HELMHOLTZ ASSOCIATION Dr. Susan Kentner Workshop on Joint Research Initiatives 8 September 2009 Berlin, 02/09/09 1
16 HELMHOLTZ RESEARCH CENTRES Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) Deutsches Zentrum fuer Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE) German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ) German Aerospace Centre (DLR) Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam (GFZ) GKSS Research Centre Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung (GSI) Helmholtz Center Berlin for Materials and Energy (HZB) Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) HelmholtzZentrum münchen German Research Centre for Environmental Health Institut für Plasmaphysik (IPP, associated member) Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Research Centre Jülich
COMMON RESEARCH INITIATIVES WITH NATIONAL RESEARCH ORGANISATIONS Lessons learned: Strategic, long-term approach needed to solve complex scientific and/or technological problems and global challenges Appropriate time frame (7-9 years or more) based on scale, number of partners, degree of interdisciplinarity Important to include all relevant stakeholders at all levels: e.g. funding agencies (EU, Member States, regions), research organisations and universities, social interest groups, regulatory bodies, industry Based on principle of autonomous implementation and self-monitoring as the responsibility of the stakeholders Themes and issues can be determined at political level, but definition and implementation of strategic research agenda (SRA) should include scientific community and other relevant stakeholders, with adequate resources for management Appropriate, flexible governance structures taking into account nature, scale and degree of interdisciplinarity of themes addressed
GENNESYS European partnership for research in nanomaterials comprising research labs, universities, industry and European research Infrastructures Key objectives: To identify future needs, opportunities and priorities in the field of nanomaterials science To pinpoint areas of research that will most benefit from joint research strategies with synchrotron radiation and neutron facilities To establish a strategic research programme in nanomaterials To provide evidence of the impact of the field and provide a forum for coordinated, community-wide communication amongst Basic researchers Industry Policy-makers The public PAGE 4
RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURES Long-term strategic research is performed with aid of research infrastructures (RI) Research is not covered by ESFRI or instruments in FP7 such as I3 measures Time scale from planning to dismantling is in the range of 20 years RI provide meeting points for scientists with similar scientific background and interests and a focal point for the formulation of SRA dealing with new scientific questions Many network-like RI from the ESFRI roadmap already have a managing board. A Joint Programming mechanism bringing together funding agencies and research community and managers would expedite realisation of the RI and provide a focus for new SRA New RI networks could be created, with huge benefits in relation to cost PAGE 5
Why do we need the Alliance? To implement the SET Plan we have to tackle fragmentation and optimise resources: National research institutes represent a huge resource for Europe, both in terms of researchers and facilities BUT, even if they pursue similar objectives, they define strategies and work plans individually Sub-critical teams working on the same technologies, scattered across Europe (problem of unnecessary duplication) Collaboration at EU level is on a project-by-project basis ad hoc rather than systematic We need a different model of cooperation PAGE 6
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JOINT RESEARCH INITIATIVES: KEY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Is there a need for Joint Research Initiatives (JRI) as a new scheme in FP 8? Yes! Lessons learned from NoE confirm it: Combining excellence, strategic orientation, critical mass, top-quality equipment and infrastructures, long-term commitment and close cooperation amongst research organisations and other relevant stakeholders are essential elements for successful JRI - not covered to this extent by any other funding scheme at European level Would JRI be complementary to the existing initiatives and instruments? Yes! JRI meet research needs covered up to now only partially by NoE. Present handling of complex tasks via joint calls is too cumbersome and does not permit long-term strategic efforts How would you see the role of JRI in structuring ERA? Focal point for tackling grand challenges and identifying important new emerging themes, treated in a long-term concerted effort led by research organisations and incentivised through direct funding from EU Providing expertise and input to policymakers
JOINT RESEARCH INITIATIVES: KEY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS In your view, what should be the main features of JRI? Excellence of the participants Stepwise integration, including requirement of high degree of commitment for integration in later stages Formulation of joint SRA defining the scientific collaboration, including division of labour and contributions e.g. of infrastructure and equipment Long-term commitment (7-9 years) or longer, depending on nature and scale of theme or issue to be investigated, with adequate resources for management Small number of core partners (Tier 0), possibility for inclusion of further partners as needed for increasing outreach (Tier 1) under well-defined conditions, inclusion of associated partners as appropriate Substantial own contributions of the partners, complemented by sufficient level of funding as incentive for joint effort Flexible, transparent organisation and governance appropriate to theme, scale, number of partners, degree of interdisciplinarity