accessible?
How were the FAIR-criteria implemented?
How has publishing your research data led to an innovation outside the academic world?
What does society gain from the secondary use of your research data?
What project in the field of open data should the prize money initiate at your institution?

To cpmplete your application, please fill put the cover sheet (PDF) and upload it along with your proposal onto our application server.
Deadline for all applications is August 15th, 2021.