VODAN-Africa News

Today, 11th August 2020, marks another landmark achievement in the mission of the Africa Implementation Network of the Virus Outbreak Data Network (VODAN-Africa), to FAIRify COVID-19 data in the continent. In a two-hour intensive workshop hosted by Charles Kahiro and Ivy Wachara of Ravel Works Africa and witnessed by data stewards and observers from Africa and Europe, the VODAN Africa team successfully deployed the third machine-actionable FAIR Data Point (FDP) at Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Lapai, (IBBUL), Niger State, North-Central Nigeria.

In a two-hour session hosted by Charles Kahiro and Ivy Wachira of Ravel Works, Africa, and witnessed by 33 participants which consist of Data Stewards and observers from Uganda, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Kenya, Tunisia, Zimbabwe and the United States, the Virus Outbreak Data Network (VODAN-Africa) initiative has installed a second Machine-actionable FAIR Data point for COVID-19 in Data Science Nigeria.

On this Metadata for Machine Workshop, we reviewed the installation of VODAN in a Box (VIB) for Kampala International University (KIU), M4M Metadata Components, and the FAIR Data Point as infrastructure.

In this workshop, Dr Erik Shultes and Dr Luiz Bonino, introduces VODAN in a Box, an an easy-to-deploy solution for capturing, storing and exposing data and metadata related to virus outbreaks. Support for local deployment of the complete solution, also data and metadata stay on wherever their owners/creators decide

In the first presentation, Dr. Erik Schultes, PhD, International Science Coordinator, GO FAIR International Support and Coordination Office demonstrated the deployment of the Kampala International University FAIR Data Point.

During this workshop, we took a deeper look into the nine (9) components of the Fair Data Points (FDPs). These components guide the configuration of the FDPs.

Here we explored the configuration of the VODAN Africa Fair Data Points. The technical session was anchored by Dr Erik Schultes, the International Science Coordinator, GO FAIR International Support and Coordination Office.

In the 9th webinar for the Metadata for Machine Workshop moderated by Charles Kahiro, the VODAN Africa team took stock of the journey so far since 28th April 2020 when the M4M workshop started.

In the this Metadata for Machine (M4M) workshop, Dr. Erik Schultes, PhD International Science Coordinator, GO FAIR International Support and Coordination Office reviewed the next phase of the M4M Webinar Series

On the 7th Metadata for Machine (M4M), we looked at the FAIRification of patient records, ontologies, linked data, and the World Health Organization Case Report Form (WHO-CRF).

On the 6th Metadata for Machine (M4M) Webinar Series, Dr. Erik Schultes, PhD International Science Coordinator, GO FAIR International Support and Coordination Office, and the VODAN Africa team reviewed the status of FAIR Data Point Installations in Uganda, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Tunisia

During this workshop, Dr. Erik Schultes, PhD, International Science Coordinator, GO FAIR International Support and Coordination Office trained the VODAN Africa team on FDP deployment blocks

On the final session of the VODAN Africa Webinar Series, we delved into the 'Role of Data in Decision Making', as it relates to the current COVID-19 crisis with a focus on Tunisia and Zimbabwe. Our Guest Speaker, Chair of the VODAN Africa Implementation Network, Dr. Mohammed Mpezamihigo, spoke on the VODAN Africa initiative now and beyond COVID- 19.

In the fourth session of M4M Workshop, Dr. Erik Schultes, PhD, International Science Coordinator, GO FAIR International Support and Coordination Office reviewed the status of the FAIR Data Point Installation in the various participating institutions.

During the second part of the VODAN Africa Webinar Series, we explore the role of data and data science in decision making, as it relates to the current COVID-19 crisis, social distancing in slums and how VODAN-Africa can contribute to understanding uneven effects and serve data-driven policies.

During the M4M Workshop Week 3, Dr. Erik Schultes, PhD, International Science Coordinator, GO FAIR International Support and Coordination Office focused on the formation of country-based FAIR Data Point (FDP) deployment teams and the progress report on the deployment of FDPs in participating countries.

In this webinar series hosted by Christine KirkPatrick from the San Diego Supuercomputer Center, presentations were made by Dr. Mouhamad Mpezamihigo, Chair, VODAN Africa Implementation Network (IN); Prof. Dr. Mirjam van Reisen, Global Coordinator; Prof. Francisca Oladipo, Executive Coordinator VODAN Africa.

In the second Metadata for Machine Workshop, Dr Erik Schultes, showed how Metadata augments the FAIR Data Point (FDP). He also explained that Adding M4M metadata components that customize the FDP to reflect the needs, policies, regulations of your community.

In this Workshop, Dr Luiz Bonino guided the VODAN Africa team on the installation of FAIR Data Point, a REST API and Web Client for creating, storing, and serving FAIR metadata

In the inaugural Metadata for Machine Workshop (M4M), Dr. Erik Schultes, PhD International Science Coordinator, GO FAIR International Support and Coordination Office gave an introduction to the FAIR guiding principles and FAIR Data Points.

In a three part series hosted by Christine KirkPatrick from the San Diego Supercomputer Center tagged, "Fighting COVID-19 by Mining Insights from Heterogeneous Datasets". The speakers were Peter Rose and Ilya Zaslavsky (SDSC, University of California, San Diego), Iris Shen, Principal Data Scientist (Microsoft Academic Team, Microsoft); Natalie Meyers, E-Research Librarian (Navari Center for Digital Scholarship, Hesburgh Library); Eric Morgan (Hesburgh Library, Notre Dame)

This is the inaugural meeting of VODAN Africa. Here discussion were made on the Training of Trainers (ToT) for the VODAN Africa Project. Country leads from Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Tunisia and Uganda made important presentations.

In a two part session hosted by Christine KirkPatrick of SanDiego Supercomputer Centre, Albert Mons and Luiz Bonino gave an insightful presentation on "VODAN: FAIR Data in action". In the 2nd session, Sergio Baranzini and Sharat Israni (University of California, San Francisco) did an expose on "The SARS-Cov-2-SPOKE Molecular Explorer: A Public Knowledge Graph Visualization Tool."

Prof Mirjam Van Reisen, the Global Coordinator VODAN Africa gave an outstanding presentation on the Data Stewardship Training of Trainers (ToT) programme. Click to read more...

In the presentation, Prof. Dr. Barend Mons, President of CODATA and Founder of GO FAIR gave an insightful presentation on Virus Outbreak Data Network (VODAN) and the use of FAIR Data Points as-a-service for data-driven disease outbreak tracking and research.