About the project
The main aim of the OPEN-SciART project is to improve, expand and extend the analytical capabilities of the INFRA-ART Spectral Library.
Outcomes & Impact
Explore the key outcomes and tangible results of the OPEN-SciART project. From FAIR contributions within the field, to impactful dissemination efforts.
Blog
Explore educational resources on heritage science, covering topics like spectral data analysis and interpretation, material characterization, and more.
Project summary
The main aim of the OPEN-SciART project is the development of a state-of-the-art open-access digital product tailor-made to fit the necessities of the heritage science specialists that work with (portable) non- and minimally-invasive spectroscopic techniques and implicitly with spectral data. Starting from the current state of the INFRA-ART Spectral Library, an open-access integrated spectral library developed according to the FAIR Guiding Principles, new analytical and educational features will be designed and developed in order to provide new open-access online tools for increased and sustainable accessibility within the field of conservation and heritage science research. The concrete objectives of the OPEN-SciART project are as follows: (1) Database expansion, (2) Design and development of analytical tools, and (3) Design and development of educational resources. Taking into account the lack of similar open-access products available online, the potential impact of the project is significant. We believe that the upgrades and developments that the current grant proposal aims to achieve will consolidate and further develop the landscape of European research infrastructures dedicated to the heritage sciences. The scientific results of the project including the datasets (approx. 4000 spectra) obtained on new reference materials will be made open-access and available for direct download from the INFRA-ART Spectral Library web page as well as from an open-access repository.
Project objectives
Starting from the current state of the INFRA-ART Spectral Library, we plan to design, develop and implement several new features and functions, on three major directions
Database expansion with new references and new data types
The INFRA-ART spectral database will be expanded, on an ongoing basis, with approx. 600 new reference materials by the end of the project. New data types such as FORS will also be integrated within the database, while the FTIR, XRF, Raman and SWIR reflectance datasets will be expanded with spectra registered on new reference materials.
Design and development of FAIR data analytics tools
A range of web-based analytical toolsets will be designed and developed that will allow end-users to perform basic spectral analysis such as: peak search, peak measurement and spectral library search. This open analytical environment will provide extensive support for data analysis and interpretation while promoting data reuse.
Design and development of FAIR educational resources
Several digital educational resources and training materials such as video and paper tutorials focused on various topics heritage science related (e.g. applied spectroscopy basics, spectral data analysis and interpretation, material characterization and identification, etc.) will be developed and integrated within the INFRA-ART web page.
Project timeline
Explore the key milestones that mark the roadmap of the OPEN-SciART project
Dec 2024
project kickoff
May 2025
website redesign launch
Oct 2025
data analysis tools
Nov 2025
educational resources
Dec 2025
annual project report
Jun 2026
training resources
Sep 2026
data mining tools
Oct 2026
open data repository
Nov 2026
open workshop
Dec 2026
final project report
Principal investigator
Heritage scientist
Ioana Maria Cortea
Ioana holds a BS in Engineering Physics, an MS in Conservation Science and Technology for Cultural Heritage, and a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from the Politehnica University of Bucharest. Since 2012, she has worked as a heritage scientist within The National Institute of Research and Development for Optoelectronics INOE 2000, Centre of Excellence for Restoration by Optoelectronic Techniques (CERTO). Her research activity is mainly centred on the study of art and archaeological objects using non- and micro-invasive spectroscopic techniques, with a special focus on the analysis of polychrome works of art. Her other research interests include topics related to spectral databases, data curation, FAIR data management, and open science. She is a member of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy, the Coblenz Society, and the Research Data Alliance, among others.
During her postdoctoral research project, she designed and developed the INFRA-ART Spectral Library (https://infraart.inoe.ro/), an easy-to-use web-based resource that provides open-access to high-quality spectral data for the scientific analysis of pigments and other art-related materials.
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