1. Information about the Integrated Infrastructures Initiatives (I3) instrument Daniel Pasini EC, DG Research, Unit B3 – Research Infrastructures EC, Brussels, 11 July 2005

2. Definition of Research Infrastructures “ Facilities and resources that provide essential services to the research community in both academic and/or industrial domains” Examples: synchrotron radiation facilities, astronomical observatories, material testing facilities, environmental research observation stations, supercomputer centres, scientific libraries, databases…

3. Combine, in a single contract, “networking activities” with “joint research activities” and “transnational access” →to support the provision of integrated services to the research community at a European level →to promote the coherent use and development of research infrastructures in the field it covers Long-term integrating effect on the way research infrastructures operate and evolve in Europe expected Contracts of 3-5 M€ (duration 4-5 years) involving typically more than 10 partners Integrated Infrastructures Initiatives (I3)

4. To catalyse the co-ordination and pooling of resources between participants to foster a culture of co-operation between them e.g. exchanges of scientific and technical knowledge relevant to infrastructures spreading good practices, agreeing on standards, protocols and procedures dissemination of knowledge and organisation of training courses for new users management of the whole I3 Financing: up to 100% for co-ordination, no research I3 - Networking activities

5. To support transnational access to one or more infrastructures in a co-ordinated way  only for access granted by the infrastructures following a peer review selection of potential users Financing: up to 100% of the Access, travel & subsistence, and other related costs I3 - Transnational Access

6. Joint research projects aiming at improving, in quality or quantity, the service provided by infrastructures in a particular field. They should be: - widely applicable to the different infrastructures covered by the I3 - innovative and explore new fundamental technologies, techniques Financing: up to 50% of the joint research activities costs I3 - Joint research activities

7. I3 – Activities

8. Examples of I3 funded projects AcronymArea RADIONETAdvanced Radio Astronomy in Europe OPTICONOptical-Infrared Co-ordination Network for Astronomy ILIASInfrastructures for Astroparticle Science HadronPhysicsStudy of Strongly Interacting Matter CARECoordinated Accelerator Research in Europe EURONSEUROpean Nuclear Structure LASERLAB- EUROPE Integrated European Laser Laboratories IA-SFSSynchrotron and Free Electron Laser Science NMI3Neutron Scattering and Muon Spectroscopy More information on I3 → http:://www.cordis.lu/infrastructures/home.html