The CDS Closure Decision made by the EPSRC

On 11th October 2006 the EPSRC announced its intention to close the Chemical Database Service (CDS).

It also decided that the Service would cease operation with its full portfolio on 31 March 2007.
The gist of their decision was that from 1st April 2007 only the following would be available



The EPSRC guaranteed finance for continued direct user access to the above datasets until only 2010.

Essentially at that point all support for organic synthesis and related areas was lost.

The precise arrangements for the longer term access were initially unclear. However, a procurement process was to be set in train for the required services. The original expectation was that this process would not be complete by 1st April 2007, but that the transition to new arrangements would be completed by 1st October 2007.

The EPSRC asked the CDS to continue providing access to the relevant databases until the procurement was successfully completed. These interim arrangements were only to continue until the new provider was selected and the new arrangements adopted. The Service subsequently had EPSRC agreement to continue with a restricted portfolio for a longer period.

This meant that the CDS grant for provision of the Cambridge Structural Database,
Inorganic Crystal Structure Databases and DETHERM continued with interim funding
until 31st March 2008.

EPSRC Open Tender Exercise

During the summer of 2007 Research Councils' Procurement Organisation (RCPO) acting on behalf of the EPSRC published an open tender invitation in the European Journal. This invitation covered provision of Structural Chemistry and Thermophysical Property Databases. Applications from both commercial as well as higher education institutes were encouraged using a standard procurement route. There was no requirement in the call for specific databases, any systems which meet the requirements of the detailed specification relating to subject areas covered being eligible for consideration.

The Chemical Database Service submitted a tender proposal for service provision,
and we received formal notification that we were successful in late October 2007.

Our bid accepted by the EPSRC included the following components:


The New Contract arrangements came into operation 1st April 2008. The contract is for 3 years with a possibility of an extension to 4 or possibly 5 years. I-Lab provision, however, was to be reviewed after the first year. We have set up a web link where we will add details as they become available.

Exploration of Alternative Funding Sources

Despite the above Procurement Exercise the EPSRC has unfortunately not at any point been persuaded
to reverse its decision to terminate support for the organic synthesis and related database provision from
31st March 2007.

This created a most unsatisfactory situation. We made urgent efforts to establish an alternative funding mechanism for the organic synthesis and related database components. We were able to make arrangements for a brief extension for all major components. This lasted until the end of May 2007. We have been able to retain access to the SpecInfo/Specsurf system and the CrystMet crystallographic database under interim arrangements until 31st May 2008.

We explored the possibility of organising some form of subscription service for the remaining components, but obtaining reasonable terms with the major supplier has proved impossible.

The EPSRC has made a commitment to organise a proper review to examine broader chemoinformatic provision in the UK. However, the form and timescale for this review was as yet unclear.

It is quite possible that such a review will recommend a central facility which includes many of the attributes of the current CDS. However, in the interim the community may find that it has lost a valuable resource which once lost will be very difficult (and in some aspects impossible) to replace.

Further Background Information

An Official Announcement was released at the time on the EPSRC website, but this has now been removed.
Also personnel involved within the Chemistry Programme at the time have now moved to different departments
within the EPSRC.

However, questions or comments about the decisions made should be addressed to the EPSRC Manager
currently responsible in this area.

We believe that various decisions made by the EPSRC in 2006 were seriously flawed, but hope it may be possible to restore a number of the lost features.

A letter sent by Peter Willett to the EPSRC highlights a number of issues.
Professor Willett works in the Department of Information Studies
at the University of Sheffield and is an acknowledged world expert in
Chemoinformatics.

Other details and comments are included in the Winter 2006 CDS Newsletter
and the Autumn 2007 CDS Newsletter

Further information relating to the EPSRC decision and other background information is available in our Report Archive.

We are interested in hearing details of any comments you send to the EPSRC and the responses you receive.
Any such feedback and queries about specific data or components of the Service should be sent to the CDS Team.