Hervé Pero, DG RTD-B ERA: Research Programmes and CapacityResearch Infrastructures Unit

Towards European research infrastructures?

Research Infrastructures (incl. e-infrastructures) are:

Facilities, resources, and related services usedby the scientific community for Conducting leading-edge research Knowledge transmission, exchange and preservation

Today Research Infrastructures include Major scientific equipment Scientific collections, archives, structured information ICT-based infrastructures

Excellence of research services generally subject to periodic evaluation by international scientific committee

• RIs not only at the root but also the future of Europe,

• The current situation is forcing Europe to quickly advance on research investments, which is twice virtuous (support to research + industry),

• A new way of managing research is emerging; this is a major challenge, not scientific but mainly political...

• Europe suffers from fragmentation, • therefore networking and integration is the

way for Europe,• More than half of the ESFRI facilities are of

distributed nature, which gives opportunities for regions, small & less research intensive countries to participate in joint projects,

• Networking spirit is a European strength, but cross country is a challenge to be faced...

RI policy at EU level has no other choice than continuing

reinforcing coordination

• At EU level, • At national and regional,• At “variable geometry”,• At global level…

This explains the importantrole of ESFRI and others…

ESFRI European Strategy Forum

on Research Infrastructures

ESFRI

• Launched in April 02 by Council of Research Ministers

• Representatives of the 27 Member and Associated States + one representative of the European Commission (EC)

• Links with e-IRG

The European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) has been set-up to help developing a true European policy

Environmental Sciences - 2006

AURORA BOREALIS

EURO-ARGO

COPAL

LIFEWATCH

ICOS

EMSO

IAGOS-ERI Rep

ort

2006

European Roadmap for Research Infrastructures March 2009

7 Projects

Environmental Sciences - update

EPOS

SIAEOS

EISCAT – 3D

3 Projects Rep

ort

2008

European Roadmap for Research Infrastructures March 2009

Scientific competition is today at world level

• Is Europe able to face the challenge?• Are member States

willing to think European?

• Concern! No ESFRI projectimplemented since Dec. 2006

Importance of a shared vision of ERA - with global dimension

Five initiatives in 2008a)Researchersb)Joint Programmingc) Research infrastructuresd)International S&T Cooperatione)Knowledge transfer and IP

management

Towards an ‘eco-system’ of Research Infrastructures within ERA

a)Large single-sited facilitiesb)Distributed European Facilitiesc) Regional Partner Facilitiesd)Network of national facilitiese)Linked with universities & schoolsf) Network of industrial suppliers /

users

Objectives of the CommunityResearch Infrastructures actions

Optimising the use and balanced development of the best existing research infrastructures in Europe

Helping to create in all fields of S & T new research infrastructures of pan-European interesto e.g. EMSO, ARGO, PRACE

Supporting policy development o e.g. ESFRI, e-IRG, impact studieso international cooperation

Integrating Activity in FP7

Continuation of the FP6 instrument “I3” Collaboration of existing research

infrastructures Normally all major RI’s in Europe in one field

Three types of obligatory activities Networking Activities Trans-national Access and/or Service

Activities Joint Research Activities

EC funds ~250 M€/y 2,5% of EU needs

About 300 RIs supported under FP

FP 7 future calls

Three calls for proposals for 2010-2013For WP2010 max. EC contribution 10M€, 4 years duration

A targeted approachFor each of the three calls, a list of defined

topicsEach topic corresponding to one project, Focus on strategic prioritiesMore topics will be published than can be

funded to ensure competition

78 topics in 6 fieldsEnvironmental sciences and non nuclear energyLife sciencesMathematics, computer-related sciences, dataSocial sciences and humanitiesPhysics, astronomy, nuclear-and particle

physicsAnalytical facilities and engineering

Corresponding to potential follow-up and opening the Research Infrastructure action for new communities

Environment related topics foreseen in each call

Identification of topics

Distribution of the topics between calls

Call A (WP 2010)Published Sep. 2009

Call B (WP 2011)Jan. 2011

Call C (WP 2012)Jan. 2012

36 topics

Expected number of funded projects: ~ 18-20

Budget: ~ 160 M€ Budget: ~ 100 M€ Budget: ~90 M€

21 topics

Expected number of funded projects: ~ 10

21 topics

Expected number of funded projects: ~ 12

WP 2010: topics environment (1)

Topics with existing Integrating Activity projects in the RI program

RI for long-term observation of aerosols, trace gases and clouds for atmospheric research

RI for natural hazards: seismic monitoring and seismology

RI for experimental hydraulic research on interaction of water with environment elements, of structures and on sediment dynamic, and on energy conversion

WP 2010: topics environment (2)

Topics for new communities for Integrating Activity projects

Long-term ecosystems research network of sites and experimental platforms, for multidisciplinary research and data collection

RI for polar research: interdusciplinary observation and monitoring stations including atmospheric, terrestrial and marine studies

RI for coastal research, including for integrated coastal zone management and planning

RI for water resource observation, water resource management, hydrological observation

WP 2011: topics environment

Topics with existing Integrating Activity projects in the RI program

Multidiciplinary ocean, marine and coastal data centres

RI for carbon cycle observation

Topics for new communities for Integrating Activity projects

Integrated observatories and data centres for biodiversity research

WP 2012: topics environment

Topics with existing Integrating Activity projects in the RI program

Research vesselsResearch aircrafts: generic multidisciplinary

RIsIntegrated marine stations supporting

research on aquatic ecosystems based on mesocosm studies

Atmospheric test chambers RIsRIs for earth systems modellingNatural history collections

• Pan-European interest means provision of unique laboratories or services, …

• … European scientific character should be based on the quality of research services they offer and the contributions they make to leading research efforts

• … also in terms of wider impacts (including "soft factors“)

Will IS-ENES help paving the way towards a pan-

European research infrastructure?

Evaluation criteriato be looked at…

E M I

ScienceFrontier research

Researchservices

Knowledgecreation

EuropeEU S&T

challenges GovernanceEuropean leadership

GrowthGrand

ChallengesResearch-innovation

bridge

Socio-economic impacts

Key for getting

structural funds

Will IS-ENES help paving the way towards an ‘eco-

system’ of Research Infrastructures?

a)Large single-sited facilitiesb)Distributed European Facilitiesc) Regional Partner Facilitiesd)Network of national facilitiese)Linked with universities & schoolsf) Network of industrial suppliers /

users

Let’s the ‘I3’ not forget the management of this ‘eco-system’

For further information

Research Infrastructures in Europa http://ec.europa.eu/research/infrastructures ESFRI on CORDIS http://cordis.europa.eu/esfri/

FP7 and Capacities Specific Programme http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/

http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/capacities/

Research Infrastructures on CORDIS (FP6) http://cordis.europa.eu/infrastructures/

All the best to IS-ENES !