Research Infrastructures Infodays in Greece maria.douka@cec.eu.int December 20 and 21, 2004
Definition of Research Infrastructures Facilities and resources that provide essential services to the research community in both academic and/or industrial domains single-sited - single resource at a single location distributed - a network of distributed resources, including Research Infrastructures based on Gridtype architectures virtual - the service being provided electronically
Examples of Research Infrastructures Singular large-scale research installations Collections, bio-banks, special habitats Libraries, databases Integrated arrays of research installations Communications networks, computing facilities Infrastructural centres of competence US Canada NeDAP China Japan Korea SILK Brazil
Research Infrastructures in FP6 Focussing and Integrating European Research (76%) Thematic priorities (64%) Specific activities covering a wider field of research (7%) Supporting policies and anticipating scientific and technological needs Horizontal research activities involving SMEs Specific measures in support of international cooperation Life sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health Information society technologies Nanotechnologies and nanosciences, knowledge-based multifunctional materials and new production processes and devices Aeronautics and space Food quality and safety Sustainable development, global change and ecosystems Citizens and governance in a knowledge-based society Non-nuclear activities of the JRC (4%) Structuring the ERA (15%) Strengthening the ERA foundations (2%) Research and innovation Human resources & mobility Research infrastructures Science and society Coordination of research activities Coherent development of research and innovation policies
Objectives of the Research Infrastructures programme Promote the development of a fabric of research infrastructures of the highest quality and performance in Europe Promote their optimum use on a European scale, based on the needs of the research community
Former actions Under FP2 and FP3: projects supporting Transnational Access to major Research Infrastructures Under FP4 and FP5: also networking and research projects
FP6 actions for Research Infrastructures (Area / Instrument) For existing infrastructures: - TA - Transnational Access (SSA) - IA - Integrating Activities Integrated Infrastructure Initiatives : I3 Co-ordination Actions : CA - CND - Communication Network Development (I3, CA, SSA) For new or major upgrade of infrastructures: - DS - Design Studies (SSA) - CNI - Construction of New Infrastructures (SSA) AM - Accompanying Measures (SSA)
Conditions for a EC support Scientific and Technological excellence (in any field of Science and Technology) Major Research Infrastructures (worldclass service) Need expressed by the scientific community European added value
The Research Infrastructures Calls Call 7: Grids (11 May 2005) Call 6: Consolidating Initiatives (15 Dec. 2004) Call 5: Transnational Access, Integrating Activities and AM (4 Nov. 2004) Call 4: Design Studies, Construction of New Infrastructures and AM (11 Nov. 2003) 145 25 55 138 225 M 100 Call 1: Transnational Access and Integrating Activities (17 Dec. 2002) 50 Call 3: Géant (6 June 2003) Call 2: Grids (17 Dec. 2002)
The current call FP6-2004-Infrastructures-5
FP6-2004-Infrastructures-5 Call outline (1) Publication date: 4 November 2004 All fields of S&T are covered Call deadline: 3 March 2005 Electronic submission only / Pre-notification Remote evaluation: March - April 2005 Panel meetings: Brussels, 9-13 May 2005 Results: available in July Negotiations: Sept. 2005 Dec. 2005 First contracts: January 2006
FP6-2004-Infrastructures-5 Call outline (2) Indicative budget: 145 million Integrating Activities (CA, I3): 126 million Transnational Access (SSA): 17 million Accompanying Measures (SSA): 2 million Expected proposals: 150 Integrating Activities (CA, I3): 50 Transnational Access (SSA): 70 Accompanying Measures (SSA): 30 3 ranking lists
Evaluation procedure Expert evaluators: 90 (+ Chairman + Independent Observer) 5 thematic sub-panels for Integrating Activities and Transnational Access One multidisciplinary subpanel for Accompanying Measures
Evaluation criteria General criteria: Relevance to the objectives of the programme Scientific and Technological excellence Quality of the management European added value More details in the revised Work Programme
Evaluation criteria Results from previous calls taken into account How? As an example: for I3s, criterion 3 of the evaluation (Fundamental Objectives) will include the extent to which infrastructures involved in similar activities have been funded in the contracts from the earlier call for Transnational Access and Integrating Activities
Transnational Access - SSA To support opportunities of access to individual major infrastructures (rare in Europe), for transnational user groups Financing covers up to 100% of the Access, Travel & Subsistence, and other related costs Contracts Typically 36 to 48 months EC contribution 100 to 750 k per year, not exceeding 20% of the operating costs of the infrastructure
Integrating Activities - I3 To integrate the European infrastructures of a specific scientific community, promoting their coherent use and development 3 mandatory groups of activities: Networking Activity to catalyse co-ordination and cooperation (common databases, virtual facilities, setting common protocols, training users ) Transnational Access to one or more infrastructures Joint Research Activities to improve (in quality and quantity) the service provided
Integrating Activities - I3 Financing covers: Up to 100% of the Networking activities Up to 100% of the Access, T&S and related costs Up to 50% of the Joint Research activities costs Contracts Typically 48 to 60 months EC contribution of several millions (average: 12) 25-200 k /year for each N.A. 100-750 k /year for each T.A. 0.4-5 M for each J.R.A.
Integrating Activities - CA To integrate the European infrastructures from a given class, by promoting their coherent use and development Networking activities only Financing up to 100% Contracts Typically 48 to 60 months EC contribution of a few millions (average: 1.8) 25-200 k /year for each Networking Activity
Accompanying Measure - SSA To sustain existing or future mechanisms for a coordinated approach to Research Infrastructures in Europe Financing up to 100% Contracts Typically 12 to 36 months EC contribution 50-100 k, for each measure
Accompanying Measure - SSA Database studies Foresight studies Exploratory workshops Round-table workshops
Main differences between the new call 5 and previous calls I3: All three activities (Networking, Access, Joint Research) are mandatory AM: Round-table workshops not supported General: Final threshold increased Some specific evaluation criteria modified (see revised Work Programme) Results from previous calls taken into account
AM, TA, CA and I3 projects selected in previous calls
Domain: Engineering, Energy & Nanotechnologies Acronym Area Instrument / Scheme EUROMAGNET High magnetic fields I3 MNT EUROPE Micro Nano Technologies I3 WISSMC HIGH FIELD RESEARCH Braun Submicron Center for research on semiconductor materials, devices & structures High magnetic fields installation TA TA ENGAS Environmental Gas Management TA SOLFACE High Flux SOLar FACilities for Europe TA SUSPOWER Sustainable Thermal Power Generation TA
Domain: Physics and Analytical facilities Acronym Area RADIONET Advanced Radio Astronomy in Europe I3 OPTICON Optical-Infrared Co-ordination Network for Astronomy I3 ILIAS Infrastructures for Astroparticle Science I3 HadronPhysics Study of Strongly Interacting Matter I3 CARE Coordinated Accelerator Research in Europe I3 EURONS EUROpean Nuclear Structure I3 LASERLAB- EUROPE Integrated European Laser Laboratories IA-SFS Synchrotron and Free Electron Laser Science I3 NMI3 Neutron Scattering and Muon Spectroscopy I3 EU-ARTECH Conservation of the European Cultural Heritage I3 EUROPLANET European Planetology Network CA ULTI Ultra Low Temperature Installation TA High Pressure The Structure and Properties of Materials at High Pressure Instrument / Scheme I3 TA
Domain: Life Sciences and Biotechnologies Acronym Area Instrument / Scheme EMMAINF European Mouse Mutant Archive Infrastructure I3 ENSCONET European Native Seed Conservation Network CA MAX-INF2 Macromolecular Crystallography Infrastructure CA
Domain: Environment and Earth Sciences Acronym Area Instrument / Scheme SYNTHESYS Collections and analytical facilities in Natural Sciences I3 EUFAR EUROCHAMP European fleet for airborne research in the field of environment and geo-sciences Simulation chambers for investigating atmospheric processes I3 I3 OASIS Optimising Access to SPOT infrastructure for Science TA ALOMAR EARI Arctic Lidar Observatory for Middle Atmosphere Research COSTAR Coal-mine Sites for Targeted Remediation Research TA SALVADORE Seismic Analysis of the Lithosphere TA ATANS Access To Abisko Scientific Research Station (ANS) TA TA
Domain: Computational Sciences, Mathematics, Socio-Economic Sciences and Humanities Acronym Area Instrument / Scheme HPC-EUROPA High Performance Computing I3 IHES Euro-prog mathematics, theoretical physics and other sciences TA NEURALCOMP Interdisciplinary Center for Neural Computation TA DIECM CIECM Disseminating the integrated European Census Microdata Coordinating the Integration of the European Census Microdata AM AM
Success rates for Integrating Activities and Transnational Access (call 1) 40% 30% 13/36 20% 7/29 8/42 34/ 154 10% 3/26 3/21 0% Engineering, Energy, Nanotechnologies Physics and Analytical Facilities Life Sci. and Biotechnologies. Environment and Earth Sci. Computational Sci., Mathematics, Socio-Economic Sci. and Humanities TOTAL
FP6-2005-Infrastructures-6 and FP6-2005-Infrastructures-7 Communication network development (managed by DG INFSO) 6: Consolidating initiatives (I3, CA, SSA) Closing 17 March 2005; budget: 25 million for user communities and for supporting international issues & science-related einfrastructure policies 7: Grid (I3, CA, SSA) initiatives Closing 7 September 2005; budget: 55 million should link and build upon existing ones in the same area
Further information Information on Research Infrastructures http://www.cordis.lu/infrastructures/ Call FP6-2004-Infrastructures-5 http://fp6.cordis.lu/infrastructures/calls.cfm FP6 funded projects (Infrastructures) http://www.cordis.lu/infrastructures/projects.htm Activities managed by DG INFSO http://www.cordis.lu/ist/rn/home.html
The Research Infrastructures in FP7
One of the 6 major axes in FP7 Stimulation of collaboration Joint research initiatives Human potential + Scientific infrastructures Competition for excellence Coordination between MS
Research Infrastructures in FP7: Two main lines of action Continuation and improvement of the current (mainly bottom-up ) approach for optimizing the access to and the use and performance of existing infrastructures Implementation of a strategic approach for developing new infrastructures of pan-european interest
Continuation, improvement and reinforcement of the existing schemes To optimise the use of infrastructures and to improve their performance Access to research infrastructures Integrating activities (networking, coordinated access, research activities) Communication Network Development Design Studies (for new infrastructures) Call for proposals and selection of proposals through a peer review system
The strategic approach Support for the development of future Research Infrastructures of EU interest based on: A strategic long term vision for Research Infrastructures roadmap(s) More targeted support for specific research infrastructure projects Increased use of financial engineering mechanisms to support such new infrastructures
A clear vision A clear vision of the needs for new research infrastructures in the medium long term should be defined as well as a corresponding roadmap. The European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) will play a major role in this context.
European roadmap for Research Infrastructures ESFRI will develop a roadmap for construction of new RIs for the next 10-20 years With a transparent methodology, recognized by all stakeholders Using agreed criteria (European dimension, needs of the scientific community, technological feasibility, ) Continuous process, with annual updates First results expected by mid 2005
ESFRI working method 3 Steering Groups are being set up : - Physical Sciences and Engineering - Biological and Medical Sciences - Social Sciences and Humanities A fourth group was already existing : - eirg, for e-infrastructures Dedicated Expert Groups may be set up Inputs also from national roadmaps, studies, industrial representative bodies, EIROforum, ESF, WHO,
List of priority projects Established by the Commission on the basis of the roadmap - balanced, periodically updated - with justifications for each pan-european project Using clear criteria (potential impact -Lisbon objectives, reduced fragmentation of efforts -, European partnership, timeliness, readiness, budgetary planning, quality of management, )
The operational mechanism A two-stage process within FP7 : Preparatory phase - through restricted calls targeted to the list of priority projects - for construction plans, legal organisation, management structure, Implementation phase - following successful first phase - for concrete construction and operation
An active Commission s role Acting as a facilitator for the overall projects - leveraging and catalysing action - financial engineering - legal framework Coordinating the Community instruments (Framework Programme, Structural Funds, EIB) and assessing consistency of actions Ensuring a close monitoring of the projects
Suggested calendar to consolidate an EU policy on RIs 1. Agreement on the approach 2. Consolidation of work 3. Analysis of current activities, vision for the future 4. Analysis of roadmap for new RIs and of operational mechanisms 5. Towards a Council resolution and presentation of specific programmes November 2004 December 2004 Spring 2005 Summer 2005 Autumn 2005
Further information ESFRI http://www.cordis.lu/era/infrastructures_forum.htm Future of Research preparing FP7 http://www.cordis.lu/era/fp7.htm http://www.cordis.lu/infrastructures/
Creating synergies between the Framework Programme and the Structural Funds The BONUS scheme
Reference to the «Bonus» Scheme in FP6 In the case of regions lagging in development, when a project receives the maximum intensity of co-financing authorised under this Programme or an overall grant, an additional contribution from the Structural Funds, pursuant to Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/99 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds, could be granted. Decision No 1513/2002/EC, Annex III.2 Detailed Rules for Financial Participation by the Community
Activities financed by the Structural Funds: the example of Infrastructures Construction, development and modernisation of infrastructure for scientific research at the university level, i.e.: libraries, laboratories and other facilities, Development or research parks and applied research centres for implementation of advanced technology Also Establishing and developing business incubator or technology transfer centres, Equipment aimed at applied research linked to industry, Support for innovative enterprises located in science and technology parks.
The available financial resources could be increased via the harmonisation of the planning for the use of the two funds Next steps New regulation on the Structural Funds: to be adopted and published in the OJ in 2005 The preparation of the Guidelines document: starting in 2005, will be published as a Communication from the Commission Urgency to raise awareness of organisations in charge of structural funds towards research needs and related projects in your region, Communication to be eased between different parts of national administration responsible for the management of the two different funds
Conditions of Eligibility for Applying to the «Bonus» Scheme You have to be: an FP6 contractor established in Objective 1 Region You have to respect: Structural Funds and State Aids Regulations Rules governing the 6th Framework Programme You have to take: Direct Contact with the Structural Funds Managing Authority in your country or region: http://europa.eu.int/comm/regional_policy/ma nage/authority/authority_en.cfm
Further information Regions and Structural Funds http://europa.eu.int/comm/regional_policy/sources /docoffic/official/communic/comm_en.htm http://www.cordis.lu/era/knowreg.htm http://www.cordis.lu/era/regions.htm http://www.innovating-regions.org/