Dear all

Enclosed is an official pre-warning of a forthcoming JISC funding 
circulars.  The first includes a call for proposals for making 
university museum content in the UK available electronically in 
partnership with academics.

Potential applicants would be well advised to attend the Town Meeting in
late November to learn more about the purpose of this funding call.
Further 
information updates will be posted on the jisc-assist mailbase list.

I will post more information about this when I have it.

David


On Fri, 22 Oct 1999 16:34:00 +0100 "Rachael CORRIE [7451]" 
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:


> 		Apologies for cross-circulation
> 
> 		***** Forthcoming JISC Circulars *****
> 
> 		The Joint Information Systems Committee plans to send
three
> circulars/invitations for bids out to the Higher Education Community
in
> early November 1999.  This notice is to forewarn HEIs and to allow
time for
> consideration.  This information is in draft form only and is
therefore
> subject to change.  The JISC cannot provide further information or
advice to
> HEIs until the full circulars are sent out.  JISC has recently
restructured
> its committees.  For more information:
> http://www.jisc.ac.uk/pub99/new_approach.html
> 
> 		The circulars will include call for bids covering the
> following topics:-
> 
> 		1.	From the JISC Committee for Electronic Resources
> (JCEI)
> 
> 		Developing the DNER for Learning and Teaching
> 
> 		The Funding Councils have recently given JISC the remit
to
> converge new learning environments with digital library developments.
At the
> same time, subject to HEFCE approval, significant funding  will be
made
> available over three years to improve the applicability of C&IT for
learning
> and teaching. As a first stage, a circular will be issued in early
November
> 1999 inviting institutions and/or consortia to submit full proposals
for
> projects to develop the Distributed National Electronic Resource (the
DNER),
> and thereby to extend the usefulness of JISC Services for learning and
> teaching.  The closing date will be 8 working weeks after circulation,
> taking into account the Christmas and Millennium period, i.e. towards
the
> end of January 2000.
> 		   
> 		The DNER is a managed environment for accessing quality
> assured information resources on the Internet available from many
sources.
> JCEI is developing a range of documents elaborating on its vision for
the
> DNER which will be available at the time the circular is issued. The
DNER
> vision document suggests that the DNER will continue to provide an
easily
> accessible, comprehensive information resource for use by learners,
teachers
> and researchers within and beyond the UK higher education community.  
> 
> 		The main objective of the DNER is to stimulate the use
of a
> collection of digital resources within all areas of the HE community.
To
> achieve this, the DNER will:
> 
> *	develop services, based on standards, that will enable users to
> identify the information they need and to access it easily in a
consistent
> manner;
> *	facilitate access and to contribute to other public resource
> networks and, through them, to enable the creation of a unified
resource
> base that will support the operation of a learning society throughout
the
> UK;
> *	facilitate access to resources at national level through
purchase
> and leasing arrangements and so achieve best value for the higher and
> further education community;
> *	play a leading role in the creation of an environment within
which
> development is stimulated at local, regional, and national levels
throughout
> the UK.
> 
> 		The circular will be structured as three complementary
> programme areas:
> 
> *	A: Implementation and development of the DNER,
> 
> *	B: JISC enhancements for learning and teaching,
> *	Enhancing JISC Services for learning and teaching
> *	Content issues for learning and teaching
> *	Digital Libraries in learning and teaching
> 
> *	C: Evaluation studies relating to both A and B above.
> 
> 		A "town meeting" is planned between those contemplating
> proposals to this Circular and JISC representatives, to allow
discussion of
> the programme and proposal requirements, with opportunities for
extended
> discussion. The meeting will be held towards the end of November (date
to be
> confirmed).  It is likely to be held in London but location may
actually
> depend on the numbers registering. Further details will be available
in the
> Circular.
> 
> 		A summary of areas where proposals are invited to
implement
> and develop the DNER is listed below:
> 
> *	JISC Services or others in conjunction with JISC Services to
further
> develop support for the DNER;
> *	The establishment of more subject, local and other kinds of
portals;
> *	Linking the DNER to associated infrastructure services such as
> document delivery;
> *	Browsers specifically tailored for the educational environment;
> *	Developing the range of brokers available to portals;
> *	Developing experience with alternatives to Z39.50;
> *	Encompassing, piloting and evaluating relevant technical
> developments for the use of different data types in the context of the
DNER;
> *	New developments providing access to a widening range of data
for
> scholarly purposes, such as cross browsing, semantic navigation, and
3-d
> search and retrieval.
> *	Evaluating portable electronic books, web books, digitised
books,
> and electronic reference materials.
> 
> 		A proposal is being considered by HEFCE to make
available
> funds to improve the relevance of JISC electronic resources for
learning and
> teaching.  If approved, a considerable number of bids will also be
sought
> against this as outlined in B above. 
> 		  
> 		Proposals will also be invited for formative evaluation
of
> the DNER, working closely with DNER developers in testing user
acceptance of
> the DNER and identifying improvement strategies.  Evaluation will also
be
> invited regarding the improvements generated through any funding
related to
> the use of JISC services and resources for learning and teaching. 

David Dawson
Museums New Technology Adviser, Museums and Galleries Commission
tel: 0171 233 4200, email [log in to unmask]

Visit our website at www.museums.gov.uk


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