This wo k has ecei ed unding om he Eu opean Union’s Ho izon 2020
esea ch and inno a ion p og amme h ough he ATMO-ACCESS In eg a ing
Ac i i y unde g an ag eemen No 101008004
a mo-access.eu
Ti le Feedback documen on access modali ies om he
pe spec i e o he na ional s akeholde s
Wo k package n° 3
Miles one/Deli e able n° 3.1
Lead bene icia y UHEL
Au ho (s) Tuukka Pe äjä, Ilona Yli inkka, Silja Häme, Ulla Wandinge
Deli e able Type R
Dissemina ion Le el Public
Es ima ed deli e y da e M32
Ac ual deli e y da e M35
Ve sion 1
Re iewed by Sabine Philippin, Ma ilde Oli ie i
Accep ed by
Commen s
This wo k has ecei ed unding om he Eu opean Union’s Ho izon 2020
esea ch and inno a ion p og amme h ough he ATMO-ACCESS In eg a ing
Ac i i y unde g an ag eemen No 101008004
a mo-access.eu
Table o Con en s
1 In oduc ion ................................................................................................................................. 3
2 Su ey me hods ............................................................................................................................ 4
3 In e nal discussions – ini ial eedback ........................................................................................ 4
4 Analysis o he cu en si ua ion ................................................................................................. 5
On cu en access unding oppo uni ies .................................................................................................. 5
On cu en access modali y op ions ........................................................................................................... 6
5 Conclusions .................................................................................................................................. 7
This wo k has ecei ed unding om he Eu opean Union’s Ho izon 2020
esea ch and inno a ion p og amme h ough he ATMO-ACCESS In eg a ing
Ac i i y unde g an ag eemen No 101008004
a mo-access.eu
1 In oduc ion
ATMO-ACCESS WP3 explo es pa hways o in eg a e na ional and in e na ional s akeholde s and
unde s in o speci ic p og ams wi h he Resea ch In as uc u es (RIs) ha would ensu e he
long- e m engagemen o he pa ne s in making ansna ional access sus ainable beyond he
EU unding. WP3 app oaches his issue by c ea ing connec ions and consul ing key na ional and
in e na ional s akeholde s o in es iga e po en ial me hods and modali ies o he co- unding
o access p og ams.
The wo k in he WP3 has p o en o be challenging. The in e ac ions and he discussions wi h
he na ional s akeholde s ega ding access modali ies ely on na ional connec ions and hei
iming is di icul as e e y coun y has hei own cul u e and adi ion o he in e ac ions wi h
he esea che s and esea ch in as uc u es. This has led o a change in he WP in e ms o he
deli e able imeline and con en . A join ques ionnai e o he na ional s akeholde s (bo h
na ional RI ep esen a i es and unding agencies) was p epa ed and sha ed wi h he
s akeholde s. The ques ionnai e i sel has been epo ed as MS10 D a on po en ial ad anced
access modali ies based on in e ac ions wi h he na ional s akeholde s1. This deli e able p o ides
a concise summa y o he esul s om in e nal discussions wi h six a ge coun ies and a
summa y o he esul s o he ques ionnai e men ioned abo e wi h a pe spec i e o access
modali ies. Deli e able 3.2 will deepen he analysis as well as epo on u he in o ma ion
ga he ed wi hin ATMO ACCESS in ela ion o access modali ies and co- unding pe spec i es.
The es ablished Na ional Facili ies, such as obse a ional pla o ms (measu emen s a ions)
and explo a o y pla o ms incl. a mosphe ic simula ion chambe s, ha e a key ole in na ional
esea ch, inno a ions, and ai quali y moni o ing. They a e, howe e , impo an also o
in e na ional scien is s, since hey can se e as pla o ms o scien i ic b eak h oughs, es ing
o no el echnologies, e i ica ion o me hods, and d i e s o inno a ions owa ds la ge scale
deploymen h ough ansna ional access (TNA, including physical, emo e, o hyb id access)
and i ual access (VA) modali ies.
TNA and VA oppo uni ies a a mosphe ic acili ies a e a ailable o all scien i ic inno a ions
d i en by cu iosi y, de elopmen , and new challenges. The isi s b ing isibili y o he acili ies,
bu also enhance open science and e icien u iliza ion o he equipmen , se ices, esou ces,
and da a, implemen ing he sus ainabili y goals o he Eu opean Union (EU).
Fo he pas wo decades, suppo o TNA and VA o in e na ional use s has mainly been
enabled by a ious in eg a ed ac i i ies wi hin EU unded p ojec s. I should be no ed ha he e
is cu en ly a la ge a ia ion in access unding in he di e en Eu opean coun ies due o
1 h ps://wp1.ae is-da a. /wp-con en -ae is/uploads/si es/82/2023/10/ATMO-ACCESS_WP3_MS10.pd .
This wo k has ecei ed unding om he Eu opean Union’s Ho izon 2020
esea ch and inno a ion p og amme h ough he ATMO-ACCESS In eg a ing
Ac i i y unde g an ag eemen No 101008004
a mo-access.eu
a iabili y in a ailable acili ies pa icipa ing he EU- unded p ojec s. To ensu e con inua ion o
he possibili y o TNA and VA o in e na ional use s, a long- e m sus ainable unding s a egy
is needed ha conside s complemen a y inancial mechanisms. Cu en ly, he acili ies and
hei ope a ions (including some access o na ional scien is s) a e inanced by he esea ch
pe o ming o ganiza ions, na ional unding agencies and minis ies. The a ailable unding
mechanisms o access we e in es iga ed based on a ques ionnai e add essed o he na ional
RI con ac poin s o unde s and he a ailable esou ces, possible obliga ions, and he gene al
in e es s o co- unding schemes in di e en coun ies. This documen summa izes he esul s
o he ques ionnai e sen o na ional unding agencies in ACTRIS and ICOS coun ies ia ACTRIS
Na ional Con ac Pe sons (6 answe s we e ecei ed) and he in e nal discussions wi h se en
selec ed coun ies.
2 Su ey me hods
The app oach ook place in wo s eps. Some in e nal discussions on access unding modali ies
wi h he Na ional Con ac Pe sons (NCP) o se en coun ies ook place in ea ly all 2023. The
coun ies we e Finland, F ance, Ge many, Czech Republic, Poland, Aus ia, and he Uni ed
Kingdom.
Based on hese discussions, as a second s ep, an open ques ionnai e – eleased in ea ly Oc obe
2023 and closed in mid-No embe 2023 – was sen o all he NCP (22 ACTRIS coun ies o which
many a e also ICOS coun ies). The na ional con ac pe sons we e asked o sha e he su ey
wi h hei na ional unding agencies. Six esponses om unding agencies we e ecei ed: om
Bulga ia, Finland, No way, Romania, Spain, and he UK. The ques ionnai e di ec ed o he
unding agencies and minis ies su eyed he possibili ies o access unding a na ional,
bila e al and in e na ional le els, and in es iga ed po en ial obs acles o eseen in di e en
unding me hods. Addi ionally, he su ey inqui ed unde s’ p e e ences o und di e en
access modali ies (physical, i ual, hyb id, o emo e) o ype o ac i i ies (e.g., o suppo
scien i ic b eak h oughs, business po en ials, o educa ional and aining isi s).
3 In e nal discussions – ini ial eedback
The ini ial eedback om he in e nal discussions on op ions o ad anced access modali ies
was ecei ed om se en coun y ep esen a i es (FI, FR, DE, CZ, PL, AU, UK). Acco ding o he
answe s, he si ua ion ega ding exis ing access modali ies and co- unding op ions ac oss
Eu ope appea s e y he e ogeneous. The esponses a e summa ized in MS10. While mos o
he coun ies ha e unding oppo uni ies o na ional access o RIs, hey do no ye ha e a
s a egy o unding o co- unding ansna ional access o hei na ional acili ies. Mos unding
This wo k has ecei ed unding om he Eu opean Union’s Ho izon 2020
esea ch and inno a ion p og amme h ough he ATMO-ACCESS In eg a ing
Ac i i y unde g an ag eemen No 101008004
a mo-access.eu
agencies adi ionally suppo na ional o bi-la e al esea ch p ojec s, and access o RIs can be
a pa o such p ojec s.
4 Analysis o he cu en si ua ion
On cu en access unding oppo uni ies
Wi hin he ATMO-ACCESS p ojec , new sus ainable unding me hods a e explo ed o
suppo ing TNA and VA o esea ch se ices (scien i ic explo a ion and b eak h oughs),
echnological and inno a ion se ices ( o ins umen and me hod de elopmen and es ing),
aining se ices ( o educa ion and capaci y building), and da a se ices ( o online da a and
compu ing se ices). Access also p omo es e icien use o he acili ies and ins umen s and
gi e isibili y o he RIs as well as o he single acili ies.
Despi e he dis inguished alue o he TNA-VA, he su ey e ealed ha he na ional
s akeholde s and unding agencies cu en ly do no ha e he means o p o ide di ec access
unding o indi idual na ional o in e na ional use s. Fu he mo e, he esou ces o he na ional
unding agencies o igina e in he publicly collec ed ax money and he inancing is a ibu ed as
pa o he na ional esea ch p og ams and p io i ies, and he e o e p ima ily o exclusi ely
di ec ed o p ojec s ha ing es ablished socie al impac a na ional le el, and/o in ol ing
na ional scien is s o RIs. Howe e , access o indi idual use s has been suppo ed indi ec ly
ia esea ch p ojec s (in ol ing bo h esea che s using a acili y and associa ed acili y
ope a o s and pe sonnel, by p o iding indi ec inancial suppo o main enance and
ope a ional expenses o he RIs in he unding schemes. In his way, acili ies ha e been
accessible o use s e en i cos s o p o ision o access we e no unded by he na ional
s akeholde s.
Funding o access o RIs equi es in o ma ion abou he ull cos s o access including he cos s
o unning he acili y ( ixed access cos s) and he cos s associa ed o he p o ision o access
( a iable cos s). A sus ainable access scheme would equi e ha a leas he a iable ac ion o
access cos s was co e ed. Di e en unding op ions exis s ia na ional mechanisms, such as
di ec calls and bila e al ag eemen s, co- unding schemes wi h Eu opean Commission, unding
di ec ed h ough RIs and o he unding (including use ees) and a syne gy o unding sou ces
should be aimed a , depending on he a ailable unding in ime. The use o ce i ied access cos
s a emen s would equi e jus i ying he necessa y expenses o he p o ision o access.
Howe e , he na ional unding agencies and s akeholde s epo ha hey do no accep cos
s a emen s om he access p o ide s (nei he do he Eu opean unding agencies excep o
hose ha a e pa o he abo e men ioned TA-VA p og ammes). The na ional unding is
di ec ed only o RIs o hei ope a ions o speci ic esea ch p ojec s a he han o suppo ing
This wo k has ecei ed unding om he Eu opean Union’s Ho izon 2020
esea ch and inno a ion p og amme h ough he ATMO-ACCESS In eg a ing
Ac i i y unde g an ag eemen No 101008004
a mo-access.eu
physical/ emo e/hyb id access o na ional and in e na ional use s. Only in Bulga ia, mobili y
unding wi h cos s a emen s o access p o ide s can be accep ed in bila e al p ojec s
suppo ed h ough hei Na ional Science Fund.
Since unds, di ec ed h ough na ional pa hways, di e om coun y o coun y and since use
access canno be di ec ly suppo ed, bila e al access unding is no conside ed easible in many
coun ies, based on he su ey, and clea s a egies do no ye exis . The same applies wi h co-
unding schemes wi h he Eu opean Commission (e.g. wi h cos -sha ing EU/Na ional: 70% /30%)
and Join P og amming Ini ia i es (JPIs). In Romania, o example, he na ional unding is
cu en ly subsidized wi h bila e al coope a ion ag eemen s, and he p ojec p oposi ions o
access RIs a e accep ed indi idually du ing calls o ende . F ance and Ge many ha e solu ions
o bila e al ag eemen s, bu co- unding is only ealized ia in-kind con ibu ions o esea ch
pe o ming o ganiza ions (RPOs). Mo eo e , Bulga ia and Romania a e open o co- unding
wi h he Eu opean Commission, bu wi h conce ns on p ac icali ies ela ed o equi y,
anspa ency and inc eased bu eauc acy, when undings a e adminis e ed by in e na ional
en i ies. In Finland he unding agency has a posi i e a i ude owa ds co- unding solu ions wi h
he EU p og ams.
On cu en access modali y op ions
Resou ces alloca ed o RI- ela ed access a e adminis a ed by he RIs hemsel es, meaning ha
he na ional unding agencies do no in e ene in he decision-making p ocess ega ding he
access modali ies. The e o e, he unding agencies do no ha e p e e ences be ween di e en
access modali ies, such as physical, emo e, i ual o hyb id access. The easibili y o he
esou ce usage, howe e , may be ollowed on a yea ly o unding-pe iod scale.
Al hough in gene al he unding agencies do no ha e p e e ences on speci ic esea ch opics
o whe he he esea ch is pe o med by a esea ch o ganiza ion o by he p i a e sec o
(excep o he UK), as long as he p ojec s a e e alua ed as impac ul, he agencies obliga e
he unds o be u ilized o esea ch bene i ing he na ional ci il socie y and esea che s.
Hence, p ojec s lead by o he Eu opean o in e na ional ins i u es can be unded only i hey
ha e a dis inc posi i e impac o he na ional socie y o in ol e also na ional esea che s.
Bila e al unding scheme bene i ing bo h pa ies is iewed posi i ely in some coun ies, such
as Bulga ia, F ance, Ge many and Finland.
This wo k has ecei ed unding om he Eu opean Union’s Ho izon 2020
esea ch and inno a ion p og amme h ough he ATMO-ACCESS In eg a ing
Ac i i y unde g an ag eemen No 101008004
a mo-access.eu
5 Conclusions
In his deli e able, he possibili ies o access unding modali ies a e e iewed based on
ques ionnai es sen o na ional s akeholde s – ini ial eedback om se en coun ies ia na ional
RI ep esen a i es and eedback ecei ed om six unding agencies.
Based on he eedback, he p o ided RI unds a e mainly aimed a ope a ing and main aining
RI acili ies ins ead o suppo ing access o indi idual use s. Addi ionally, he unds ypically
o igina e om publicly collec ed ax money, and hence he unded ac i i ies need o bene i he
na ional esea ch objec i es and use communi ies ( esea che s, RPOs, and ci il socie y).
The e o e, he cu en unding schemes do no ha e he means o p o ide access unding o
TNA p ojec s. Howe e , esponses highligh ed ha he cu en unding s a egies allow
inancial suppo o TNA p ojec s by co e ing ope a ional cos s o he RIs.
Cu en ly, he unding schemes a e ope a ed di e en ly in a ious Eu opean coun ies. In some
coun ies, he unding is p o ided only h ough s ic and al eady well-es ablished p ocedu es,
whe eas in some o he coun ies he p ocedu es a e mo e open o de eloping new
possibili ies. The c i ical obs acles he e is he dis ibu ed na u e o he RIs and se ice p o ision.
Addi ional obs acles a ise om he exis ing, and possibly inc easing, bu eauc acy and o he
na ional guidelines on he usage o unds equally and anspa en ly. Mo eo e , he unds a e
gene ally p o ided in sho - e m pe iods, which leads o compe i ion be ween p ojec s o
unding. Sho - e m unding schemes may addi ionally cause ins abili y in he long- e m
de elopmen o RIs, especially i go e nmen p og ams and p io i ies di e be ween elec o al
pe iods.
To enable and in eg a e he use o (na ional RI) se ices in na ional p og ams and g an s, he
na ional unding agencies should de elop in pa allel a na ional s a egy. This is s ill no e y
ma u e in mos o he in e iewed coun ies, e en in hose ha ing na ional RI oadmaps.
Wi hou a ailable mechanisms on na ional le el o ecognizing he use o acili ies and se ices
and he ela ed inancial mechanisms, he eadiness o co- und T ansna ional access (ei he
access o na ional use s om ab oad o access o use s ab oad o na ional se ices) is less likely
o ake place.
