Abstract
euMATERIA is an initiative formed to promote a new ESFRI Research Infrastructure at European level that will offer researchers opportunities for collaborative research, training and transnational access to a diverse suite of advanced Medium-Range Facilities (MRF) that are highly specialised. Although individual techniques may be available elsewhere the euMATERIA combination is unique in the European landscape.
Enabled through an integrated and coordinated single-entry point access system, euMATERIA aims to promote, enable and support new and innovative multidisciplinary research on such Medium-Range Facilities to address emerging scientific problems and key societal challenges, particularly in the areas of materials, energy storage, environment, ICT and health. To address complex materials problems the infrastructure will bring together hubs of expertise located at university and national laboratories (research centres and industry) in the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Hungary, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Poland and the United Kingdom. Together they will provide a highly transversal portfolio of capabilities not currently covered by a single national laboratory or university.
euMATERIA aims to be strongly challenge driven, providing European researchers open and free access to expertise and advanced analytical techniques they may not have previously used within their research. It aims to engage and train researchers within Europe to exploit the investment made in advanced instrumentation at Medium-Range Facilities and to also provide a trained pipeline of researchers who can go on to further exploit the large-scale facilities within Europe.
Key Points
- euMATERIA aims to be challenge driven – i.e. it is not an RI focussed on an particular technique, or on a particular research area, but provides researchers with a portfolio of techniques to deploy to address a challenge
- euMATERIA aims to provide a simple, easy mechanism to access a European wide set of advanced (and sometimes unique) analytical instruments
- euMATERIA aims to provide expert advice and training to researchers, through its hubs, to support and enable them to expand their use of advanced techniques within their research
- euMATERIA aims to provide a pipeline of aware and trained researchers in advanced analytical techniques who are confident to exploit these at both medium and large-scale facilities.
- this mirrors the experience at large scale facilities where users are increasing using a wider portfolio of advanced techniques rather than focusing on one or two
