The document discusses Casrai, an initiative focused on standardizing administrative data from research. It notes that currently, administrative data about projects, funders, and outputs is siloed across different databases. This makes it difficult for researchers and institutions to connect, share information, and measure processes. Casrai aims to address this by creating an open standard for the contents of administrative data forms and APIs. This would make data sharing easier across institutions and nations. The benefits include reduced costs, better data practices through reuse of common models, and improved international exposure for researchers. Institutions and individuals are invited to join Casrai and help develop this standard.

1. Why Casrai?
Admin Data Networking
David Baker, Executive Director

2. Research is funded & performed in a complex ‘network-of-networks’
http://acn2013.dei.polimi.it/net.jpg
● Multiple teams
● Multiple disciplines
● Multiple institutions
● Multiple funders
● Multiple nations
● Multiple repositories
● Multiple vendors

3. Data is the network
● Research Data
○ data about the observable world used for research
purposes
● Administrative (Admin) Data
○ data about the research itself used for management
purposes
● Casrai is focused on admin data

4. Our data isn’t networking
● Key admin data about people, organizations,
projects, funders, equipment, outputs,
impacts is stuck or lost - all trapped in
thousands of database silos

5. Data Silo Costs
● Researchers and Teams
○ duplication and waste - cannot reuse information
they already have
○ lost opportunities - cannot connect themselves into
international peers
● Institutions and Funders
○ management blindness - cannot easily measure
their processes
○ vicious cycle - inadvertently adding to the burden

6. Software is complex and has many moving parts
http://www.workforceinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/complexity1.gif

7. These three parts are where all admin data sharing happens
Forms:
manual admin
data ‘inbox’
Reports:
manual admin
data ‘outbox’
APIs:
automated
admin data
‘inbox/outbox’

8. Casrai Innovation: an open blueprint for inbox/outbox contents
dictionary.casrai.org/

9. Benefits
● Easier data sharing
○ across southern African nations
○ with non-African research nations
● Better data practices
○ ‘data-first’ approach creates better data
○ reduced costs of collaboration
○ reuse common models
● Better international exposure
○ make you researchers discoverable

10. How your research teams will view Casrai

11. Casrai Approach
● nonprofit governance balancing
centralized protocols with decentralized
content development
● stakeholder-driven: institutions, libraries,
researchers, publishers, funders, vendors
● technology-neutral: any software can play,
no lock-in

12. Call to Action
● Join Casrai to learn more
○ free participation for individuals (info@casrai.org)
○ Contribute: bring an African perspective to work in
Europe and North America
○ Learn: test those models for application here
● Start a Content Network in Africa
○ develop a small network of like-minded
organizations (national or multinational approach)
○ start building African profiles

13. Join us!
casrai.org