The information below relates to the initial phase of the edikt project, which ended in May 2005. Information on the current phase is available via the edikt portal.


Overview

 

edikt – e-Science Data, Information and Knowledge Transformation – is an initiative at the National e-Science Centre to construct novel data management and interpretation software tools, tools which will underpin the seamless linking, management and interpretation of the vast amounts of data available on global networks. edikt will enable e-Scientists to harvest the knowledge hidden in the acres of data with which leading researchers work.

edikt has been funded through a Research Development Grant by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council – the largest such grant ever awarded by SHEFC. Fully funded for three years, it is hoped and anticipated that edikt will be extended for a further three years, during which central funding will tail off to be replaced by additional funding streams from academia and industry.

 

Aims and Goals

edikt will initially investigate the use of new database techniques in astronomy, bioinformatics, particle physics and in creating virtual global organisations using the new Open Grid Services Architecture. edikt ’s realm of enquiry will be at the Grid scale, the terabyte regime of data management, its goal to strain-test the computer science theories and techniques at this scale.

Working over time with a wider range of scientific areas, it is anticipated that edikt will develop generic spin-off technologies that may have commercial applications in Scotland and beyond in areas such as drug discovery, financial analysis and agricultural development. For this reason, a key component of the edikt team will be a dedicated commercialisation manager who will push out the benefits of edikt to industry and business.

 

Partners

The National e-Science Centre was established to lead the way in the development of e-Science in the United Kingdom through: leadership, coordination, international participation, training, stimulation, community building, research and development.

EPCC is a leading European centre of expertise in advanced research, technology transfer and the provision of advanced computing for industry, commerce and Universities.

       

Established in 1583, The University of Edinburgh is one of the largest universities in the United Kingdom, with a world-wide reputation for excellence in research and teaching in a wide range of disciplines.

Established in 1451, the University of Glasgow is one of the UK's leading universities with an international reputation for its research and teaching and an important role in the cultural and commercial life of the country.

       

The Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) is a non-departmental public body which supports the maintenance and further development of Scottish higher education institutions. SHEFC distributes more than £800 million each year of public money to 20 higher education institutions (HEIs) in Scotland for teaching and research.