General
You can apply for storage space for a (sub)project (which exceeds the default storage quota or is to be used in S3 or WORM resources) via the Coscine-JARDS platform. This application process is necessary to ensure that the DataStorage.nrw storage platform is used appropriately and in accordance with the FAIR principles.
JARDS (Joint Application, Review, and Dispatch Service) is a software system designed and used for the allocation of computing time or storage and data processing resources. Since July 2023, Coscine has been using its own JARDS instance (Coscine-JARDS) for the allocation of storage resources on DataStorage.nrw.
Storage space request preparations
Before you submit a storage space request, you must go through the following checklist:
- Check whether you are authorised to request storage space (students and external users cannot request storage space; only the authorised supervisor or project leader may do so).
- Create a project and any associated sub-projects in Coscine (see Create project and [Sub-projects]).
- Calculate how much storage space you will need for the main project and the respective sub-projects.
- Decide how you wish to store the metadata. Select existing metadata profiles for the planned resources or create your own (see Metadata and Metadata profiles). The metadata profile must be created before submitting the storage space request.
- Please contact your organisation’s FDM team if your storage requirements exceed 125 TB. In this case, a scientific review is required.
Storage space application: The process
Two technical reviews are carried out for each storage space request. If the requested storage space exceeds 125 TB, an additional scientific review is required. In this case, we recommend consulting the FDM team at your organisation!
Technical Reviews
Once you have completed all the necessary preparations, you can submit a storage space request via the Coscine-JARDS platform. You can find a step-by-step instructions here.
The process involves the storage space request being assessed in a technical review by a Storage Reviewer from your home organisation and a reviewer from another participating university. The Storage Reviewer from your home organisation will contact you if they have any queries. Please note that the reviews and the allocation of storage space may take up to four weeks.
If the review of the storage space application is successful, the Coordination Team for Coscine-JARDS Storage Space Applications will allocate the requested quota to your project. You will receive a confirmation email as soon as the storage space is available for use.
If the assessment of your storage space application is negative, you will have two opportunities to submit a major revision (by copying and editing the application). If your application receives a negative assessment for a third time, it will be ultimately rejected.
Scientific review
For storage space applications exceeding 125 TB, a scientific review is required. The FDM team at your organisation will be involved in the process at an early stage, so it is best to contact them before submitting your application. In consultation with you, they will propose a person to the Coordination Team for Coscine-JARDS Storage Space Applications for the scientific review. This person must meet the following criteria:
- At least a doctoral degree
- Experience in the field in which the project is being carried out
- No direct collaboration with the project team
Once the technical reviews have been carried out, the Coordination Team for Coscine-JARDS Storage Space Applications will send an invitation to the proposed reviewer to undertake the scientific review, asking for a response within two weeks. Once the invitation has been accepted, the reviewer has one month to complete the review. If they are unable to do so, they may propose a suitable alternative reviewer. In total, the process can therefore take up to two months. Once the scientific review has been carried out, you will be informed of the outcome of the assessment. You will receive the completed assessment by email. It will also be attached to your Coscine-JARDS application.
If the review of the storage space application is successful, the Coordination Team for Coscine-JARDS Storage Space Applications will allocate the requested quota to your project.
If the assessment of your storage space application is negative, you will have two opportunities to submit a major revision (by copying and editing the application). If your application receives a negative assessment for a third time, it will be ultimately rejected.
Guidance on storage space requests
The Coscine Selection Policy explains the questions and terms contained in a storage space application, as well as the criteria for approval.
Figure 1 also shows the questions that [Storage Reviewers] use to assess storage requests during the technical review.
Figure 2 shows the questions that scientific reviewers use to assess storage space applications during the scientific review.
