Horizon 2020-Funded EPIC Project Releases Policy Recommendations for the Future of Australian European e-Research Cooperation
This week, the Horizon 2020-funded EPIC project released the first in a series of policy briefs providing policy makers in the European Commission (EC), as well as in the project partner countries of Australia, Singapore and New Zealand, with an update on the state-of-play of ICT cooperation as relates to the EC’s actions. The initial publication, entitled ‘The Future of Australian European e-Research Cooperation’, has been drafted to inform both EU and Australian policy e-Research stakeholders. The brief first provides a current overview on the digitisation of science and the internationalisation of research, then describes how targeted e-Research developments, in combination with good e-Research processes and infrastructure, can facilitate easier and more productive cross discipline – and thus cross silo – collaboration between the EU and Australia. It further includes an outline of existing drivers and challenges, and the associated policy implications. Finally, it provides a concise list of joint recommendations for how Australia and the EU can further develop e-Research cooperation. The full document is openly available and can be accessed at https://bit.ly/2JOL2vx Authors and contributors include Jonathan Arthur from the Australia-based EPIC consortium partner Intersect, Ross Wilkinson, the Director of Global Strategy for the Australian Research Data Commons, Clare Richards, Senior HPC Innovations Project Manager from National Computational Infrastructure Australia and EPIC coordinator and Austria-based technology consultant Erich Prem: “eResearch is an obvious focus area for fruitful AU-EU collaboration. We are starting from well-established links, we are facing joint challenges, and there are mutual benefits to be harvested, for example in adopting shared approaches, exchanging good practices and agreeing on joint research actions.” While the policy briefs are prepared as part of the EPIC project, the views expressed therein are solely those of the authors and not of the EC or its services. In addition to providing future oriented recommendations for policy makers, the EPIC policy brief series will provide insights into the main challenges and previous successes in the selected topic areas based on input from the EPIC consortium members, interviews with researchers and previous results and findings. Target audiences include research policy advisers and research counsellors in Brussels, R&D policy makers in the corresponding ministries and departments in the partner countries, top researchers and research managers from leading research organizations, and ICT industry associations. On the European side, this further includes the European Commission (DG Research and DG Connect), support networks for international research cooperation (such as NCPs and IDEALIST), European ICT research organizations (ERCIM), and EU industry associations including EC bodies (JTIs and ETPs). First Initiated in September 2017, EPIC, following an extensive rollout, is now entering its final months and is thus well-positioned to provide policy recommendations based on project findings and results. EPIC is aimed at improving cooperation in the area of information and communication technologies between Europe and the three partner countries Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. The project is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme (ICT) under Grant Agreement No. 687794. To learn more about the EPIC project, or to view upcoming events, visit www.epicproject.eu Currently, EPIC is the only EU support action targeting ICT research cooperation with Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.
Keywords
e-Research, Policy Brief, Cooperation, Australia, European Commission, Digitisation, data, databases, virtual labs
