Winners e-Science and Technology
PORDATA is a free public service provided and promoted by the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation and responds to the growing need for credible statistical information. The database includes thousands of official statistics from more than 50 bodies. PORDATA started with a database for Portugal and more recently augmented its contents with another for Europe (including the USA and Japan, whenever possible). Data are displayed in an innovative and easy way, covering many subjects of public interest (such as Population, Education, Health, Economy, Environment and Science & Technology), within a time frame of up to five decades. In a just few clicks, the information is displayed in both static and dynamic tables or graphs. Indicators from different subjects can be added and cross-referenced in the same table and a variety of statistical operations can also be applied. Complete and detailed metadata is also available. PORDATA keeps up with technology like iphone, facebook and twitter, making facts easily available as you need them in different situations.
Blue Planet Network's program, Peer Water Exchange (PWX), is an online global platform and network of 90+ water, sanitation and hygiene funders and implementing organizations, designed to encourage collaboration, increase impact, and promote a cross-sector focus on project process and lessons learned. Nearly one billion people lack access to safe drinking water and 2.7 billion people lack access to a toilet. To solve these mammoth global challenges requires changes in the way the entire value chain operates. Through PWX, Blue Planet Network brings together all stakeholders in the water sector: funders, service providers, project implementers and beneficiaries. The web-based multimedia exchange platform enables stakeholders to adopt a new mindset and to collaborate in bringing safe drinking water and hygienic, dignified sanitation to all. The only scalable, map-driven, and transparent platform in the water sector, PWX is the first truly participatory decision-making system in development work, allowing empowered applicants to weigh in on funding decisions. All the data on the exchange is generated by the users. Blue Planet Network's PWX combines people, process, and technology to help make a sustainable dent in the global water crisis. Blue Planet Network is an award-winning nonprofit with a mission to exponentially increase the impact of safe drinking water and sanitation programs for people around the world. Since 2002, Blue Planet Network 90+ member organizations have equipped more than 830,000 people in 25 countries with safe drinking water and improved sanitation.
Discover Primary Science & Maths, together with its website www.primaryscience.ie, offers excellent and valuable resources for teachers and students in Irish primary schools. The programme helps large numbers of children to understand that science and maths are also about fun, discovery and adventure, and are fundamentally relevant to their everyday lives. Whole-school, hands-on training sessions via worksheets, games and experiments are provided for all teachers who wish to participate in the initiative. A range of resources are then supplied to participating classes. These include: - a pack of over 30 easy-to-follow science activities; - helpful hints for teachers; - explanations of the science behind each activity, and how the module relates to the SESE (social, environmental and scientific education) curriculum. Schools that take part and meet certain criteria are recognised with an Award of Science and Maths Excellence. Since the outset, the web has played a fundamental role in delivering the Discover Primary Science & Maths programme in both the Irish and English languages.
Scienexx looks like a simple magazine-style website for the interested public, but at closer look, is an amazing conglomerate of first-rate contents. As an internet magazine for popular science, scienexx provides extensive and up-to-date insights into the world of scientific discoveries and trends, backed by the prestigious Springer publishing house specializing in science magazines and books. Clear, understandable and competent, scienexx provides daily news, as well as weekly in-depth dossiers that provide background information looking beyond the boundaries of individual fields or subject areas. Each of the 500+ dossiers consists of a series of articles augmented by slide-shows, quizzes, interactive modules, image galleries, as well as TV- and book-tips. Current events are featured in the section “Earthview”: an interactive globe with clickable icons shows significant events happening in the world over recent days. Events of greater impact are covered by special portals, where all information can be accessed at a glance. The name “scienexx” draws on the words “science” and “connection”, emphasizing the direct link between research and the inquisitive public. Scienexx stands out with its clear “no-thrill” looks, well structured navigation and is provided for free WITHOUT advertising.
Renderfarm.fi– Making movies with a screensaver is the most accessible rendering platform available on the Internet. It is – and intends to remain - a completely free service that enables its users to render their animations or stills while engaging the computing power of volunteers from around the world. By using Renderfarm.fi, 3D artists and animators benefit from being able to use higher image quality and higher resolutions when rendering. Equally importantly, users participate in the rendering of stills and animations, regardless of whether or not they themselves are able to or even interested in learning about 3D modelling and animation. The stills and animations created can then later become parts of a movie that users help to create. Renderfarm.fi encourages everybody to take part in both the online community and collaborative rendering, and advocates the use of open licensing (especially Creative Commons), open values and sharing of resources over geographic borders.
