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NeIC Expert network on

EU Collaboration

Abdulrahman Azab, Senior Advisor

Jesse Oikarinen, Senior Advisor

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NEIC STRATEGY 2020-2025

NeIC is a global role model for cross-border distributed and sustainable e-infrastructure collaborations

DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR NORDIC RESEARCH EXCELLENCE

Benefits realization Partner engagement

Implementer collaboration models

Information management Transparent processes

Funding applications management

Development opportunities Attracting key staff

NeIC culture

Nordic added value Global role model

New funding partnerships

BENEFICIAL

COLLABORATIONS

NORDIC INFLUENCE

MOTIVATED PEOPLE

EFFECTIVE

PROCESSES

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three ranked priorities that justify the activities and projects that NeIC works on.The ranked priorities are:

Priorities

Deep Nordic interactions and collaborations

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Society, Ethics and Sustainability

for research and societal value

and sustainability through

e-infrastructure collaborations

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Wide international

interactions, collaborations

and new roles

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Deep:

Local/Nordic

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Wide: International

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Society, Ethics and Sustainability

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three ranked priorities that justify the activities and projects that NeIC works on.The ranked priorities are:

Nordic Added Value (NAV)

The major elements of Nordic added value for NeIC activities is

  • Enable excellence in research
  • Add value to the Nordics beyond national capabilities in e-infrastructure
  • Increase competence and competitiveness in e-infrastructure
  • Act as a global role model for e-infrastructure collaborations

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Current funding approach

Pre-study: Short-term funding for 6 months to one year.

Development project: 2-3 years where NeIC funds 50% of the technical PMs + project manager.

Project Affiliate: Primarily for tracking benefits after the success of a development project. NeIC funds the project manager.

External project (EU/NCM): According to the current policy NeIC can coordinate an externally funded project provided that the project is 100% externally funded. Examples of this approach are EOSC-Nordic (EU) and iOBS (NordForsk)

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Pre-studies, Development Projects and Affiliates

Community forming pre-study

e-Infrastructure development

project

Affiliate / extended affiliate programme

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Process for getting applications for projects and pre-studies

NeIC Director’s proposal to the Board

Board

consideration

and

decision

Publication

of

announcement

Submissions through NordForsk

portal

Applications

for community

forming

pre-studies

and workshops

Applications

for

development

projects

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Evaluation Process for Applications

NeIC director

pre-study selection

NeIC initiates pre-study negotiations

NeIC director evaluation

External

review

e-Infrastructure provider’s evaluation (not full text of appl.)

NeIC director’s

recommendation

to the board

Board’s decision

on project

selection

NeIC initiates

project

negotiations

e-Infrastructure

Development Collaboration

Application

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PDF

Application

for e-Infrastructure

Development Project

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Application

for

pre-studies

and

workshops

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Future approach

  • Forecasting/foreshadowing to prepare for next opportunities: NeIC issues a challenge or thinks strategically about directions (see what is coming in e.g. 2 yrs). This has been successful in the procedure of EOSC-Nordic
  • Responding to EC announcements:
    • NeIC membership: NeIC contributes PMs from relevant activities/projects when/if there are clear synergies with the particular call
    • NeIC coordination: NeIC contributes funding and hence recruiting the project manager and coordinating the management WP in a proposal

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Future development project approach

Community forming pre-study

NeIC development

Project

(existing)

Affiliate / extended affiliate programme

EU project

(NeIC membership)

EU/NeIC project

(NeIC coordination)

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NeIC Expert Network on EU Collaboration (1/3)

NeIC Board meeting in March 2022:

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    • Proposed that NeIC establishes an agile group or network of experts to investigate EU opportunities from NeIC’s strategy point of view and be ready to act when there is enough interest.
    • Saw crucial to gather information of upcoming calls and prepare as early as possible rather than join in late as a lesser or disjoint partner or an observer.
    • Pointed out that the group should have diverse and complementary competences. The group should nonetheless have at least one representative from, or with close ties to, each national provider.

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NeIC Expert Network on EU Collaboration (2/3)

  • An agile network of experts to scope interesting EU calls and roadmaps based on the synergies with the NeIC strategic objectives and common interests

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  • Experts from different national NeIC provider sites/partners and other communities

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  • Coordinated by:
    • Jesse Oikarinen, CSC: Administrative coordinator
    • Abdulrahman Azab, UiO/USIT: Technical coordinator

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https://wiki.neic.no/wiki/Policy_on_external_projects

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NeIC Expert Network on EU Collaboration (3/3)

  • Adbulrahman and Jesse to meet with experts with minimal overhead
    • Whether the meetings are regular (e.g. Monthly/Quarterly) or ad-hoc, is to be agreed upon with the network member

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  • Regular group meetings may be held only when there is a call to prepare for, and should include only the potential members of the consortium
    • NeIC could fund F2F meetings

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  • In case of conflict of interest when suggestions to participate in a call comes, discussed in NeIC Providers’ Forum.

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NeIC and service providers’ strategic objectives

Upcoming EU opportunities and calls

Expert Network

Interest

NeIC facilitates discussions/workshops

No formal involvement for NeIC

No NAV

No

Yes

Providers forum

NAV

Conflict of interest

Proceed with the collaboration (consortium etc.) *

No Conflict of interest

* In case of the involvement of NeIC core resources, NeIC board needs to approve

No coordination by NeIC

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Coordination in practice

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  • White paper

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  • Working documents

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NeIC policy?

  • KEY PRINCIPLES:
    • The project should be 100% externally funded: The project should not drain resources from NeIC’s current funding structure. Additional activities must not impact ongoing coordination initiatives and staff responsibilities and therefore should not result in increased costs to the organization beyond those received from the external grant support.
  • ROLES:The Director must ensure to have sufficient resources (time, space, funds) for taking part in a new project. Involvement in seeking and executing external projects (grant writing, matching funds) should not be at the cost of NeIC core activities unless approved by the Board.

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Ways forward (1/2)

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  • Screen the programmes
    • Horizon Europe WP 2023-2024, 3. Research infrastructures
    • Digital Europe WPs
    • EuroHPC JU WP

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  • Keep meeting with potential potential members + follow-up
    • Introduction meetings for new member candidates
    • Follow-up discussions on potential interests and call opportunities

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Ways forward (2/2)

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  • Connection with relevant Communities
    • Nordic Sensitive data forum: ready to launch, board and provider forum are well informed
    • Nordic ML community: Proposed (follow up from EOSC-Nordic)
    • Nordic FAIR Data Community: proposed (follow up from EOSC-Nordic)

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  • Funding
    • Actual activities: Events/workshops funding? Pre-studies?
    • Coordination: can we fund a coordinator with a similar model to the ex-affiliate?

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Discussion and Q&A

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Contributed Resources

Defined synergies/interests

NeIC board

Approval for NeIC resouces

NeIC facilitates discussions/workshops

Opt out

Low NAV

No

Yes

Providers forum

High NAV

Conflict of interest

Proceed with the collaboration

No Conflict of interest

NeIC board approval

NeIC rers.

Yes

No