Trans National Access to Coastal Observatories
| Work package leader: CNR | |
| Contact: | Stefania Sparnocchia |
| Email address: | Please login or register to view contact information. |
Objectives:
The primary objective of this WP is to provide coordinated ‘free of charge’ trans-national access to researchers or research teams from academy and industry to original coastal infrastructures listed in the following section. These access opportunities will help to build long-term collaborations between users and JERICO-NEXT partners, and will serve to promote innovation and the transfer of know-how in the coastal marine sector that offers rich promise for the future.
Description of work
Modality of access (MoA) under this proposal: A user or a user group shall be given access to an infrastructure listed in this WP to test an instrument or collect data. Access will be provided according to either of the following modalities:
- MoA 1: Remote (the measuring system is implemented by the operator of the installation and the presence of the user group is not required);
- MoA 2: “In person/hands-on’ (the presence of the user group is required/recommended during the whole operation period);
- MoA 3: Partially remote (the presence of the user group is required at some stage e.g.installing and un-installing user’s equipment).
Depending on the installation, the access can be shared simultaneously by several user groups (with independent measuring systems), including a permanent user (in general the operator of the infrastructure). The costs of measuring systems provided by the user groups are not included in the operational costs of the infrastructure. EU funding may cover shipping of their equipment when relevant.
In strict compliance with the Commission decision C(2013) 8199, these access costs shall take the form of reimbursement of either of the following eligible costs for trans-national access to research infrastructures: TA-UC, TA- AC, TA-CB. The modality used by each partners for each installation is indicated in the description below.
As regards costs calculation in TA-UC and TA-CB, when several user groups share the installation, the unit cost will be shared accordingly: if there are n simultaneous user groups, each group will be accounted for 1/n unit cost. In particular, when installations are shared with the permanent user (operator), the unit cost specified in the grant agreement will be 50% of the full unit cost resulting from the calculation based on historical data.
When relevant, the start and end of the access will coincide with maintenance operation on the installation for financial efficiency (e.g. limiting costs of boat for offshore operations).
Specific and detailed modalities are described here below for each installation, when relevant, and will also be addressed and updated during the project in WP8 Task 8.8.
Expected deliverable from users/user groups is a report to produce within the 30 days following the access period, detailing access activities and a plan for dissemination of attained results to be provided.
Unit access (UA):The access will be quantified by its minimum duration, in principle corresponding to the period of installing, operating and un-installing a measuring system by the users or in his/her behalf by the access provider.
Depending on the installation, the unit of access (UA) will be a day (generally counted as 24 hours) or multiples of day (e.g. week, month, 6-months, etc.). Specific UA is described here below for each installation.
Support offered under this proposal: Scientific, technical and logistic support will be offered to the TNA user groups during their measurement campaign. Due to the diverse nature of the installations, specific support is described here below for each installation and will be further detailed in the text of the open calls. When relevant, a contribution to travel and subsistence costs for TNA users and shipping of their equipment may be offered and will be managed by Ifremer.
Outreach to new users: The work package will promote access to users and user-groups, facilitating users from countries where similar facilities are not available, stimulating the testing of new sensors and equipment. In particular JERICO-NEXT will organize 3 calls for proposals (under Task 8.8). The open calls will be published widely through the web, mailing lists and through other public access media.
Review procedure under this proposal: TNA proposals will be selected on the basis of scientific excellence, innovation and impacts for the research community, but with priority to new users and users coming from countries where such infrastructure is not available. For transparency, fairness and impartiality purposes, the text call will be made available to all potential users, in full form, through the TNA web page in the project website.
After submission, a preliminary screening of the technical feasibility of the proposals will be done by each relevant provider and results will be communicated to the selection panel. To implement the review procedure, a Selection Panel, composed of independent experts from the scientific community will be set up in agreement with Article 16.1 of the Grant Agreement. The detailed procedures of the review will be defined at the beginning of the project, following the principles of transparency, fairness and impartiality. The project consortium will define, under Task 8.8, the common rules and access conditions to the infrastructures, ensuring transparency.
Advancement of the projects conducted under ‘the Trans-National Access program’ will be released on the project web page, including web-articles, final reports, publications and presentations to conferences and workshops (see Task 8.8)
The users will be committed signing the agreement to provide all the necessary information.
Description of the infrastructures and services proposed in this WP
The catalogue of TNA services offered under this WP, is made by two chapters:
Items in Chapter 2 may be used alone or in conjunction with one or more of the observing systems described in Chapter 1. The priority will be given to the projects in conjunction with an observing infrastructure described in chapter 1.
Deliverables
D7.1 Description of facilities participating to the TNA program – Description of facilities proposed for access (M9)
D7.2 Trans National Access Provision V1 – Intermediate statistics on access provided by beneficiaries (M30)
D7.3 Trans National Access Provision V2 – Final statistics on access provided by beneficiaries (M48)
