The Role of an Access Programme: Lessons for FP7

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The Role of an Access ProgrammeLessons for
FP7

• Birgitta Nordström
• Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen University
• Denmark

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Basic rationale for a European access programme

• Enable the best science projects to use the best
  telescopes at the best sites
• Make sure the best telescopes receive (all) the
  best proposals
• Extend this endeavour to all European
  communities
• No joint NORTHERN facilities exist -gt an access
  programme is ESSENTIAL!
• Improve performance through coordination and
  specialization of instruments
• Improve cost-effectiveness by better
  coordination of operations

Extra funding is needed to make this happen!
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OPTICON Access Programme in FP6

• Supported by the EC Research
• Infrastructure Programme
• (5M for 2004-2008)
• Observing time at 22 European
• 2- 4m class telescopes
• Available to astronomers from
• all EU Member and Associated
• States
• Priority to users without access to similar
  infrastructures

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OPTICON Access Programme in FP6

• Achievements during FP6 2004-2006
• (halfway through the programme)
• 719 nights/days of access time provided (3-5
  of time available)
• Top ranked proposals exceed budgets funding,
  not science, is limiting factor!
• 140 programmes
• 720 participants (users) from 30 countries
• 140 travel subsistence grants to observers
  (20 countries)
• 65 of these are new (first-time) users
• Detailed follow-up and feedback from users
• The access programme has been a great success!

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OPTICON Access Programme in FP6
Not normalised to population of country!
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User comments

• Solar telescopes
• The OPTICON Access Programme has enabled me to
  join the observations with a big solar telescope
  for the first time. I have learned there not only
  how to observe with such a telescope, but also
  how to made the first data processing. I would
  not have been able to join this observation
  campaign without this funding opportunity.
• (Czech Republic)
• Great European idea realized by the OPTICON
  staff in a perfect way. Without this EU support
  it would be impossible to realize such observing
  program using both the SST and DOT solar
  telescopes at La Palma for us. Many thanks for
  selecting our proposal and for scientific and
  technical support provided by the teams of the
  instruments. (Slovakia)

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User comments (cont.)

• Night-time telescopes
• First, I have to thank OPTICON and the EU for
  the possibility to observe at ESO 3.6m (no other
  alternative was available to finance that trip).
  The staff at ESO 3.6 is very friendly and helps
  to solve any problems in due time.
• So, all-in-all it was a great success. Thank you!
  (Austria)
• OPTICON gave me the opportunity to travel to La
  Palma and observe with the Telescopio Nazionale
  Galileo (TNG). This allowed me to learn what
  observing is like and to do observations for my
  own research which was a great experience from
  which I will certainly benefit in the future (The
  Netherlands ).

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OPTICON Access Programme in FP6

• What went well in FP6?
• Enabled much new good science _at_ best facilities
• Many new users got access - in tough competition
• European collaborations fostered/enhanced
• User fees used to improve quality of services
• Lots of interest in new model for access
• Much greater awareness of European context
• Ground prepared for more ambitious initiatives

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OPTICON Access Programme in FP7

• What should we do better in FP7?
• More access time needed
• (Among the top ranked projects only half of
  those
• eligible for funding could be supported.)
• New initiatives to engage new communities
• - changing field of science takes time
• - integration takes time
• ? more studentships
• ? more systematic enhancement exchanges

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OPTICON Access Programme in FP7

• What should we do better in FP7? (cont.)
• More progress on coordinating instruments
• Joint proposal time allocation procedures?
• More progress on joint operations
• Support for regular facility upgrades to be
  included
• New long-term role as ESO focuses on the BIG
  things?
• Further ideas ?