CANARIE Research Middleware

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About CANARIE's Research Middleware Program

Currently, there is a gap in research middleware (research software platforms) that leaves many researchers unable to access and use valuable digital resources. In its previous mandate CANARIE addressed this gap through its Network-Enabled Platforms (NEP) program during its 2007-2012 mandate. In its current mandate, CANARIE will harvest the “best of breed” services from the NEPs and develop a toolkit of reusable services that will make the creation of new NEPs more rapid and cost-effective.

There are two components to the Research Middleware program:

  • Research Platform Interfaces (RPI) | This program will leverage services from the previous NEP program by creating a collection of platform services (RPIs) from existing NEPs to be used by multiple research platforms. As an example, an RPI could be an exceptionally effective data visualization tool, or a tool that harmonizes the formats of data from different sources so they may be easily accessed.
  • Network-Enabled Platforms (NEP) | This program will support the development of sophisticated software platforms that enable researchers to easily collaborate and access research data and tools. Development of these platforms will be accelerated through the use of Research Platform Interfaces.

Outcomes    

The anticipated outcomes for the Research Middleware program are:

  • a reduction in time required to develop a Network-Enabled Platform;
  • an expanded suite of Network-Enabled Platforms created based on the common toolkit provided by RPI;
  • a reduction in the time between funding grant and actual start of research; and
  • a first-mover advantage for Canadian researchers in managing and leveraging "Big Data," that will likely generate a spillover benefit in terms of the industrial and educational use of Big Data resources.