1. Atmospheric Composition Change: A European NeTwork
ACCENT
Atmospheric Composition Change:
A European NeTwork

2. Call which can support ACCENT
1st call: 17 December Deadline 8 April
1.2. Atmospheric pollutants and their regional impacts
Integration of European atmospheric composition research. A common framework of co-ordination and communication to study regional and global change atmospheric processes, in particular those linked to biosphere/atmosphere exchanges, aerosols/clouds interactions and long range transport of pollutants. Assessment of the impact of pollutants on the regional air quality
To be implemented with NoE or IP

3. Overall goal of ACCENT
The overall goal of ACCENT is to establish Europe as the international leader in atmospheric change research, by establishing concrete means of communication and collaboration within the (whole) European scientific community in the field, and by reshaping the way it interacts with policy makers and the general public
A sound research effort in this broad and interdisciplinary field requires integration of various methodological approaches (laboratory and field experiments, ground- and satellite-based monitoring, modelling and development of new tools). This effort must also link across the different spatial scales (local, regional and global) and bridge the gap between applied and fundamental science

4. What the EC requires for a NoE
Jointly executed research
A scientific program carried out jointly by the participants is specifically requested, although funds are not provided for this
Integrating activities
Co-ordinate scientific programmes in a complementary way, sharing tools and facilities, exchange of personnel
Activities to spread excellence
Training of young scientists, dissemination of knowledge, dissemination and communication towards the public, understanding of science, exploitation of results, socio-economic evaluations

5. To keep in mind
The EC expects the NoE to last beyond the term of financing
The EC wants actual research to be done within the NoE (even if money is not provided for this scope and research should be funded by other sources, national or other EC activities)
The goal(s) of the NoE should be “ambitious” (i.e. no business-as-usual)

6. How can we cope with the requirements? Subprojects and Tasks
Jointly executed research
Four ACCENT subprojects (vertical structure) with their own organisation, addressing the very general issues described in the call
Integrating activities
ACCENT Managing Committee to establish a common agenda and fostering international (extra-Europe) collaboration
Three tasks (horizontal structure) with their own organisation, co-ordinating and executing the activities
Activities to spread excellence
Two tasks (reach-out structure) with their own organisation, co-ordinating and executing the activities

7. The structure of ACCENT
vertical structure (subprojects)
horizontal structure (tasks)
reach-out structure (tasks)
Aerosol-Cloud Interaction
Biosphere-Atmosphere
LRT and Transformations
Atmospheric Sustainability
Access to Information
Access to Infrastructures
Intercomparisons - QA/QC
Training and Education
Synthesising Research Results
ACCENT

8. Drafting group for proposal
Tentatively, some names are proposed to co-ordinate preparation of the subprojects/task program
There is a large overlapping of names since drafting group cannot be too large
Other names (groups) should be added in a second stage to have a more even representativity of:
big Institutions and small groups
disciplines
national, including accession/associated Countries
gender

9. Jointly executed research
Aerosol-Cloud Interaction (K. Noone, University of Stockholm)
Biosphere-Atmosphere Interaction (D. Fowler, CEH)
Long Range Transport and Transformation of Pollutants (P. Monks, University of Leicester)
Atmospheric Sustainability (K. Turner, University of East Anglia)

10. Centralised integrating activities
The ACCENT Managing Committee will:
promote a common research agenda
foster interaction with the outside international scientific community (IGAC, IPCC, WMO, etc.)
organise a European Conference on atmospheric composition change (biannual?)

11. Tasks for integration
Access to information and WEB portal (NILU & JRC)
emission inventories (C. Granier, CNRS)
measurements
field (networks and campaigns) (NILU)
laboratory (T. Cox, University of Cambridge)
models and model outputs (I. Isaksen, University of Oslo)
satellite and remote sensing (J. Burrows, University of Bremen)
Access to infrastructures (P. Monks, University of Leicester)
aircrafts (P. Monks, University of Leicester)
field stations (P. Laj, University of Clermont-Ferrand)
laboratory facilities (J. Hjorth, JRC)
Intercomparisons and QA/QC (A. Volz-Thomas, FZJ)
measurements (A. Volz-Thomas)
models (C. Granier & I. Isaksen)
integration models-measurements (C. Granier & I. Isaksen)

12. Tasks to spread excellence
Training and education (E. Schuepbach, University of Bern)
to create the new generation of atmospheric chemists, e-learning, atmospheric chemistry in school programs, etc.
Synthesising research results (NILU & JRC)
Creating consensus as a basis for policy making
link scientific knowledge to policy making, create points of contact with the society
Raising public knowledge and awareness
dissemination of information to the public directly and through the media

13. Duration, participants, funding
Duration of ACCENT should be 5 years
Funding can most probably be expected in the order of 8-10 M€
Ca. 50 Institutions should be involved to have:
equal share of big Institutions and small groups
representativity of disciplines
national representativity, including accession/associated Countries
gender representativity
But many more groups should be associated to ACCENT in order to be representative of European research in the field

14. Proposed ACCENT partnership
Two levels of participation can therefore be imagined:
Official Participants (those signing the contract with the EC)
Associated Participants (taking advantage of integration, can perform tasks paid by the NoE, possibility to eventually become members)

15. Official participants in ACCENT
The NoE has 4 subprojects and 5 tasks; imagining 4-6 groups as official participants per each subproject/task we end up with ca. 50 groups
Again, care should be taken to have:
equal share of big Institutions and small groups
representativity of disciplines
national representativity, including accession/associated Countries
gender representativity

16. Distribution of funding
Funding within ACCENT will be managed centrally and distributed to subproject/tasks according to annual planning
Subprojects will basically only get funding for meeting/reporting (20-25% of total budget)
Tasks will get funding for the execution (50-60%)
Funds for general management (20-25%)
In principle, there should not be difference in participation (and financing participation) to ACCENT activities between Partners and Associated Partners since both will benefit from “services” offered by the NoE and eventually get funding to perform activities for the NoE

17. Management of ACCENT
The centralised management of the funding calls for a strong consensus on the governance structure and the decisional process within the NoE
Governance structure:
General Assembly (one representative per official partner)
Managing Committee (subproject and task co-ordinators)
Co-ordinator
Practical operation of the NoE
Co-ordinator Office
Scientific Secretariat

18. Governance structure of the NoE
General Assembly
one representative per partner, meets once a year, discusses the evolution of the program of the NoE, and provides inputs to the Managing Committee
Managing Committee
Subprojects and Tasks Co-ordinators + ACCENT Co-ordinator (Country and gender representativity to be taken into account), meets at least twice a year and is responsible for the actual governance of the NoE.
Co-ordinator
administers and distributes funding received from EC on the basis of inputs of the Assembly and decisions of Managing Committee, chairs Managing Committee, intermediary between EC and NoE

19. Practical operation of the NoE
Co-ordinator Office
two units of personnel for secretariat and administration
Scientific Secretariat
2-3 units of personnel (either co-located or not with Co-ordinator office)
responsible of the day-by-day operation of the NoE
ensures efficient contacts among the ACCENT partners
prepares ACCENT reports
organises meetings, workshops and the Conference
organisation of training activities
etc.
Can be a partner or a company hired on a private basis

20. Committee of Representatives of National Funding Agencies
The EC wants to have a “governing board” of high level representatives of the participant organisations to oversee the integration of the participant’s activities
To cope with this request the suggestion is to form this board after the eventual approval of ACCENT. Membership can be discussed at a later time with national points of contact
ACCENT could finance an annual meeting of this body with the Managing Committee

21. NoE Evaluation Criteria
Relevance to the call (scientific and socio-economic)
Potential impact to strengthen and spread excellence
Excellence of participants
Degree of integration
Organisation and management