The exact details of the schedule will be finalised as part of the project plan, but the following schedule has been established against the broad time constraints laid down by the JISC Programme.
The project will run from 1st June – 30th November 2012, and will comprise the following;

• 1 month scoping / design and initial relationship building
• 1 month on core system creation, CERIF conversion and storage
• 1 month for the preparation and ingest of equipment data
• 1 month to create a dissemination / harvesting / read API
• 1 month of interesting investigations, for example:

1. pingback mechanisms to allow a CRIS/IR to register a link between a research output and a piece of equipment in the database
2. a SWORD-based deposit mechanism to allow new pieces of equipment to be added to the database
3. connection to repositories via their authority control systems, so associate equipment in the database with the publication record

• 1 month evaluation and dissemination, examining and reporting on future sustainability options in liaison with the HE and research council communities.