GFF is heavily involved in the set up of the Virus Outbreak Data Access Network (VODAN). This GO FAIR Implementation Network will focus on making the SARS CoV-2 virus data FAIR, meaning that they are Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and thus Reusable by both humans and machines. The FAIRification will initially focus on the Clinical Research Form (CRF) model following the WHO standards. Multiple IN partners will create input forms that make it easy for local caregivers to create FAIR-CRF data in real time as a first step. As a second step, localized FAIR Data Points (FDP) will be set up via online work sessions. These FDP will host the FAIR data, thereby making it possible for algorithms to visit the data with a specific question. The data never leaves the FDP, but rather get visited by algorithms to answer questions and discover patterns in these data. This approach is already put to practise in several Personal Health Train (PHT) projects.
GFF was asked by Dutch funder ZonMw to lead a project to test the PHT method in a small pilot, using real world observation COVID -19 data from at least two countries affected by the virus, please see https://www.zonmw.nl/nl/actueel/nieuws/detail/item/start-datanetwerk-coronavirus/ (in Dutch)
Furthermore, the GO FAIR Foundation, Kampala International University and the Philips Foundation have teamed up in an effort to enable distributed access to the critical data needed from Africa to fight and contain the COVID-19 pandemic.