POWRE: Economic Models for Support of the Biological Database Infrastructure

目前存在于互联网上的数百个生物数据库构成了支持基础科学和应用科学、医学和生物技术的基础设施。 它们是重要的信息资源，代表着未来科学研究和技术应用竞争力的基本研究基础设施。 这一基础设施的迅速扩展及其新的便利性已经超过了科学界和商业界建立经济支持以长期维持这些资源的能力。 该项目将探讨维护、管理和进一步发展生物数据库基础设施的其他支助机制。 一个多学科小组将调查生物数据库开发人员的资金来源和稳定性;对明尼苏达大学生物催化/生物降解数据库（UM-BBD）、其他三个生物数据库和三个非对等群体信息基础系统进行基准测试，以分析信息基础设施的成本、价值创造和价值恢复，并为此类系统的经济建模建立起点;并开发至少一个经济模型，用于长期支持生物数据库基础设施。 在这个试点项目结束时，将通过将其应用于UM-BBD和其他生物数据库来验证。 如果成功，这一试点项目将有助于确保生物数据库基础设施的经济生存。

The hundreds of biological databases which currently exist on the Internet form the infrastructure which supports much present research in basic and applied science, medicine, and biotechnology. They are significant information resources that represent the fundamental research infrastructure for future competitiveness in scientific research and application of technology. The rapid expansion of this infrastructure and its new ease of access has outpaced the scientific and business communities' ability to establish economic support to maintain these resources over the long term. This project will explore alternative support mechanisms for the maintenance, curation and further development of the biological database infrastructure. A multi-disciplinary team will survey biological database developers on sources for and stability of their funding; benchmark the University of Minnesota Biocatalysis/Biodegradation Database (UM-BBD), URL -- http://dragon.labmed.umn.edu/index.html, three other biological databases, and three non-peer-group information- based systems, to analyze costs, value creation, and value recover in information-based infrastructures and establish a starting point for economic modeling of such systems; and develop at least one economic model for the long term support of the biological database infrastructure. At the end of this pilot project, one will be validated by applying it to the UM-BBD and other biological databases. If successful this pilot project will help assure the economic survival of the biological database infrastructure.