Plan (EEC) to support and facilitate access to large-scale scientific facilities of European interest, 1989-1992

Part of the Community's Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (1987- 1991) under subactivity 8.2.: "Use of major installations", this first support plan in the field complements the SCIENCE plan. Both plans are directed at the construction of a Researchers' Europe.

The temporary financial support measures which constitute the plan not only offer researchers improved access to existing or future large-scale scientific facilities, but also enable the Community to upgrade the facilities themselves.
To encourage access by researchers in the exact and natural sciences who are nationals of Member States to major scientific and technical installations within the Community to which they would not normally enjoy access, to increase training opportunities so as to enable researchers to make better use of such installations, and to develop the use of these facilities by adapting or adding to them.
Information not presently available.
The Commission, assisted by an advisory committee composed of the representatives of the Member States and chaired by the representative of the Commission, is responsible for implementing the plan.

The Commission publishes a call for preliminary proposals from organizations or groups of organizations within the Community which have one or more major scientific and technical installation with experimental and/or test facilities which could be made available to scientists or research workers who have hitherto been unable to use them.

All information regarding the call for proposals and the selection procedure is published simultaneously in all the official languages of the Community in order to ensure that the opportunity to participate in the plan exists on equal terms in all the Member States.

The Commission ensures that scientists and research workers who could potentially benefit from access to the facilities in question are informed of the possibilities available.

The Commission provides support for operations in the exact and natural sciences on the basis of their scientific and technical quality. Such support may be made available to any organization within the Community which possesses major scientific and technical equipment or an installation of interest. Any researcher or engineer who is a national of a Member State and is currently working in a public or private sector laboratory in a Member State may receive support.

Under the plan the Community contributes, where necessary, to the operating costs of a facility, to incidental expenditure arising from operations covered by the plan and to relevant expenditure incurred by scientists or research workers, including the cost of mobility and travel.

Operations for which Community support is desired should be based on joint proposals from the institutions responsible for the facilities and from the scientists or research workers wishing to acquire access to them.

The Commission notifies the European Parliament and the Council, no later than three months after their selection, of the list of beneficiaries - both scientific installations and researchers - of the plan.

After 30 months the Commission will conduct an evaluation of the results thus far achieved and submit a report to the European Parliament and the Council. A final report on performance and results will also be submitted after completion of the plan.