RWTH Celebrates Successful Completion of First Project Phase for the ErUM Data Hub
The ErUM Data Hub is a central networking and transfer point for digital transformation in the study of the universe and matter based at RWTH, and it can now look back on almost two successful years of operation. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and is headed by Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Martin Erdmann (RWTH), University Professor at the Institute of Physics III A (teaching and research area of experimental physics).
Around 20,000 scientists from various communities in Germany are involved in research into the universe and matter using large-scale equipment (ErUM for short in German): Astroparticle Physics, Elementary Particle Physics, Accelerator Physics, Research with Neutrons, Research with Synchrotron Radiation, Research with Nuclear Probes and Ion Beams, Hadron and Nuclear Physics and the Council of German Observatories. With the aim of meeting the challenges of digitalization in basic research in the natural sciences both quickly and in a future-oriented manner and promoting excellent research in and from Germany, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) established the ErUM-Data action plan as part of the framework programme “Exploring the Universe and Matter – ErUM.” This programme was published in 2017, and it is being funded with 120 million euros over a period of 10 years.
In order to effectively implement the strategic measures of the ErUM Data Action Plan, the ErUM Data Hub was set up as an office at RWTH Aachen University in spring 2022. It currently has seven employees, two of whom are full-time. The activities of the ErUM Data Hub are divided into four areas of work Networking, Exchange, Digital Skills and Communication. As a networking and transfer point, the ErUM Data Hub has been able to bring together scientists from various research areas who are jointly tackling the challenges and opportunities of big data. The knowledge gained here will play a key role in research into the universe and matter and will also play a role in many future everyday applications, such as in AI or medicine.
The ErUM Data Hub has been particularly successful in promoting the digital skills of (young) academics. Last year, for example, the ErUM Data Hub organized three Deep Learning Schools, two Deep Learning “Train-the-Trainer” workshops and expert workshops on the topics of “Big Data Analytics”, “Research Data Management”, “Next Generation Environment for Interoperable Data Analysis” and “Sustainability in ErUM Data” (an exciting journal publication has recently been published on the latter topic). In total, over 500 participants have already been reached since the ErUM Data Hub was launched – and the trend is rising.
The Deep Learning Schools organized by the ErUM Data Hub, which are aimed at researchers with little or no prior knowledge of the topic (Basic Concepts) and researchers with prior knowledge (Advanced Concepts), are particularly popular. The workshops take place in a pleasant atmosphere over four days at selected conference venues. The program includes various thematic blocks consisting of lectures and practical sessions. At the end of the workshop, participants can apply their newly acquired knowledge and benefit from teamwork in a “Challenge” project task. In addition to imparting content, the schools also focus on a lively exchange between participants. In addition to eating together, there is enough time for joint leisure activities such as the pub quiz organized by the ErUM Data Hub.
While the events organized from Aachen take place throughout Germany, the ErUM Data Hub was also presented to an international research audience for the first time a few months ago at the 26th International Conference on Computing in High Energy & Nuclear Physics (CHEP) in the USA.
This year, the ErUM Data Hub is organizing many more exciting events, including events at RWTH Aachen University in the summer – these events will take place in addition to the already established formats. In addition to a programming school, the PyHEP conference on the programming language Python in particle physics research will make a stop here. As such, the ErUM Data Hub will continue to contribute to raising Aachen’s profile as a networking and transfer center for digital transformation in the study of the universe and matter.