Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ICRI 2020 (International Conference on Research Infrastructures)
Reporting period: 2020-01-01 to 2021-06-30
The goal of ICRI 2021 was to organize a multi-disciplinary conference of policy experts, facility managers, leading researchers and a variety of other stakeholders to discuss challenges and emerging trends for research infrastructures around the world. ICRI2021 also had as an objective to maintain and strengthen a dynamic international forum for discussion of research infrastructures.
The context for the ICRI 2021 is the increasing globalization of research and technology development and the increasing need for new knowledge, technologies and innovations to address global challenges and social, economic and environmental problems. As researchers continue to address these challenges and problems, using both existing and new types of tools, a number of common issues related to the development and exploitation of research infrastructures have emerged. These include such matters as the financing and organizing of international research infrastructures; the development of human resources required to operate and effectively use increasingly complex infrastructures; research data management and regulation; and the necessity to assess the impact that research infrastructures have on the advancement of knowledge.
The objectives of ICRI 2021 were to (1) provide an international forum for the discussion on the development of global research infrastructures as well as on issues of common interest such as the internationalization of research infrastructures and assessing their impact on society and the economy; (2) facilitate and promote international cooperation between European research infrastructures and their counterparts in other regions of the world; and (3) identify best practices and effective approaches to determine how research infrastructures can best enable research excellence.
The context for the ICRI 2021 is the increasing globalization of research and technology development and the increasing need for new knowledge, technologies and innovations to address global challenges and social, economic and environmental problems. As researchers continue to address these challenges and problems, using both existing and new types of tools, a number of common issues related to the development and exploitation of research infrastructures have emerged. These include such matters as the financing and organizing of international research infrastructures; the development of human resources required to operate and effectively use increasingly complex infrastructures; research data management and regulation; and the necessity to assess the impact that research infrastructures have on the advancement of knowledge.
The objectives of ICRI 2021 were to (1) provide an international forum for the discussion on the development of global research infrastructures as well as on issues of common interest such as the internationalization of research infrastructures and assessing their impact on society and the economy; (2) facilitate and promote international cooperation between European research infrastructures and their counterparts in other regions of the world; and (3) identify best practices and effective approaches to determine how research infrastructures can best enable research excellence.
Work performed in the hosting of the International Conference on Research Infrastructures, includes all the arrangements on both the content aspect related to the program for ICRI as well as the logistics aspects.
The content aspects of the project included:
- Defining the content of ICRI2021, identifying the themes and objectives for the conference
- Drafting of the detailed program, describing plenary and parallel sessions
- Identifying plenary and parallel speakers
- Development of an exhibition section to promote RI initiatives and projects
- Drafting conclusions and conference reports highlighting the best practices and lessons learned
Logistic activities included:
- A communications and marketing strategy development for ICRI2021
- Branding development for the Conference through a logo used on all communications linked to ICRI 2021
- Website development for ICRI2021, providing information to the community and promoting conference
- Save the date communications sent to a database of participants to attend ICRI2021
- Invitations to participants, through multiple rounds to increase outreach
- Registration process developed for online registration of participants
- Registration information communicated to participants
- Invitations to plenary and parallel speakers were drafted and sent out
- Development of the platform to ensure user functionality
- Pre-recording of sections of plenary and parallel sessions to facilitate content delivery
- Broadcast of conference plenaries on Facebook to increase outreach
- Deliver conference material prior, during and following the event
The content aspects of the project included:
- Defining the content of ICRI2021, identifying the themes and objectives for the conference
- Drafting of the detailed program, describing plenary and parallel sessions
- Identifying plenary and parallel speakers
- Development of an exhibition section to promote RI initiatives and projects
- Drafting conclusions and conference reports highlighting the best practices and lessons learned
Logistic activities included:
- A communications and marketing strategy development for ICRI2021
- Branding development for the Conference through a logo used on all communications linked to ICRI 2021
- Website development for ICRI2021, providing information to the community and promoting conference
- Save the date communications sent to a database of participants to attend ICRI2021
- Invitations to participants, through multiple rounds to increase outreach
- Registration process developed for online registration of participants
- Registration information communicated to participants
- Invitations to plenary and parallel speakers were drafted and sent out
- Development of the platform to ensure user functionality
- Pre-recording of sections of plenary and parallel sessions to facilitate content delivery
- Broadcast of conference plenaries on Facebook to increase outreach
- Deliver conference material prior, during and following the event
Through discussions and interactions, the impacts of ICRI 2021 contributed to:
-The identification of common interests and challenges in relation to the design, development and use of research infrastructures across a range of scales, and across a range of disciplines
-Improved methods for both assessing and communicating the societal value of research infrastructures
-The identification of opportunities for increased international collaboration amongst participating nations
-The identification and refinement of best practices in a number of areas related to the management and operations of research infrastructures, and
-Increased understanding of the specific challenges of data management and regulation in relation to internationalization of research infrastructures, the training of highly skilled researchers and technicians, the evaluation of research impacts and cross-sectoral collaboration.
Moreover, ICRI 2021 is expected to significantly increase understanding and knowledge of the differences between nations in how research infrastructures are selected, developed, regulated, and used to generate knowledge and foster research excellence. As previous ICRI conferences have shown, learning how research infrastructures are regarded, by researchers, funding organizations, research institutions, and elected officials, and how they are used, in terms of access regimes, governance systems, funding mechanisms, evaluation methodologies, etc., are the most important impacts of the discussions and interactions. The ICRI conferences are a unique opportunity for an increasingly global community to learn about new approaches to all of these matters, share successes and failures with individuals facing similar challenges and build collaborations that would not occur otherwise.
-The identification of common interests and challenges in relation to the design, development and use of research infrastructures across a range of scales, and across a range of disciplines
-Improved methods for both assessing and communicating the societal value of research infrastructures
-The identification of opportunities for increased international collaboration amongst participating nations
-The identification and refinement of best practices in a number of areas related to the management and operations of research infrastructures, and
-Increased understanding of the specific challenges of data management and regulation in relation to internationalization of research infrastructures, the training of highly skilled researchers and technicians, the evaluation of research impacts and cross-sectoral collaboration.
Moreover, ICRI 2021 is expected to significantly increase understanding and knowledge of the differences between nations in how research infrastructures are selected, developed, regulated, and used to generate knowledge and foster research excellence. As previous ICRI conferences have shown, learning how research infrastructures are regarded, by researchers, funding organizations, research institutions, and elected officials, and how they are used, in terms of access regimes, governance systems, funding mechanisms, evaluation methodologies, etc., are the most important impacts of the discussions and interactions. The ICRI conferences are a unique opportunity for an increasingly global community to learn about new approaches to all of these matters, share successes and failures with individuals facing similar challenges and build collaborations that would not occur otherwise.