1. Research Infrastructures under FP7 and opportunities for marine sciences
Lorenza Saracco, DG RTD-B
ERA: Research Programmes and Capacity
Research Infrastructures Unit

2. European Research Area
ERA building blocks
Excellent research institutions and universities
Well-coordinated research programmes and priorities (joint programming)
Single labour market for researchers
European Research Area
World-class research infrastructures
Opening to the world through international cooperation in S&T
Effective sharing of knowledge 2

3. Importance of Research Infrastructures for Europe
At the core of the Research, Innovation, Education triangle
Extending the frontiers of knowledge
Supporting industrial innovation
Exchanging and transmitting knowledge
Training the next generation of top researchers
For their construction and operation: A European market of 9 billion Euro per year, with an annual growth of 5.5%

4. Objectives of the Community Research 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 interest needed by the European scientific community
Supporting programme implementation and policy development (e.g. international cooperation)

5. Definition of Research Infrastructures
Facilities, resources, and related services used by the scientific community for
Conducting leading-edge research
Knowledge transmission, knowledge exchanges and knowledge preservation
Includes
Major scientific equipment
Scientific collections, archives and structured information
ICT-based infrastructures
Entities of a unique nature, used for research
“Facilities”, “resources” or “services” that are used by the scientific community for the
development of leading-edge research at EU level
knowledge transmission, knowledge exchanges and knowledge preservation;
This definition covers major equipments, scientific archives and structured information, enabling ICT-based infrastructures, and any other entity of a unique nature used for research.

6. Share of RIs Built or Upgraded between 2001 and 2006
Research Infrastructures’ pattern is rapidly evolving in Europe
Share of RIs Built or Upgraded between 2001 and 2006
3,3
18,8
19,1
35,3
9,0
16,7
30,0
34,9
36,7
34,4
36,2
23,5
51,3
45,1
44,7 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Energy
Humanities
Engineering
Social Sciences
Nuclear and Particle Physics, Astronomy, Astrophysics
Environmental, Marine, Earth Sciences
Material Sciences
Computer and data treatment
Biomedical and Life Sciences
% RIs
built within these 5 years
built before 2000
but upgraded since then

7. Europe is faced with a wide spectrum of research infrastructure issues
From Globally unique to regionally distributed;
Many stakeholders (from ministries to researchers)
Underlying and growing use of e-infrastructures;
Opportunities but difficulties of interaction between basic research and industry…
Lack of funding (public and private);
Single countries do not have the critical mass or dimension; need to cooperate… 7

8. RI policy at EU level has no other choice than continuing reinforcing coordination
At national and regional,
At “variable geometry”,
At global level…
This explains the important role of ESFRI and others…
ESFRI E
urope
an S
trate
gy F
orum o
n Research Infrastructures

9. Towards a coherent policy for Research Infrastructures: ESFRI
A European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (launched in April 2002)
Brings together representatives of the 27 Member States, Associated States, and one representative of the European Commission (EC)
To discuss the long term vision at European level and to support the development of a European RI policy
A Roadmap Report with 44 projects
Worth ~20 B€ investments over the next ~10 years

10. Example: 7 pan-European projects identified to serve environmental Sciences in the 2006 ESFRI roadmap
Report 2006
IAGOS-ERI
AURORA BOREALIS
EMSO
LIFEWATCH
EURO-ARGO
March 2009
European Roadmap for Research Infrastructures

11. Few more projects identified in the 2008 roadmap update, for example…
Report 2008
EISCAT – 3D
EPOS
SIAEOS
EMBRC
March 2009
European Roadmap for Research Infrastructures

12. FP7 Research Infrastructures actions
Existing Infrastructures
Design studies
New Infrastructures
Construction (preparatory phase; construction phase)
Integrating activities
e-infrastructures
ESFRI Roadmap
Policy Development / Programme Implementation

13. Preparatory phase projects for the Construction of New (or major Upgrade) of Pan European Research Infrastructures
To provide a framework facilitating decision-making between partners from different countries
Work targeted at resolving bottlenecks and addressing most of the critical issues (legal, financial,..) that need to be resolved to allow the project moving forward
Technical work also possible but cannot be the core of the preparatory phase

14. Preparatory Phase facilitating financial engineering for new research infrastructures
Inclusion in Specific RTD Programme(s)
Inclusion in other DGs strategic plans
Stakeholders incl. EIROs
Member States
Inclusion in national Programmes
Projects
European Commission
EIB
RSFF
34 of the 35 ESFRI projects supported 14

15. Integrating Activity in FP7
Continuation of the successful FP6 instrument “I3”
3 to 10 M€ (15 M€ in exceptional cases)
up to 4 years
Collaboration of existing research infrastructures
Normally all major RI’s in Europe in one field
At least 3 MS or AS
Three types of activities are obligatory in one project
Networking Activities
Trans-national Access and/or Service Activities
Joint Research Activities

16. Trans-national Access and/or Service activities
Provide trans-national access to researchers or research teams to one or more infrastructures among those operated by the participants
"Hands on" access
Remote access: provision of reference material, sample analysis…
Remote access to distributed infrastructures: “trans-nationality” will not apply
Provide research infrastructures related services to the scientific community
Access to scientific services freely available through communication networks, e.g. databases available on the web

17. Trans-national Access and/or Service activities (cont’d)
Specific provisions for trans-national access activities are defined in Annex III to the GA
Access costs = unit cost x quantity of access provided (will not exceed 20% of costs of providing total access to the installation over the duration of the project)
An estimated unit cost will be specified in Annex I
EC financial contribution will be adjusted in the final financial statement (Form C) based on real UC
Specific provisions for access to services freely available on Internet are defined in SP 17
EC financial contribution for access costs will not exceed 20% of operating costs incurred over the duration of the project
the services offered must be assessed periodically by an external board of international experts in the field, appointed by the project and approved by the Commission.

18. FP 7 future calls 0verall strategy
Three calls for proposals for
A targeted approach
For each of the calls, a list of defined topics
Each topic corresponding to one project, e.g.: "Research Vessels", "Virus archives", "Historical archives“…
More topics will be published than can be funded to ensure competition
“Facilities”, “resources” or “services” that are used by the scientific community for the
development of leading-edge research at EU level
knowledge transmission, knowledge exchanges and knowledge preservation;
This definition covers major equipments, scientific archives and structured information, enabling ICT-based infrastructures, and any other entity of a unique nature used for research.

19. Identification of topics
A draft list of topics, based on:
Scientific landscapes established by ESFRI RWGs
Published national roadmaps (DK, FR, IE, NL, NO, ES, SE, UK; as well as third countries such as AU, USA)
Other policy documents (CERN, SCAR, etc.)
Currently funded I3/Integrating Activity projects and Coordination Actions (FP6 and FP7)
Input from last bottom-up calls
A one-day workshop with 40 high-level experts
Further input from other directorates / DGs / Programme Committee
“Facilities”, “resources” or “services” that are used by the scientific community for the
development of leading-edge research at EU level
knowledge transmission, knowledge exchanges and knowledge preservation;
This definition covers major equipments, scientific archives and structured information, enabling ICT-based infrastructures, and any other entity of a unique nature used for research.

20. Outcome of the work 79 topics in 6 fields…divided in three calls
Environmental sciences and non nuclear energy
Life sciences
Mathematics, computer-related sciences, data
Social sciences and humanities
Physics, astronomy, nuclear / particle physics
Analytical facilities and engineering
Environmental sciences and energy
16 topics environment, 7 topics energy: 29% of the total of the number of topics!
“Facilities”, “resources” or “services” that are used by the scientific community for the
development of leading-edge research at EU level
knowledge transmission, knowledge exchanges and knowledge preservation;
This definition covers major equipments, scientific archives and structured information, enabling ICT-based infrastructures, and any other entity of a unique nature used for research.

21. Distribution of the topics between calls
Call A (WP 2010)
Published Jul. 2009
Call B (WP 2011)
Autumn 2010
Call C (WP 2012)
Jan. 2012
Budget: ~90 M€
Budget: ~ 160 M€
Budget: ~ 100 M€
35 topics
Expected number of funded projects: ~ 18-20
21 topics
Expected number of funded projects: ~ 10
23 topics
Expected number of funded projects: ~ 12

22. WP 2010 (call A): environment
Topics for new communities (I3) include:
Long-term ecosystems research network of sites and experimental platforms, for multidisciplinary research and data collection
RI for polar research: interdisciplinary 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
“Facilities”, “resources” or “services” that are used by the scientific community for the
development of leading-edge research at EU level
knowledge transmission, knowledge exchanges and knowledge preservation;
This definition covers major equipments, scientific archives and structured information, enabling ICT-based infrastructures, and any other entity of a unique nature used for research.

23. WP 2011 (call B): environment
Topics with existing I3 projects in the RI program
Multidisciplinary ocean, marine & coastal data centres
RI for carbon cycle observation
Topics for new communities :
Observatories and data centres for biodiversity research
I n d i c a t i v e
WP 2012 (call C): environment
Topics with existing I3 projects in the RI program
Research vessels
Integrated marine stations supporting research on aquatic ecosystems based on mesocosm studies
RIs for earth systems modelling
“Facilities”, “resources” or “services” that are used by the scientific community for the
development of leading-edge research at EU level
knowledge transmission, knowledge exchanges and knowledge preservation;
This definition covers major equipments, scientific archives and structured information, enabling ICT-based infrastructures, and any other entity of a unique nature used for research.

24. RIs for Marine sciences FP6-FP7 projects
Geo-Seas 4.9 m€
Assemble 8.7 m€
More than 52 M€
FP7 I3
Eurofleets 7.2 m€
Mesoaqua 3.5 m€
Upg BlackS.Scene 3.4 m€
Euro Argo 3 m€
Aurora Borealis, 4.5 m€
FP 7 PP
EMSO 3.9 m€
FP6 I3
SeaDataNet 8.7 m€
BlackSeaSCENE, 2 m€
FP6 CA
FP7 - Call B: IA
CeMACE 1 m€
FP6 CNI/DS
FP7 - Call A: PP/IA
DesignAct 0.5 m€
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014

25. Conclusions Research Infrastructure action support to Marine sciences
Well represented in the ESFRI roadmap
FP7 funding of 3 « Preparatory Phase » projects and more projects to come in the next call
FP7 funding of 4 « Integrating Activity » projects and one « e-Infrastructure » project
Future IA topics for the next FP7 calls for proposals 25

26. For further information
Research Infrastructures in Europa
ESFRI on CORDIS
FP7 and Capacities Specific Programme
Research Infrastructures on CORDIS (FP6) 26