Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ATMO-ACCESS (Solutions for Sustainable Access to Atmospheric Research Facilities)
Période du rapport: 2021-04-01 au 2022-09-30
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 will come later in the project, but work has been implemented in RP1 to reach these objectives. ATMO-ACCESS has issued three calls for access and work is undertaken to best formulate new access modalities towards specific objectives (access specific target groups such as innovators, new cross-RI on-line digital and training services). About 120 requests access have been received in the first 2 calls, comprising 337 users from 30 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 current TNA call is still open and application processes are still ongoing. Hence, ATMO-ACCESS responded to a crucial need from research communities, in particular following COVID restrictions for scientific exchange.
Innovative access modalities have already been implemented in ATMO-ACCESS. 2 targeted calls offered specifically users from academics and public authorities access to research facilities supporting the Green Deal actions and space-related Cal/Val activities. Additional calls for innovative access related to novel training opportunities, opportunities for non-academic users, and advanced interoperable cloud services have been developed and are ready for implementation in ATMO-ACCESS’ second phase.
Work has been performed towards delivering guidelines for access to RIs. One important issue in ATMO-ACCESS is to raise awareness to stakeholders on the need, for distributed RIs, to integrate in their catalogue of services a sustainable access scheme. In RP1, contacts were made with stakeholders in various member countries to explain the needs. This is a first step before a pan-EU approach. In addition, ATMO-ACCESS partners have also engaged in exchange with international stakeholders to identify possible joint access activities. Work from all project activities will contribute to developing a viable access concept. Several meetings have been organized with other two consortia funded under the same call to exchange on sustainable funding models and other common issues, and the guidelines and recommendations for the most suitable procedures for access will be established in the second part of the project.
Innovative access modalities have already been implemented in ATMO-ACCESS. 2 targeted calls offered specifically users from academics and public authorities access to research facilities supporting the Green Deal actions and space-related Cal/Val activities. Additional calls for innovative access related to novel training opportunities, opportunities for non-academic users, and advanced interoperable cloud services have been developed and are ready for implementation in ATMO-ACCESS’ second phase.
Work has been performed towards delivering guidelines for access to RIs. One important issue in ATMO-ACCESS is to raise awareness to stakeholders on the need, for distributed RIs, to integrate in their catalogue of services a sustainable access scheme. In RP1, contacts were made with stakeholders in various member countries to explain the needs. This is a first step before a pan-EU approach. In addition, ATMO-ACCESS partners have also engaged in exchange with international stakeholders to identify possible joint access activities. Work from all project activities will contribute to developing a viable access concept. Several meetings have been organized with other two consortia funded under the same call to exchange on sustainable funding models and other common issues, and the guidelines and recommendations for the most suitable procedures for access will be established in the second part of the project.
ATMO-ACCESS benefits from the experience and maturity of the participating RIs. The integration of their key scientific equipment, resources and high-quality data will allow optimizing synergies and developing complementary capabilities, and ultimately enable to determine the best tools and solutions for future access and provision of services based on a well-established user, communication and management strategy. ATMO-ACCESS takes a comprehensive approach for harmonising national and European procedures by engaging the actors to work towards establishing common access policies and management practices for the atmospheric RIs in Europe. Optimal conditions for long-term engagement of funders in making access sustainable beyond EU funding are developed, implemented and assessed while considering the entire lifecyle in the trans-national and virtual access process. Users will have simplified and more efficient access to a wider and advanced cross-RI services for conducting leading-edge, multidisciplinary research, offered by the many diverse research platforms and comprising R&T&I, data and training services. The access opportunities will promote excellent science in the field of Earth research and the expected results will substantially increase the scientific knowledge and findings in the atmospheric domain.
Innovative access modalities and new cross-RI digital services will provide exciting new opportunities for researchers and raise awareness of the role of atmospheric RIs for supporting science. ATMO-ACCESS will contribute to educating a new generation of researchers that is ready to optimally exploit all the essential tools for their research, including training provided to students and early-career scientists and access of research communities from regions outside Europe to state-of-the-art facilities. The project seeks to reinforce interactions between users from research fields beyond the atmospheric domain and facilitate cross-disciplinary fertilisation and a wider sharing of information, knowledge and technologies across fields and between academia and industry. Economies of scale and improved use of resources across Europe are possible due to less duplication of services, common development and optimisation of operations. ATMO-ACCESS builds up the atmospheric RIs’ innovation strategies through expansion of existing collaborations with a large number of private companies. The project offers high-level facilities for testing and developments of new instrumentation allowing to adapt to current demands for cost-effective, innovative technologies for air quality control and monitoring.
Understanding atmospheric processes is essential for predicting the state of the Earth’s climate and its evolution which is a major challenge for today’s societies and is crucial for decisions related to human and ecosystem health, food security or energy supply. ATMO-ACCESS concept will facilitate the use of RI services beyond research and its scientific outcomes will contribute to evidence-based environmental policy-making aiming at reducing pollutant emissions, improving air quality and mitigation climate change. Advances in scientific knowledge and technologies from ATMO-ACCESS are expected to have strong societal impacts.
Innovative access modalities and new cross-RI digital services will provide exciting new opportunities for researchers and raise awareness of the role of atmospheric RIs for supporting science. ATMO-ACCESS will contribute to educating a new generation of researchers that is ready to optimally exploit all the essential tools for their research, including training provided to students and early-career scientists and access of research communities from regions outside Europe to state-of-the-art facilities. The project seeks to reinforce interactions between users from research fields beyond the atmospheric domain and facilitate cross-disciplinary fertilisation and a wider sharing of information, knowledge and technologies across fields and between academia and industry. Economies of scale and improved use of resources across Europe are possible due to less duplication of services, common development and optimisation of operations. ATMO-ACCESS builds up the atmospheric RIs’ innovation strategies through expansion of existing collaborations with a large number of private companies. The project offers high-level facilities for testing and developments of new instrumentation allowing to adapt to current demands for cost-effective, innovative technologies for air quality control and monitoring.
Understanding atmospheric processes is essential for predicting the state of the Earth’s climate and its evolution which is a major challenge for today’s societies and is crucial for decisions related to human and ecosystem health, food security or energy supply. ATMO-ACCESS concept will facilitate the use of RI services beyond research and its scientific outcomes will contribute to evidence-based environmental policy-making aiming at reducing pollutant emissions, improving air quality and mitigation climate change. Advances in scientific knowledge and technologies from ATMO-ACCESS are expected to have strong societal impacts.