The JISC, along with the NEH, NSF and SSHRC are funding the Digging into Data challenge.
Applicants were inivted to send expressions of interest so that the funding bodies could ensure that potential project teams were working within the parameters of the programme. After an FOI (Freedom of Information) request, JISC can reveal that 91 letters of intent were received that included JISC as a funding source. Only two of those were considered outside the scope of the competition parameters.
Given the huge interest that this call has generated, JISC is now looking to try and organise extra funding for this competition.
£200k has been allocated at the outset (enough for funding 2 projects at the maximum of £100k each). Nothing has been confirmed as yet but it is hoped that this can be raised to £400 – £500k.
UK partners can apply for up to £100k; project teams as a whole may apply for 300k units, where 1 GPB or USD or CD equals a unit
The closing date for applications is the 15th July, and applications are sent via http://www.diggingintodata.org/
In terms of further cycles of funding for this programme, the funding bodies will review the situation in 2010 and then decide what future work there will be in this area.