1. Vanessa Pike, Head of Science Resources Department, NHM
SYNTHESYS Introduction & Overview
Vanessa Pike, Head of Science Resources Department, NHM
SYNTHESYS3 Final Meeting
NHM, London, 6-7 June 2017

2. How did we get here? FP4
It all started during the European Commission’s FP4 TMR Programme when natural history collections were recognised as “Infrastructures”
Our community nudged the door open with two modest access grants
Project ID: FMGE BIORESOURCE starting 1998
Project ID: FMGE PARSYST starting 1998
SYNTHESYS3 Final Meeting
NHM, London, 6-7 June 2017

3. How did we get here? FP5
Launch of FP5 featuring a ‘Human Potential’ Programme ( ) included calls for more access grants
Our collections-holding community seized these opportunities and applied successfully for funding
Six nations won contracts during 2000 – 2004, total value over € 5 m to provide transnational access
SYNTHESYS3 Final Meeting
NHM, London, 6-7 June 2017

4. How did we get here? FP5
All FP5 contracts had three common themes offering:
Access to extensive collections that largely focused on the colonial past in term of the strength of their historical content and research interests of current cohort of research staff
Support from taxonomic experts as hosts
Use of analytical instruments
SYNTHESYS3 Final Meeting
NHM, London, 6-7 June 2017

5. FP5 Successes: (BE-TAF predecessor )
ABC Access to Belgian collections of interest for biodiversity research
(RBINS )
HPRI-CT Nov Feb 2004 €
SYNTHESYS3 Final Meeting
NHM, London, 6-7 June 2017

6. FP5 Successes: (DK-TAF predecessor )
COBICE Copenhagen biosystematics centre
(University of Copenhagen)
HPRI-CT Jan Dec 2002 €
&
HPRI-CT Jan Feb 2004 €
SYNTHESYS3 Final Meeting
NHM, London, 6-7 June 2017

7. FP5 Successes (ES-TAF predecessor)
BIOD-IBERIA Iberian collections of fauna and flora
(CSIC)
HPRI-CT Nov Feb 2004 €
SYNTHESYS3 Final Meeting
NHM, London, 6-7 June 2017

8. FP5 Successes (FR-TAF predecessor )
COLPARSYST Paris museum national d'histoire naturelle: access to collections and resources
HPRI-CT Nov April 2004 €
SYNTHESYS3 Final Meeting
NHM, London, 6-7 June 2017

9. FP5 Successes (GB-TAF predecessor )
SYS-RESOURCE Increasing access for European researchers to systematics resources and analytical facilities
(NHM, Linnaean Society and RBG, Kew)
HPRI-CT May Apr 2002 €
&
HPRI-CT May Jan 2004 €
SYNTHESYS3 Final Meeting
NHM, London, 6-7 June 2017

10. FP5 Successes (SK-TAF predecessor)
HIGH LAT Access to naturhistoriska riksmuseet: high latitude
HPRI-CT Nov Jun 2004 €
SYNTHESYS3 Final Meeting
NHM, London, 6-7 June 2017

11. How did we get here? FP5 FP5 also offered ‘Thematic network’ grants
Our community saw the merit in working together on access problems, not least data sharing issues
ENHSIN European natural history specimen information network
HPRI-CT Jan Mar 2003 €
SYNTHESYS3 Final Meeting
NHM, London, 6-7 June 2017

12. FP5: ENHSIN
“The central aim is to enable the development of a shared, interoperable infrastructure of natural history specimen databases in European institutions. Although exciting developments have been made in producing frameworks for connecting global species databases (Species 2000) and for providing access to the wider content of European natural history collections (BioCISE), there is, at present, no corresponding approach to facilitate access to specimen data.” “ENHSIN is intended to fill this lacuna.”
SYNTHESYS3 Final Meeting
NHM, London, 6-7 June 2017

13. FP5: ENHSIN Consortium
Coordinator: NHM U.K. CSIC Spain FREIE UNIVERSITAET BERLIN Germany MUSEUM NATIONAL D'HISTOIRE NATURELLE France ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS KEW U.K. UNIVERSITEIT VAN AMSTERDAM Netherlands UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN Denmark
SYNTHESYS3 Final Meeting
NHM, London, 6-7 June 2017

14. FP5: ENHSIN
Key Output (2003): Software enabling access to sample databases was written and a prototype system was demonstrated on the ENHSIN website providing distributed access to seven databases
SYNTHESYS3 Final Meeting
NHM, London, 6-7 June 2017

15. Why am I telling you about FP4 & FP5?
A generation ago our institutions were offering access to visitors under EC funding and were beginning to confront the challenges of sharing specimen data with the wider user community
ENHSIN was the catalyst Infrastructure project that brought us all together
SYNTHESYS3 Final Meeting
NHM, London, 6-7 June 2017

16. FP6 & 7: Step change
Commission changed its approach, partly through the work of ESRFI (European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures, set up on 2002), the case for funding delivery a programme ‘Integrated Research Infrastructures’ across Europe was made
Provided a golden opportunity to increase the Collections access offer and fund further work on common issues through ‘Networking’ and ‘Research’
SYNTHESYS3 Final Meeting
NHM, London, 6-7 June 2017

17. Follow on from the successes in FP5
SYNTHESYS (FP6): 2004 – 2009
Networking and Access 13M€, 20 Partners (66 months)
SYNTHESYS2 (FP7): – 2013
JRA, Networking and Access 7.2M€, 20 Partners (48 months)
SYNTHESYS3 (FP7): – 2017
JRA, Networking and Access 8M€, 21 Partners (48 months)
SYNTHESYS3 Final Meeting
NHM, London, 6-7 June 2017

18. We have come a long way together: FP6 Networking Activities (NA)
NA - Collections standards (best practice development) NA - Developing and maintaining databases (data standards) NA - Developing storage and retrieval systems for new types of collections (sharing of disaster planning tools) NA – Complementarity (start of policy work) NA - Novel physical analytical methods in collections (sharing non-invasive imaging techniques)
SYNTHESYS3 Final Meeting
NHM, London, 6-7 June 2017

19. We have come a long way together: FP7 NA
Improving collections management
Provided performance Indicators in collections management
Quality assessment in collections management
Advanced training in collections management
SYNTHESYS3 Final Meeting
NHM, London, 6-7 June 2017

20. We have come a long way together: FP7 NA
Consolidating the Information Network of European Natural History Collection
Assisted institutions in implementing the developed “best practice” data standards for electronic data
Facilitated the technical access to specimen data for specialised User groups
SYNTHESYS3 Final Meeting
NHM, London, 6-7 June 2017

21. We have come a long way together: FP7 Joint Research Activity (JRA)
JRA: PrediCtoR software tool JRA: DNA libraries applicable to skeletal museum specimens JRA: Using micro-sampling techniques to minimise damage to specimens JRA: Plants/fungi optimised DNA extraction techniques JRA: Development of high-throughput methods for DNA isolation
SYNTHESYS3 Final Meeting
NHM, London, 6-7 June 2017

22. We have come a long way together: FP7 Joint Research Activity (JRA)
Enriching virtual collections so that they can be accessed for research purposes by a global user community
Enabling large-scale manipulation and integration of the virtual collection data, the collections also become both more accessible
SYNTHESYS3 Final Meeting
NHM, London, 6-7 June 2017

23. Synopsis of the story so far
>€ 33m of funding since FP5 in 2000
Since FP TAFs established with a unified mechanism for assessment and delivery of >50,000 visitor days to our User community
Provided a network for collections specialist to share best practice and develop tools for collections care, access and quality assessment
Funded research on liberating DNA from collections and accelerating the development of virtual collections
SYNTHESYS3 Final Meeting
NHM, London, 6-7 June 2017

24. What comes next?
Commission is limiting the funding for the advance infrastructure communities in favour of supporting newly formed communities
ESFRI roadmap is now providing our community with an opportunity to build a more sustainable virtual collection
Through DISSCO collections-holding institutions with commitment to digitising their collections now have a game plan to deliver a distributed system of scientific collections
SYNTHESYS3 Final Meeting
NHM, London, 6-7 June 2017

25. H2020 opportunity : Draft text
INFRAIA : Integrating Activities for Advanced Communities
“Natural history collections: This activity aims at integrating and improving access to key European Natural History collections and to their related instrumentation facilities. Emphasis should be on improving accessibility to collections to a wide range of scientists, on developing innovative research services to answer the needs of a broader scientific community of users from climate change to human health and food security, and on ensuring long term sustainability of the integrated services”
SYNTHESYS3 Final Meeting
NHM, London, 6-7 June 2017

26. Other H2020 themes in our panel?
Environmental and Earth Sciences
Research infrastructures for forest ecosystem and resources research
Research aircrafts for environmental and geo-science research
Research vessels
Research infrastructures for climate Earth system modelling
SYNTHESYS3 Final Meeting
NHM, London, 6-7 June 2017

27. Other H2020 Panels? Total 22 themes
Biological & Medical Sciences themes
Energy themes
Mathematics and ICT - 1 theme
Material Sciences, Analytical facilities & Engineering themes
Physical Sciences – 2 themes
Social Sciences & Humanities – 3 themes
Total 22 themes
SYNTHESYS3 Final Meeting
NHM, London, 6-7 June 2017

28. H2020 Call details Opening: 05 Dec 2017 Deadline: 22 Mar 2018
Call reference: INFRAIA (RIA)
Total budget available € 110m
“For communities which have received three or more grants in the past, the sustainability of the integrated research infrastructure services they provide at European level is improved”
SYNTHESYS3 Final Meeting
NHM, London, 6-7 June 2017

29. Quote from a recent Access User
“SYNTHESYS is an excellent opportunity to work on important material for my research……… I first visited MNCN 15 years ago with the funding BIODIBERIA. That visit has basically changed my life, giving me the opportunity to finish with my PhD due to the scientific knowledge I gained, and helping me to continue with my career .”
SYNTHESYS3 Final Meeting
NHM, London, 6-7 June 2017