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FORINFRA-Nasj.sats. forskn.infrastrukt

Framing "Aerosols, Clouds, and Trace gases Research InfraStructure" in Norway

Awarded: NOK 0.50 mill.

This is project that has been important to support the framing of ACTRIS as a research infrastructure in Norway, and the Norwegian scientific interest and position of Norwegian institutes within the pan-European research infrastructure ACTRIS in the future. ACTRIS - Aerosols, Clouds, and Trace gases Research InfraStructure - is an environmental research infrastructure focusing on high quality observations of short-lived atmospheric components for research on air quality, climate and atmospheric hazards. The aim of the ACTRIS-Norway-frame project has been to support ACTRIS strategic and coordination activities within Norway to facilitate and try to ensure the important and central role for Norway in ACTRIS in the future. ACTRIS is a pan-European initiative constructed to meet the needs of Europe to observe and understand aerosol, clouds, and trace gas processes. The European Strategy Forum for Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) identifies research facilities of pan-European importance that correspond to the long-term needs of the European research communities. ACTRIS entered the ESFRI roadmap in March 2016. NILU has a large role in ACTRIS, leading the full ACTRIS Data Centre in the EU-pre-projects and presently. ACTRIS results from more than 15 years of consistent development funded by both Member States and the European Commission through the Research Infrastructure programme. ACTRIS was initiated as an Integrated Initiative in 2011 building on three historical European research collaborations. These initiatives are EARLINET (European Aerosol Research Lidar Network; EU-FP5 and FP6 projects), EUSAAR (European Supersites for Atmospheric Aerosol Research; EU-FP6 project), CREATE (Construction, use and delivery of an European aerosol database; EU-FP5 project), and Cloudnet (started as an EU-FP5 project for observing cloud profiles), to which a new integration of long-term trace gas observatories was then added. The operations are pursued as part of ACTRIS-Integrating Activity, funded as IA programme by the European Commission in H2020, ACTRIS-2. Integrating Activities target research infrastructures, ranging across all fields of science and technology, needed to support the EU political priorities and address the Societal Challenges, including Focus Areas. The Norwegian contribution is significant to ACTRIS over the last decade due to the strong Norwegian scientific expertise in atmospheric measurements, the unique Norwegian atmospheric observatories, by NILU hosting one of the world?s most comprehensive atmospheric databases, and through the climate modelling community at MetNo. The data centre activity includes data curation, provision and access to all ACTRIS data and higher levels products for aerosol, cloud and trace gas research. ACTRIS Data Centre is planned as a distributed data centre with 6 units, now under implementation. From 1 January 2017 NILU was also a partner in ACTRIS- Preparatory Phase (ACTRIS-PPP) leading the work with shaping the ACTRIS Data Centre; describing the concept of this for future and leading the operation and implementation. During ACTRIS-PPP one core activity was to set up the ACTRIS interim council (IAC) to discuss and define the functions of ACTRIS in the future, ACTRIS ERIC structure and perimeter. Central activities of ACTRIS-Norway-frame has been to follow actively and participate in IAC, both preparing documents for the meetings as experts from the data centre, participate in relevant meetings both IAC and preparatory meetings, and engage with Norwegian stakeholders. IAC is setting the premises for ACTRIS in the future, and by active participation we work towards a development of ACTRIS in a direction useful for Norwegian scientific communities and stakeholders. Norway has been member of IAC since June 2018, represented by Norwegian Environment Agency. Currently, Sandrine Bernard is the official delegate with Fay Madeleine Farstad as depty (S. Bernard has maternity leave). Norwegian Research Council has been actively used as adviser for the IAC meetings both for NILU and Norwegian Environment Agency. This has been highly valuable. The ACTRIS preparatory phase (ACTRIS-PPP) ended 31.12.2019, but a new EU-project started 1 January 2020 ?ACTRIS implementation? where NILU is a partner. Positioning NILU for this has also been a part of this support project ?ACTRIS-Norway-frame?. Finally, national coordination, interactions and meetings with MetNo and Andøya Space Center have been a part of the project ?ACTRIS-Norway -frame?

Involvering og sterk rolle for norsk forskningsinstitutt i en Europeisk forskningsinfrastruktur på ESFRI veikartet.

ACTRIS - Aerosols, Clouds, and Trace gases Research InfraStructure - is an environmental research infrastructure focusing on high quality observations of short-lived atmospheric components for research on air quality, climate and atmospheric hazards. ACTRIS entered the ESFRI roadmap in 2016. The ACTRIS preparatory phase (ACTRIS-PPP) is ongoing and NILU is a partner, leading the work with shaping the ACTRIS Data Centre. This project is set up to support the framing of ACTRIS-Norway, and strengthen the national consortium.

Funding scheme:

FORINFRA-Nasj.sats. forskn.infrastrukt

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