An online side event to the

Monday, 6 July 2026, 07:30–08:30 CEST (05:30-06:30 UTC)

South Asia wants to build AI — but who controls the infrastructure it runs on? 

Join this event, led by CODATA Connect, to deliberate on one of the most consequential and least resolved questions in global AI governance: the gap between sovereign ambition and ground reality, and what it means for the communities most at risk.

Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/9XONUiOGTaiR7iwbv3eObw 

South Asia’s AI ambitions are clear. Across the region, governments are investing in AI

infrastructure, data platforms, and national strategies with the explicit goal of becoming builders, not just consumers, of AI. Yet a structural tension sits unaddressed at the centre of this agenda. At critical layers of the AI ecosystem, the infrastructure that powers these ambitions is operated outside domestic jurisdiction, on terms governments did not set. The question this panel asks is simple and unresolved: is South Asia building sovereign AI capacity, or deepening dependency in a more sophisticated form?

The answer looks different depending on where you stand. India has invested significantly in AI infrastructure and policy, yet structural dependencies persist. For countries with fewer resources, the gap between ambition and ground reality is wider. For indigenous and tribal communities across the region, the stakes are more immediate still. Their ecological knowledge, territorial records, and oral traditions are entering AI systems without consent, across jurisdictions where no single actor can be held accountable. Legal obligations under ILO Convention 169 and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples exist. The current architecture makes them difficult to enforce.

This panel brings together academics from India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal to examine four questions: what is the current state of AI development in their countries; where dependency constrains sovereign ambition; what governance conditions must exist before community data enters AI pipelines; what the international community must do differently to support sovereignty, not just skills. 

Full concept note with information about speakers.  

The post Participation Without Power: Technology Sovereignty, Data Sovereignty and the AI Divide in South Asia appeared first on CODATA, Committee on Data of the ISC.

	Title: Universal Mandates vs. Contextual Realities: A Scoping Review of Ethical Tensions and Power Asymmetries in Global Open Science Author: Mthokozisi Masumbika Ncube, Josiline Chigwada, Patrick Ngulube URL: http://doi.org/10.5334/dsj-2026-021
	Title: FAIR Data in Action: The User-Centric Software Suite FAIRSave for Fully Digital, Data-Driven Studies in Materials Science Author: Malte L. Flachmann, Ilia T. Bagov, Nick T. Garabedian, Christian Greiner URL: http://doi.org/10.5334/dsj-2026-020

The post June 2026: Publications in the Data Science Journal appeared first on CODATA, Committee on Data of the ISC.

The

The distinct approach of the CDIF4EOSC project (CDIF4EOSC: Developing and implementing the Cross-Domain Interoperability Framework for EOSC) is to build on the Cross-Domain Interoperability Framework (CDIF). The project will extend the CDIF recommendations, adding profiles and guidelines, and use case based examples, to form a comprehensive and actionable playbook for FAIR Integration in the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) and beyond.

What is CDIF? What does it seek to do? What does it recommend and why is it useful to EOSC and other Research Infrastructure initiatives? How will the CDIF4EOSC project develop it further and how can you get involved?

Register here to find out more! https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/pYUUWpukSii3TSP6mg2kNA#/registration

This event is public and open to any interested colleagues! This is conceived as the first in a series of webinars, tutorials and other events to familiarise the broad research data stewardship community in EOSC and beyond with the vision of CDIF and the mission and objectives of the CDIF4EOSC project.  The event will introduce the CDIF4EOSC project and will cover CDIF v.1.1 at a conceptual level, suitable for policy experts, data stewards and managers of research infrastructures.  Some of the more technical aspects of the CDIF profiles and recommendations will be covered: although we will happily field questions from technical experts, more detailed events for a technical audience will be organised in due course.

The webinar will cover at least the following topics:

1. Welcome to the CDIF4EOSC project!
   • • Aims and objectives
     • How to get involved, to comment and give feedback!
2. What is CDIF?
   • • Vision and background
     • What is the purpose of CDIF?
     • What does it NOT aim to do?
     • Why is it important and useful?
     • Timeline of v 1.0 and subsequent developments
3. Introduction to v 1.1
   • • Scope
     • What is a “CDIF Profile”? (Implementation Artifacts and Conformance)
     • Development and Production Process
     • Maintenance: Issues, Versioning and Repositories
4. Current CDIF 1.1 profiles
5. Roadmap: CDIF4EOSC and ongoing developments
   • • Why is this important for EOSC and other international and national RI initiatives?
6. Next Steps: feedback on v.1.1, how to get involved with CDIF and CDIF4EOSC.

The post Launch of CDIF4EOSC and CDIF v.1.1: an open, public webinar, Thursday 2 July, 15:00-17:00 CEST appeared first on CODATA, Committee on Data of the ISC.

To explore this further, join the Collaborative on Citizen Data and CODATA for the webinar “Facilitating progress of citizen data on the SDGs across regions.”

In this event, we will discuss how citizen data are supporting progress on the SDGs, from local evidence to global reporting and spotlight regional experiences from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Oceania.

You will hear from:
• Adenike Shonowo, University of Glasgow
• Amanda Mayte Vilchez Zuñiga, Cornell University
• Carolynne Hultquist, University of Canterbury
• Kehinde Baruwa, University of Lagos
• Peter Elias, University of Lagos, Nigeria

📅 Thursday, 25 June 2026 | 8:00–9:15 AM (EDT)
🔗 Register today: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6C8Ytp0uTEmEBZKqg-DL-g#/registration

The post Facilitating progress of citizen data on the SDGs across regions appeared first on CODATA, Committee on Data of the ISC.

CODATA

Version 1.1 represents a substantial enhancement of the CDIF recommendations, with increased support for FAIR functional requirements, and a new technical approach, featuring validation tools and improved documentation. While a significant step forward, resulting from two years of implementation and further development since the initial CDIF release in May 2024, version 1.1 is also forward-looking: the CDIF4EOSC project has just started, and will drive the next major round of CDIF developments. To support this, improvements to date have been consolidated in version 1.1 and will provide a baseline for further developments led by the CDIF4EOSC project.

After the initial work in the WorldFAIR project, resulting in the release of CDIF version 1.0, the WorldFAIR+ Initiative continued testing and development of the framework. CDIF has been used in several different projects, including the OSCARS-funded CDIF4XAS project on X-ray absorption spectroscopy, implementation in the Climate-Adapt4EOSC project, the International Science Council supported project on Disaster Relief and Preparedness in Malawi, an ADA astro-materials prototype, and several others. Feedback from these projects has been incorporated in version 1.1, as have requested minor changes to some of the standards recommended for use. Version 1.1 may not be a major version change, but it represents a significant improvement in the maturity of the recommendations.

Changes in the scope and coverage of CDIF are:

• Identification of a set of Core fields, for use in all profiles
• Addition of support for binary data file such as HDF5, NetCDF, and Parquet
• Inclusion of the Manifest profile, to enable packaging of resources into FAIR Digital Objects (FDOs) using RO Crate or similar packaging technologies
• Reorganization of the Data Description profile to cover the publication of reusable data structure descriptions and variables with DDI-CDI
• Increased nuance in the description of controlled vocabularies with SKOS: Codelist and Concept Scheme profiles express the difference between lists of enumerated values used in data, and broader semantic resources

These features complement the existing capability to support FAIR access with ODRL and discovery and cataloguing using Schema.org. While significant work has been undertaken in the description of provenance information, this is not yet included in this release, nor is the upcoming revision to the Access profile. These profiles — along with several other enhancements for the description of Units of Measure, integration with Croissant for use by agentic AI, and a more-complete implementation using DCAT — are expected to be released soon. The CDIF4EOSC project will add additional support for describing data quality, context and complex variables (using (I-ADOPT), packaging (using RO-Crates), semantic mapping, and software resources.

Importantly in the CDIF 1.1 release, there is significant increase in the set of specific artefacts to support developers. CDIF Profiles now have a set of implementation tools and documentation, including:

• Detailed descriptions of each recommended metadata field
• SHACL rules for validation of JSON-LD instances
• JSON Schema for validation of JSON-LD instances
• JSON-LD Frames and Python tools for populating them
• A set of example instances
• Graphical documentation of the JSON Schema implementation

The production system for CDIF is now being transitioned to a UML Model-driven architecture, where a detailed model serves as the integrated source for all profiles, ensuring consistency across the entire set of implementation artefacts and alignment of metadata objects across different profiles and standards. All the various validation tools and documentation will be generated from this model. It is expected that the set of implementation tools will also be increased as CDIF continues to grow, with a major development effort being included in the CDIF4EOSC project.

CDIF version 1.1 establishes a strong basis for the implementation of systems to enable FAIR exchange across domain and infrastructure boundaries and paves the way for even greater future developments.

The post Release of the Cross-Domain Interoperability Framework (CDIF) Version 1.1 appeared first on CODATA, Committee on Data of the ISC.

CODATA advances global collaboration to improve the availability, usability, and stewardship of research data, promoting Open Science across disciplines.

Research Data Alliance (RDA) develops and implements community-driven infrastructure and best practices to enable open sharing and reuse of data worldwide.

World Data System (WDS) supports trusted scientific data repositories and services, advocating for accessible, high-quality, and reproducible research data.

TOGETHER, THESE FOUNDING ORGANISATIONS ARE INVITING PROPOSALS TO HOST THE SEVENTH EDITION OF IDW IN SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2029.

CONFERENCE OBJECTIVE:

The primary objective of the IDW conference is to bring together a large, representative portion of the global data community. Previous editions have been highly successful in fostering collaboration, innovation, and impact. As the global landscape evolves, the founding organisations seek local partners and venues that can help convey the excitement, mission, and urgency of these times in data science.

PAST AND UPCOMING EDITIONS:

Five editions have taken place to date, and one is scheduled and in preparation:

1. IDW 2016, 11–17 September 2016, Denver, Colorado, USA; attended by 840 data professionals and researchers from all disciplines and from across the globe.
2. IDW 2018, 5–8 November 2018, Gaborone, Botswana; attended by more than 850 international data professionals and researchers.
3. IDW 2022, 20-23 June 2022, Seoul, Republic of Korea; held as a hybrid conference allowing both in-person and virtual participation; attended by 827 participants from 50 countries; 182 attended onsite and 645 online.
4. IDW 2023, 23–26 October 2023, Salzburg, Austria; held as a hybrid conference; attended by 834 delegates from 48 countries; 702 attendees onsite and 132 online. 
5. IDW 2025, 13-16 October 2025, Brisbane, Australia; held as a hybrid conference; attended by 807 delegates from 75 countries; 704 attended onsite and 103 online. 

The edition being prepared:

1. IDW 2027, 20-23 September 2027, Cape Town, South Africa. 

ENGAGEMENT:

International Data Week is a global and inclusive conference, dedicated to strengthening data communities worldwide. The founding organisations are keen to engage with cities and countries where IDW or related meetings have not previously been held. Applications from Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) are strongly encouraged; proposals from the High Income Economies should show how they will work with the founding organisations to maximise participation from LMICs. Wherever the proposal comes from, it will be important to demonstrate how the partnership will advance the missions of the founding organisations, ensure the impact of IDW, and enhance membership of and engagement with the three organisations.

Applications should demonstrate that local hosts have access to both a suitable physical venue and a virtual conference platform; strong support from local organisations and government; good connections to universities, industry, and research organisations in the country and region; and solid financial support.

CONFERENCE FORMAT: 

IDW 2029 is envisioned as a four-day conference that integrates the activities of a SciDataCon international conference and an RDA Plenary Meeting. IDW includes both research sessions and focused working meetings, as well as broad plenary sessions of general interest. The days before and after each conference will be set aside for the business and governance meetings of CODATA, RDA, and WDS, as well as potentially other co-located meetings.

While the primary purpose of the call for applications is to identify a host for the 2029 edition, applications received may also be considered for the 2031 edition.

APPLICATION PROCESS & DEADLINE

Applications should be sent by email to all of the IDW founding organisation representatives listed below, no later than 2 November 2026, in electronic format following the requirements of and template included in the IDW2029 Call for Applications document. 

Applications should be addressed to all three contacts below:

• Simon Hodson, CODATA Executive Director, at simon[at]codata.org
• Hilary Hanahoe, RDA Secretary General, at hilary.hanahoe[at]rda-foundation.org 
• Meredith Goins, WDS Executive Director, at wds-ipo[at]utk.edu

The post CALL FOR APPLICATIONS TO HOST INTERNATIONAL DATA WEEK 2029 appeared first on CODATA, Committee on Data of the ISC.

	Title: Correction: Building Responsible and Sustainable Open Data Literacy Skills for Early Career Researchers: A Decade of the SoRDS Programme Author: Shaily Gandhi, Steve Diggs, Marcela Alfaro Córdoba, Louise Bezuidenhout, Raphael Cobe, Sara El Jadid, Bianca Peterson, Robert Quick, Hugh Shanahan, Shanmugasundaram Venkataraman, Ekpe Okorafor, Veerle Van den Eynden URL: http://doi.org/10.5334/dsj-2026-019
	Title:  Enabling the Reuse of Personal Data in Research: A Classification Model for Legal Compliance Author: Eduard Mata i Noguera, Ruben Ortiz Uroz, Ignasi Labastida i Juan URL: http://doi.org/10.5334/dsj-2026-018
	Title:  On the Darwin Core Term dwc:habitat, and the Need to Adopt a European Vocabulary Based on NATURA2000 and EUNIS Classifications, with a Comment on International Applicability Author: Roberto Pizzolotto, Fabiola Durante, Wouter Dekoninck URL: http://doi.org/10.5334/dsj-2026-017
	Title:  Certification Frameworks for Scientific Data Repositories: Strengthening Repository Trustworthiness Author: David Castle, Daniela Santos Oliveira, Dale Peters, Claudia Bauzer Medeiros, Ioana Popescu, Devika Madalli, Rebecca Koskela, Meredith Goins, Suzie Allard URL: http://doi.org/10.5334/dsj-2026-016

The post May 2026: Publications in the Data Science Journal appeared first on CODATA, Committee on Data of the ISC.

The distinct approach of the CDIF4EOSC project (CDIF4EOSC: Developing and implementing the Cross-Domain Interoperability Framework for EOSC) is to build on the Cross-Domain Interoperability Framework (CDIF). The project will extend the CDIF recommendations, adding profiles and guidelines, and use case based examples, to form a comprehensive and actionable playbook for FAIR Integration in the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) and beyond.

This is a remarkable opportunity to extend and refine CDIF, and to furnish EOSC with a comprehensive and implementable guide to interoperability!

Core Objectives

Going beyond the original FAIR principles, CDIF4EOSC will develop a FAIR-by-design approach for creating FAIR digital objects. The overarching objective of the project is to enable FAIR integration by developing the CDIF4EOSC Playbook and situating this at the heart of EOSC practices, and fully integrated in the EOSC Federation.

The project will work closely with three Use Cases on oceans sciences, climate adaptation and safe-and-sustainable by design materials development, develop a suite of AI-assisted FAIRification tools and services and ensure integration with the EOSC Federation, EOSC Nodes and the Common European Data Spaces.

The suite of AI-assisted FAIRification tools and services will accelerate FAIRification at scale and have significant benefits for EOSC and the European Research Area. To maximise impact, targeted steps will be taken to implement the project outputs in EOSC Federation Nodes and Common European Data Spaces.

CDIF4EOSC Kick-Off Meeting 

The partners and participants in the CDIF4EOSC project will hold the project’s formal, internal and Kick-Off Meeting online on Weds 3 June.  More on that soon!  An interim CDIF4EOSC website is already available at https://cdif4eosc.eu and the project’s CORDIS entry can be found here.

Later this month, the benchmark version 1.1 of the CDIF Book will be released alongside a production platform.

An important raft of substantive deliverables will be released at the end of February 2027.  The will comprise, D1.1: charting the roadmap for the CDIF4EOSC Playbook, D2.1 presenting the findings of the Data Quality Work Package, D5.1 outlining the findings of the Use Cases requirements analysis and D6.1, offering a guide for integration and adoption within EOSC.

More on the CDIF4EOSC’s dissemination activities, stakeholder forum and much more soon!  Watch this space!

The post CDIF4EOSC is Underway! appeared first on CODATA, Committee on Data of the ISC.

El Niño likely to return: the case for early action

Climate models point to a likely return of El Niño by mid-2026. Its strength remains uncertain, but waiting for certainty can increase exposure to avoidable losses. History tells the risks; drought, agricultural collapse, and disease outbreaks, hitting poor and food insecure regions the hardest. Unfortunately, this return arrives with governments and households less resilient than before, and climate change pushing risks further. The priorities should be; turning climate forecasts into actionable ground-level decisions, early financing options, and strengthened coordination across sectors. The window for preparation and long term resilience opportunities is open.

How controlled burns can help save taxpayers billions

Indigenous nations have been clearing underbrush and trees or employing prescribed burns for centuries. A study published in Science confirms what land managers have long argued; preventing wildfires is cheaper than fighting them. Every dollar spent on clearing underbrush and trees, and prescribed burns avoided $3.73 in damage. Yet US federal policy has moved recently in the opposite direction, with suppression prioritised over prevention and one million fewer forest acres with prevention measures adopted in 2025 than 2024. Wildfire prevention can also bring benefits for ecology and recreation, however, not everyone is in support of the tactic.

Tulane researchers say Louisiana could lead global climate adaptation efforts

Louisiana is losing land faster than almost anywhere on Earth. New research published in Nature Sustainability has identified an ancient shoreline roughly 30 miles north of New Orleans, which formed 125,000 years ago when temperatures were just 0.5-1.5°C warmer than preindustrial levels. With global temperatures now approaching that 1.5°C threshold, a similar retreat may already be locked in. The authors are clear in that this does not have to be an inevitable disaster. An early start with planned, managed relocation, can transform retreat into renewal. Sweden’s city of Kiruna, currently relocating 6,000 residents due to mining activity, proves it can be done. The window to plan is open, but it will not stay open for long.

From forecasts to futures: how Ugandan communities are turning early warnings into everyday action

In Uganda’s flood-prone Kamuli and drought-affected Pakwach districts, the Water at the Heart of Climate Action (WHCA) programme is transforming how communities prepare for climate hazards. Launched in 2024, WHCA unites government agencies, the Uganda Red Cross Society, and humanitarian partners to build community-rooted early warning systems. Recognising that “people know their risks better than any map,” the programme began by listening, engaging over 3,000 participants to shape its roadmap. At the heart of the programme is training the community and trusted groups, because “when people hear advice from their church or local radio, they act faster”. Ultimately, WHCA aims to turn early warning into an everyday culture of preparedness, leading the way in learning to live with climate hazards.

Cities are rehearsing for deadly heat. Will it help when disaster comes?

In a tunnel beneath Paris, kept at a cool 18°C, schoolchildren acted to simulate the chaos of a 50°C heatwave. They faked food poisoning from spoiled refrigerated goods and carbon monoxide leaks from emergency generators. Above ground, firefighters and city officials worked through the cascading failures such heat would trigger across power, transport and health systems. The drill led to 50 recommendations now embedded in Paris’ Climate Action Plan, with a few other cities following suite. The lessons learnt being that a heat action plan on paper is not the same as knowing how to execute it under pressure, and residents (not just officials) must be prepared.

The post Disaster Risk Reduction and Open Data Newsletter: May 2026 Edition appeared first on CODATA, Committee on Data of the ISC.

Why disaster risk financing must evolve to meet the climate crisis

Climate-related disasters are increasing in frequency and severity, while global adaptation and resilience finance remains largely reactive and far below estimated needs. Evidence shows finance flows often rise only after disaster losses occur, reinforcing a cycle of response rather than prevention. The analysis highlights mismatches between current adaptation funding and projected requirements, alongside findings that policy uncertainty discourages private investment. Financial instruments such as parametric insurance, catastrophe bonds, and blended finance are used in regions including the Caribbean, Pacific, and parts of Asia, but remain underutilised globally. Examples from Mexico, Indonesia, Kenya, and the Philippines show how pre-arranged disaster risk financing enables faster, more predictable responses to climate shocks.

CDIF4EOSC: watch this space!

CODATA has advanced with the Grant Agreement Preparation process with the European Commission for CDIF4EOSC, a three‑year project aimed at strengthening cross‑domain interoperability within the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). Building on the existing Cross‑Domain Interoperability Framework, the project will extend recommendations through profiles, guidelines, and use‑case examples to produce an actionable playbook supporting FAIR integration across EOSC and related data spaces. CDIF4EOSC will promote a FAIR‑by‑design approach to digital objects, supported by AI‑assisted FAIRification tools and tested through use cases in ocean science, climate adaptation, and safe and sustainable materials. With a total budget of €8 million, the project brings together a large European consortium and targets direct integration with EOSC Federation Nodes and Common European Data Spaces.

Unlocking the Economic Dividend of Resilience Investment

Resilience spending isn’t just “avoiding future damage”—it can be an economic stimulus right now. Resilience investment is often sold as insurance against tomorrow’s disasters. Tonkin + Taylor says that framing is too narrow—and it slows action when budgets are tight. Instead of counting only “avoided losses” from floods, slips, or coastal inundation, it urges decision-makers to capture the “triple dividend”: preventing damage, unlocking economic and development gains (jobs, growth, business confidence), and delivering social and environmental benefits that accrue even if no disaster strikes. It points to New Zealand’s long history of flood protection, noting assets valued at $3.6b delivering $13b in benefits each year. With public funding constrained, it backs beneficiary‑pays and value‑capture tools, and faster property-level upgrades supported by insurance and low-interest finance.

Systemic risk is the hidden tax on growth: insurance can help

Systemic risk is increasingly shaping economic growth as climate shocks, geopolitical disruption, public‑health crises and technology concentration collide. The article argues these risks often begin invisibly, raising capital costs, discouraging innovation and weakening resilience until they cascade into crises, as COVID‑19 demonstrated. Climate disasters are widening insurance “protection gaps” as coverage retreats in higher‑risk areas, affecting property markets and investment. Supply‑chain shocks and threatened shipping choke points add volatility and inflation pressure, while AI’s reliance on concentrated data centres and semiconductor supply chains creates fragile failure points. The proposed shift positions insurance as a growth stabiliser through risk modelling and risk‑sharing, early warning, incentives for adaptation, and public‑private risk pools.

Building the Market for Resilience: A new opportunity for financial institutions

Insured losses from natural catastrophes have exceeded $100 billion for six straight years. Banks in emerging markets are already seeing the consequences through higher loan defaults, weakened collateral after repeated storms, and uninsured small businesses. Adaptation is no longer primarily a government responsibility, as firms are investing in resilience to protect assets, operations, and supply chains. With resilience solutions markets growing, financial institutions can accelerate the shift by integrating physical climate risk into credit and investment decisions, financing resilience through debt and equity, and using tools like contingent finance and resilience bonds. As more countries publish National Adaptation Plans and clearer taxonomies emerge, early-mover banks could help unlock a $130 billion-a-year resilience financing opportunity by 2030.

AI and drones team up to find climate-resilient wheat

AI and drones are helping wheat breeders find varieties that stay productive as weather becomes more erratic. A 2026 study tracked 64 durum wheat varieties in Mediterranean conditions, comparing irrigated plots with rainfed fields. Drones carrying multispectral and thermal sensors captured early signs of plant stress and moisture, and AI models used that data to predict not only yield but “production stability” across good and bad seasons. The key finding challenges a common assumption: staying green late into the season did not reliably boost yields and could reduce stability. Instead, the most resilient performers showed vigorous early growth and earlier maturation, helping them avoid late-season heat and drought.

How AI’s language barrier limits climate disaster responses

AI is increasingly used by governments and organisations to scan social media for early warning signals during floods, heatwaves and other climate emergencies, but a major blind spot is language as it’s actually used online. Posts often rely on code switching, slang, Pidgin, sarcasm, and locally shared cues of urgency, so an AI trained on western‑centric, standard English data can misread a genuine call for help as casual commentary. That cultural fingerprint in training data can systematically diminish underrepresented voices in developing countries, with real consequences when misinterpretation delays response and puts lives and property at risk. The fix is practical: train and test models on real regional posts, and build systems that recognize cultural context and urgency signals.

Read the full newsletter here

The post Read Now – Disaster Risk Reduction and Open Data Newsletter: April 2026 Edition appeared first on CODATA, Committee on Data of the ISC.