Transcript Slide 1

The Research
Infrastructures
in FP7
Research Infrastructures
Objectives
 Optimising the use and development of the
best research infrastructures in Europe;
 Helping to create in all fields of Science and
Technology new research infrastructures of
pan-European interest needed by the scientific
community
 to help industry to strengthen its base of
knowledge and its technological know how.
Research Infrastructures
Definition of
Research Infrastructures
 “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.
Research Infrastructures
Activities
Support for:
 Existing research infrastructures,
for optimizing the access to and the utilisation
and performance of such infrastructures
 New research infrastructures,
(incl. major upgrades) through the
implementation of a «strategic» approach
Research Infrastructures
a) Support to existing
research infrastructures
 both on a generic (bottom-up) basis and in
close cooperation with the thematic areas:
– transnational access
– integrating activities
– research e-infrastructure
 Call for proposals; selection through a peer
review system.
Research Infrastructures
b) Support to new research
infrastructures
 construction of new infrastructures and
major updates of existing ones,
based on the work conducted by ESFRI
notably, and whenever appropriate on the
basis of Article 171 of the Treaty
 design (and foresight) studies,
through a bottom-up approach, and by
funding exploratory awards and feasibility
studies for new infrastructures
Research Infrastructures
Need for a clear vision…
 Needs for new research infrastructures in the
medium–long term should be clearly defined
as well as a corresponding roadmap.
 The European Strategy Forum on
Research Infrastructures (ESFRI)
will play a major role in this context.
http://www.cordis.lu/esfri/
Research Infrastructures
Next steps
• April 2005: ESFRI „List of opportunities“
• Fall 2005: ESFRI „Roadmap“
• 2006 Commission „List of priority projects“
Research Infrastructures
The operational mechanism
to support construction in FP7
A two-stage process :
 The engineering phase
- through restricted calls
targeted to a list of priority projects
- for construction plans, legal organisation,
management structure, …
 Implementation phase
- following successful first phase
- engineering various financial instruments
Research Infrastructures
Clear Criteria for
new Research Infrastructures
 Added value of EU financial support
 Capacity to offer a service to users from the
scientific community at European level;
 Relevance at international level;
 Technological feasibility;
 Possibilities for European partnership and
commitment of major stakeholders;
 Construction and operating costs evaluated.
Research Infrastructures
Funding Schemes…
 On the basis of calls for proposals:
Collaborative projects, coordination and support
actions, combined as I3 as appropriate
 To support actions implemented through
Council and European Parliament decisions
on the basis of article 171 of the Treaty or
through the specific programme decisions, to
mobilise funding from different origin: national
funding, FP, SF, loans from EIB, and others
http://www.cordis.lu/infrastructures/
Research Infrastructures