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standardisation euroCRIS and CASRAI wish to find an optimum balance and propose an integrated standards-based platform combining the strengths of both organizations into a solution. The ultimate aim of this collaboration is to promote adoption of the platform in countries around the world to advance research interoperability on a global scale. A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by both parties.

VIVO http://vivoweb.org/ is an open source ontology and software system designed at Cornell University for researchers and used in many universities in the USA that has attracted interest more widely internationally. It is based on the Semantic Web / Linked Open Data concept. This partnership brings together two major approaches to making interlinked information on research available. Researchers, managers, funding

organizations and innovators will benefit from the availability of both VIVO-based semantic web / linked data browsing and CERIF-based formalized querying and processing. A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by both parties. euroCRIS and VIVO structure their cooperation in three aspects: (a) Interoperation and convergence of semantics in the two systems; (b) interoperation of the systems to allow homogeneous access over heterogeneous research information systems; (c) Exploring utilizing the VIVO user interface for researchers as a ‘front-end’ to the CERIF research information storage environment.

Implemented CRIS In various countries projects involving euroCRIS members are underway, perhaps most noticeably in UK with the many JISC-funded projects in their RIM (Research Information Management) programme involving both universities and research funding organisations.

Commercial CERIF-CRIS vendors – notably Atira, Avedas and Symplectic (but not forgetting InfoScience Praha and Interway s.r.o. from Bratislava and some local developers) – have made many sales and there are now (estimate) over 200 CERIF-compatible CRIS systems. During this year both Elsevier and Thomson-Reuters delivered improved systems for aspects of research information management and are converging to CERIF.

Website Statistics over the year 2011 show that the euroCRIS website has achieved nearly 55,000 page views, which is an average of 150 page views per day (including the weekends). The number of unique visitors was over 20,000. On the average the website has attracted 32 first time visits every day. It is satisfying to see that 42.5% of the unique visits are return visits.

In addition to uploads of new CERIF releases and the output of membership meetings and seminar the most important implementations were a new euroCRIS brochure, a new Board gallery, a banner for “hot news”, the “Rome Declaration” and the announcement of CRIS 2012 with link to the conference website.

Discussion forums have been installed in the website members area. These forums will be used for communicating on topics: the discussion is being archived and can be consulted later again, whereas email communication is mostly getting lost in a deluge of unrelated messages. The forums have already been extensively tested and used by the Board. Preparatory work has been done for the Directory of Research Information Systems (DRIS) registration form, the DRIS database and Task Group areas.

Strategic September Seminar in Brussels

The purpose of the annual Strategic Seminar is to talk with strategic partners and to form policies. Participation is by invitation only and speakers and audience reflect expertise related to the topic.