Operation of the DRC

Operation of the DRC

The DRC is led by the SPARC DRC Council, comprising the PIs of the 4 Cores and NIH. The Council meets regularly to discuss and decide on matters related to the joint strategy and operative governance across the four Cores. Details of Council operation and decision making are found in the SPARC DRC governance document.

DRC operations include standing committees who report to the Council. Each committee includes members of each of the Cores, project management support, SPARC investigators, plus outside expertise as needed.

• Communications Committee: Develops and implements SPARC communications.
• Change Control Boards (CCB):
  • DAT-Core CCB: Oversees development of the SPARC data platform to support SPARC users, including the Pennsieve Data Management Platform and the public SPARC data repository.
  • Portal CCB: Oversees development of the SPARC Portal based upon the roadmap and user priorities.
  • Flatmaps CCB: Oversees development sprints for the MAP-Core flatmap interface on the SPARC Portal, including the visual presentation of the connectivity knowledge contained in the SPARC Knowledge Graph within the flatmap interface.
• User teams: Committees representing different classes of users from both inside and outside of the SPARC Consortium who provide feedback and advice on SPARC platform development.
  • Team Blue: Advises on the data side of the SPARC Portal
  • Team Black: Advises on the development and helps with the improvement of existing functionality of o2S2PARC
  • Team Red: Provides high-level expert advice to help drive future development of MAP-Core visualizations and tools, and their use on the SPARC Portal.
• Data Standards Committee: Comprises SPARC-funded investigators responsible for approving data standards used in SPARC. Standards are recommended by K-Core based on SPARC needs and requirements of FAIR.
• User interface/User experience: Portal UI/UX efforts are led by Gazelle CX.
• SPARC Anatomical Working Group (SAWG): Anatomical experts who provide independent anatomical oversight of anatomical knowledge management for K-Core and MAP-Core.
  • Jackie Bresnahan, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco
  • Gary Mawe, PhD, Samuel W. Thayer Professor of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont
  • Bernard de Bono, M.D, PhD, Associate Professor, The University of Auckland - New Zealand
  • Maryann Martone, PhD, Professor Emerita of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego
  • Monique Surles-Zeigler, MS, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, San Diego
  • Jyl Boline, PhD, SPARC K-Core project manager, Informed Minds Inc., Walnut Creek