The open Metadata Initiative for Neuroscience Data Structures, short openMINDS, develops and maintains a set of metadata models for research products in the field of neuroscience. As research products, openMINDS considers data originating from human/animal studies or simulations (Dataset), computational models (Model), software tools (Software), as well as metadata/data models (MetaDataModel).

Currently, openMINDS has integrated the following metadata models:

• openMINDS_core metadata model contains schemas that can be used to describe the general origin, location and content of research products. The openMINDS_core schemas cover the basic integration of research products into the EBRAINS Knowledge Graph.
• openMINDS_SANDS metadata model contains schemas that can be used to identify and describe brain atlases, as well as describe the anatomical anchoring or registration of datasets to these brain atlases. The openMINDS_SANDS schemas cover the spatial integration of research products (in particular datasets) into the EBRAINS Atlases.
• openMINDS_controlledTerms is a collection of schemas and corresponding metadata (as JSON-LDs) for different specialized terminologies. Schemas of openMINDS_core as well as openMINDS_SANDS reference to these controlled terms. The provided metadata (JSON-LDs) for the different specialized terminologies link (where applicable) to a matching ontology term.

The openMINDS project is powered by HBP (Human Brain Project) and EBRAINS (European Brain ReseArch INfraStructure) and maintained by a small development team. Within EBRAINS, the openMINDS metadata models are adopted by the EBRAINS Knowledge Graph and Atlases.