Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ATMO-ACCESS (Solutions for Sustainable Access to Atmospheric Research Facilities)
Período documentado: 2022-10-01 hasta 2024-03-31
ATMO-ACCESS is a pilot project addressing the needs of distributed research infrastructures (RI) in the atmospheric domain across Europe for developing sustainable solutions for integrated access and optimised use of the services provided to users. The project brings together the key ESFRI landmarks ACTRIS, IAGOS and ICOS and gathers a large consortium of partners to provide effective and convenient access opportunities for large user communities world-wide to the best atmospheric research facilities in Europe to conduct research for the advancement of knowledge and technology. The main objectives of ATMO-ACCESS are: 1) to provide coordinated open physical, remote and virtual access to state-of-the-art facilities and services in atmospheric RIs and further enhance their range of products, capabilities and accessibility for a wide range of users, including the private sector; 2) to engage facilities and their national stakeholders and direct them towards improved harmonisation of access procedures across the different member states, while also exploring modalities by which the use of atmospheric RIs can be further enhanced; 3) to explore and test new modalities of access that build on the complementarity and synergies among atmospheric RIs and respond to the evolving needs of users in relation to training, research and technology development, innovation and data services; 4) to identify the most suitable conditions for establishing sustainable access procedures across the EU for distributed atmospheric RIs, involving national and international stakeholders.
ATMO-ACCESS will deliver a series of recommendations for identifying the most suitable conditions for establishing a comprehensive and sustainable framework to integrate and open access to distributed atmospheric RIs across Europe, involving national and international stakeholders.
ATMO-ACCESS will deliver a series of recommendations for identifying the most suitable conditions for establishing a comprehensive and sustainable framework to integrate and open access to distributed atmospheric RIs across Europe, involving national and international stakeholders.
The main objectives of ATMO-ACCESS to deliver sustainable access solutions were progressively shaped. Solutions and recommendations are based on the work of the different WPs and on feedback from users Discussions on their sustainability after the project’s end have started within the RIs.
During RP2, ATMO-ACCESS has issued 8 calls for TNA. With these, since the project’ start, a total of 342 requests for access were received, comprising more than 950 users from 35 different countries in Europe and beyond, including new users, young researchers, and private sector users benefitting from physical but also increasingly from remote/hybrid access. The success of the calls is proved by the calls becoming more and more competitive. TNA/VA is so far a unique tool for RIs to promote use of facilities and services.
We continued to provide innovative ways of access. Targeted calls offered opportunities for specific objectives and needs: access to research facilities supporting multidisciplinary science, training activities on very specific needs from the users, tests of innovative instruments. Results are generally encouraging, in particular for the call with international stakeholders, where ATMO-ACCESS responded to needs from large space agencies in Europe. However, ATMO-ACCESS found more difficulties to engage with national public authorities. A general consideration for these specific calls is that they require quite a lot of preparation/co-construction to accommodate their needs and fit to the TNA/VA rules. Co-design of TNA is key but not clearly considered in current TNA/VA rules.
Specific virtual services were developed through a dedicated portal, and were widely used. The ATMO-ACCESS approach, with development of tools in the first part of the project and their use through virtual access in the second part has proven successful. The virtual tools are used by other EU funded calls although the financial model of VA outside of the INFRA is still to be defined.
Work was performed towards delivering final guidelines for sustainable access to RIs. One important issue is to raise awareness to stakeholders on the need for distributed RIs, to integrate in their catalogue of services a sustainable access scheme. In RP2, partners have exchanged with national and international stakeholders to identify possible paths for sustainable access and for joint access activities. Several meetings were organized with other two consortia funded under the same call to possibly align on sustainable funding models. The basis for the guidelines and recommendations for the most suitable procedures for access were started and will be finalised in RP3.
During RP2, ATMO-ACCESS has issued 8 calls for TNA. With these, since the project’ start, a total of 342 requests for access were received, comprising more than 950 users from 35 different countries in Europe and beyond, including new users, young researchers, and private sector users benefitting from physical but also increasingly from remote/hybrid access. The success of the calls is proved by the calls becoming more and more competitive. TNA/VA is so far a unique tool for RIs to promote use of facilities and services.
We continued to provide innovative ways of access. Targeted calls offered opportunities for specific objectives and needs: access to research facilities supporting multidisciplinary science, training activities on very specific needs from the users, tests of innovative instruments. Results are generally encouraging, in particular for the call with international stakeholders, where ATMO-ACCESS responded to needs from large space agencies in Europe. However, ATMO-ACCESS found more difficulties to engage with national public authorities. A general consideration for these specific calls is that they require quite a lot of preparation/co-construction to accommodate their needs and fit to the TNA/VA rules. Co-design of TNA is key but not clearly considered in current TNA/VA rules.
Specific virtual services were developed through a dedicated portal, and were widely used. The ATMO-ACCESS approach, with development of tools in the first part of the project and their use through virtual access in the second part has proven successful. The virtual tools are used by other EU funded calls although the financial model of VA outside of the INFRA is still to be defined.
Work was performed towards delivering final guidelines for sustainable access to RIs. One important issue is to raise awareness to stakeholders on the need for distributed RIs, to integrate in their catalogue of services a sustainable access scheme. In RP2, partners have exchanged with national and international stakeholders to identify possible paths for sustainable access and for joint access activities. Several meetings were organized with other two consortia funded under the same call to possibly align on sustainable funding models. The basis for the guidelines and recommendations for the most suitable procedures for access were started and will be finalised in RP3.
ATMO-ACCESS has delivered all expected outcome in RP2 and is ready for the final phase of providing guidance in RP3. Based on analysis of the first 3 years in the project, ATMO-ACCESS already identified the main issues that will constitute its guidance for sustainable access.
Success of TNA and VA offer continued in RP2 with, consequently, a lower success rate of projects. There is a high demand for access to atmospheric research facilities that will be covered only partially after the project ends. Additional facilities were selected in the project, as an illustration of the demand.
The development of the PASS platform has come to maturity. Developing a PASS-type system is complex and required important resources in the project. It has now reached a high degree of plug-and-play, adaptability for other projects and is quite straightforward for all parties involved. The tool is now used in other projects and this is an important cost-effective action from ATMO-ACCESS.
Innovative modalities for providing access have been tested in RP2 and confirmed that TNA/VA can potentially be used with less conventional approaches. Access to the very large portion of the atmospheric research facilities, as requested by the need from space agencies for ground-truthing of new satellite sensors is not easy to implement with current rules of TNA/VA but definitely needed. International stakeholders must be given the opportunity to access RIs in a more simple manner.
The success of VA offer in ATMO-ACCESS is without question. The impact of ATMO-ACCESS is huge with a demand from the entire community, and from other projects. There will be a need in RP3 to clearly define the financial modalities (pricing for access) to be used to make VA sustainable. It remains that the development/upgrade of VA tools requires funds that are not in the current financial plan of any of the RIs.
ATMO-ACCESS recommendation can be used to shape future access programs. In WP8, we address the limitation of the current INFRA-SERV calls, the need for extending the access offer beyond the strict INFRA calls, the potential role of ERICs to grant access, and the need for better connecting with national funding agencies.
We therefore see already in RP2 that ATMO-ACCESS is making substantial progress beyond the current state of the art and converging to provide the expected guidance to the EU commission.
Success of TNA and VA offer continued in RP2 with, consequently, a lower success rate of projects. There is a high demand for access to atmospheric research facilities that will be covered only partially after the project ends. Additional facilities were selected in the project, as an illustration of the demand.
The development of the PASS platform has come to maturity. Developing a PASS-type system is complex and required important resources in the project. It has now reached a high degree of plug-and-play, adaptability for other projects and is quite straightforward for all parties involved. The tool is now used in other projects and this is an important cost-effective action from ATMO-ACCESS.
Innovative modalities for providing access have been tested in RP2 and confirmed that TNA/VA can potentially be used with less conventional approaches. Access to the very large portion of the atmospheric research facilities, as requested by the need from space agencies for ground-truthing of new satellite sensors is not easy to implement with current rules of TNA/VA but definitely needed. International stakeholders must be given the opportunity to access RIs in a more simple manner.
The success of VA offer in ATMO-ACCESS is without question. The impact of ATMO-ACCESS is huge with a demand from the entire community, and from other projects. There will be a need in RP3 to clearly define the financial modalities (pricing for access) to be used to make VA sustainable. It remains that the development/upgrade of VA tools requires funds that are not in the current financial plan of any of the RIs.
ATMO-ACCESS recommendation can be used to shape future access programs. In WP8, we address the limitation of the current INFRA-SERV calls, the need for extending the access offer beyond the strict INFRA calls, the potential role of ERICs to grant access, and the need for better connecting with national funding agencies.
We therefore see already in RP2 that ATMO-ACCESS is making substantial progress beyond the current state of the art and converging to provide the expected guidance to the EU commission.