Phoenix Bioinformatics is pleased to share the release of a new strategic plan to guide our actions going forward through 2027. The result of this work is the crystallization of what drives us as an organization. This new plan responds to the needs shared by the research community and our partners while building on the strengths of Phoenix Bioinformatics and the advancing capabilities of technology.

Our refined mission:

”Phoenix Bioinformatics advances high quality and financially sustainable digital research resources used by the scientific community to benefit society.”

Our updated vision:

“We envision a future in which a thriving and diverse ecosystem of digital research resources is responsive to the needs of researchers and society and is sustained by a range of funding models.”

This strategic plan comes at a pivotal time for changes in the research policy landscape. These changes range from national science funders across the world coordinating through groups like the Global Biodata Coalition, the US federal government issuing important guidance in the form of the August 25, 2022 memo by the Office of Science Technology and Policy (also known as the Nelson Memo), private foundations increasing their engagement through groups like the the Science Philanthropy Alliance and the Open Research Funders Group. Simultaneously, groups that support developers of digital research resources like the Research Data Alliance, the United States Research Software Engineer Association, and many others have created robust networks of practitioners in the data and research infrastructure space. Lastly, the technologies that link and underpin research workflows are rapidly maturing.

All of these developments create new opportunities and challenges for the research community. Phoenix Bioinformatics is excited to work with the research community to continue to advance the digital research resources we develop and cultivate services and understanding for a wide range of funding models for digital research resources.

Funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation provided essential support for the development of this five-year plan. This support allowed Phoenix Bioinformatics to bring in an expert to gather extensive information about community needs and to facilitate the work of stakeholders in charting this path forward. We are thankful for this pivotal support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Josh Young
Posted by Josh Young, Executive Director of Phoenix Bioinformatics