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The importance of collaborative Research Infrastructures to the UK research landscapeCatherine Ewart, Head of Stakeholder and International Relations at the Science and Technology Facilities Council UK (STFC)

TheimportanceofcollaborativeResearchInfrastructures

totheUKResearchandInnovationlandscape

CatherineEwartHeadofStakeholderandInternationalRelations,ScienceandTechnologyFacilitiesCouncil(UK)

TowardsaEuropeanResearchInfrastructureforHeritageScience.Florence,29March2017

Whoweare• TheScienceandTechnologyFacilitiesCouncil

(STFC)

• OneoftheUK’s7ResearchCouncils:

• Wehaveseveralresearchinfrastructureroles:

• Policymaker(G7GSO,OECDGSF,H2020)

• Funder(Particlephysics,nuclearphysics,astronomyandsubscriptionstoprovideaccesstointernationalinfrastructures)

• Operator(UKresearchinfrastructures– ISIS,CLF,Hartree Centre,Diamond)

Ourinternationallinks• OfficesinBrussels,Washington,Beijing,Delhi

• CERN,Fermilab,DESY,KEK

• ESO,NSF,NWO

• ESA,NASA

• FAIR

• ESRF,ILL

• EuropeanX-FEL,EuropeanSpallationSource,SKA

• Networksofe.g.telescopesandsynchrotrons

WhyweneedcollaborativeRIs

• TheUK’sfuturecompetitivenessdependsonresearchcapability

• Thismeans:

• Investinginhighereducationandresearchinstitutions

• Accessingfirstclassresearchinfrastructures

• Collaboratingandworkingwiththebest

• Wherevertheyhappentobeintheworld!

• CollaborativeRIspromoteinternationalcooperation,interdisciplinaryresearchandinnovation

CollaborationisneededonaEuropeanandGlobalScale

• Limitedinvestmentfundsavailable

• IncreasinglevelofinfrastructureinvestmentneededtokeepRIsatthecuttingedge

• Researchproblemsrequirebroadsharingofdata,expertiseandequipmentandnetworkingbetweennationalnodes–distributedRIs

• Environmental,economic,societalchallengesdon’thaveboundariessocollaborationacrossbordersisessential

• Largephysicalsingle-sitedRIsinfrastructures

• E-infrastructures

• Collectionsofartefactsorreferencematerialsandsocialandbiologicaldatasets

• Atleast400researchinfrastructuresintheUK

• AllregionsoftheUKandallareasofresearch

• Atvariousscales– fromregionaltonationaltointernational

• Usersfromindustry(15%forSTFCRIs)– Siemens,GSK,Toyota,TataSteel,aswellasacademia

ArichanddiverseUKRIlandscape

PhotobyGRA

IN,O

ctober2010

PhotobyDAVIDILIFF.License:CC-BY-SA3.0

Imagecredit:D

avidMarcu

• 4outof5RIscollaboratewithpartnersoutsidetheUK

• Ofthese:o 96%collaboratewithEuropeancountries

o 91%collaboratewiththerestoftheworld

• UKparticipatesin18RIsontheESFRIRoadmap,21LandmarkESFRIsandmanyIntegratingActivities

• SignificantUKinvolvementinGlobalRIs(G7GSOFramework)

Ahighlycollaborativeenvironment

UKResearchandInnovation(UKRI)• Asingle,strategicbodythatwillbring

togetherthe7ResearchCouncils,InnovateUKandtheresearchandknowledgeexchangefunctionsofHEFCE

• FromApril2018- subjecttothepassageoftheHigherEducationandResearchBillthroughParliament

• AsinglevoicefortheUKresearchandinnovationcommunity

• Agreaterfocusonmulti- andinterdisciplinaryresearch

• ProfSirMarkWalport appointedasUKRIChiefExecutiveDesignate

Inconclusion• UKhasastrongcommitmenttoand

participationincollaborativeRIs• Thisappliesacrossthefullspectrumof

research• ThroughESFRIandIntegratedActivities

theUKhasbeenandcontinuestobeanactivepartner

• WelcomethelaunchofE-RIHS!

Thankyou!

Imagecredit:SergeyAshmarin