CETAF is pleased to announce the launch of GEODERA, a new project led by the CETAF Earth Science Group (coordinated by Laura Tilley), in collaboration with TalTech – Tallinn University of Technology, with a team led by Olle Hints, and Meise Botanic Garden, represented by Patricia Mergen.
Funded by the EOSC Association Gravity programme, GEODERA is one of 23 projects selected to support the preparatory work of potential future EOSC nodes and expand the services offered through the EOSC Association.
GEODERA will deliver scientific use cases demonstrating how Earth Science collection data can be integrated into the EOSC Federation through the GeoCASe service and the EOSC Data Terra node. The project focuses on geological and palaeontological collections of high scientific and societal relevance, including specimens that document past climates, environmental change, natural hazards, and biodiversity dynamics across deep time.
Despite their importance for contemporary environmental research, these datasets remain underrepresented in EOSC and insufficiently connected to Earth observation infrastructures. GEODERA will address this gap by improving the accessibility and interoperability of selected GeoCASe datasets, optimising key metadata fields such as stratigraphic age, georeferencing, and provenance.
This integration will be demonstrated through two cross-domain use cases: paleoclimate reconstruction using fossil pollen archives, and geological specimens with stratigraphic constraints relevant to hazard and environmental change research.
By linking deep-time records with present-day environmental observations, GEODERA aims to extend the temporal depth of Earth observation systems and contribute to a better understanding of our planet’s future.
The EOSC Association
The EOSC Association is the legal entity established to govern the European Open Science Cloud. It was formed on 29 July 2020 with four founding members and has since grown to over 200 Members and Observers.
The Association membership is jointly responsible for delivering the objectives agreed in the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the European Union and the EOSC Association to form the official Partnership. The EOSC ecosystem is being co-created through funded projects and initiatives from Member States and Associated Countries.
The EOSC Association plays an important role in helping to coordinate and steer these investments through its Task Forces and other governance structures.
Under EOSC Gravity, twenty-three projects have been awarded nearly €1.15 million to support the preparatory work of potential future EOSC Nodes and expand the services offered through the EOSC Federation. The projects will hold their kick-off meeting on 6 May 2026, marking the formal start of a six-month implementation period.
More about the project here.
Official EOSC announcement.