Centres
A distributed Research Infrastructure with specialised centres all over Euope
The Central Hub (CH) is responsible for the organization’s coordination, administration and communication. It also coordinates the activities of the three Service Centres: the Technology Centre (DC), the Data and Modelling Centre (DMC) and the Interface and Synthesis Centre (ICS).
The facilities remain the property of their respective country/institution. They are linked by Service Level Agreements, signed between the ERIC and the host institutions, which describes the services given by the ERIC to the facilities, and from the faciltiy to the ERIC.
Under the leadership of the Director General, the Central Hub (CH) is the heart of the strategy, coordination, communication and administration of AnaEE. It coordinates the overall infrastructure and manages the AnaEE web portal which will give access to all the resources and services of the infrastructure. With a distributed infrastructure including over 100 national installations, 3 supranational Service Centres and a variety of users and stakeholders, the development and operation of this Central Hub is crucial for the success of AnaEE.
Finally, the CH is a warrant of the quality of AnaEE services and products, and will ensure that quality is a main driver at all stages.
To reach this high level of integration, coordination, and dedication among AnaEE’s staff the CH arranges events, training, internal meetings and communication between all the staff in the diffrent Centres.
The Central Hub:
- Conducts the implementation of AnaEE and its strategic development
- Implements AoM’ decisions in cooperation with the Service Centres
- Makes proposals to develop new platforms in order to address emerging research needs
- Assess the performance of National Platforms and service centres
- Implements the overall management and quality plan of the ERIC
- Convenes, and organizes the logistics of AnaEE bodies
- Prepares and implements AnaEE’s communication plan
- Manages the day to day tasks (financial, HR, etc.)
The web portal, under the responsability of the CH, is the access point for all relevant information, activities and services related to AnaEE-ERIC. It features an information section for users and the general public; a facility catalogue, with an advanced query system; the proposal system; the access to the data (provided by the Data and Modelling Centre); links to the national node web portals and more.
The Technology Centre (TC) supports AnaEE platforms in mastering new techniques and staying updated with cutting-edge technologies to enhance understanding of processes.
Core activities:
- Harmonization and Upgrade: Standardizing instruments and procedures across AnaEE platforms.
- Technology Working Groups (TWGs): Internationally renowned scientists develop experimental procedures and measurements to standardize methods and adopt new developments.
- Technology Foresight Workshops: Gather experts to identify and adapt new technologies for ecosystem science.
- Innovative Technology Development: Pursue demand-driven and supply-driven innovation, collaborating with national platforms, labs, and private companies.
- Demonstration Projects: Develop and validate novel technology, such as a soil water sampler/analyser system for real-time data on ecosystem properties.
- Training Sessions: Offer theoretical and practical workshops for platform personnel, focusing on industry policy and Intellectual Property Rights.
- Technology Portal: Provide access to standards, protocols, and technical solutions through the AnaEE portal.
The TC, hosted by the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, aims to advance AnaEE’s technological capabilities
AnaEE aims to stay at the forefront of scientific and societal challenges by closely engaging with stakeholders and scientists to identify pressing issues. The Interface and Synthesis Centre (ISC) focuses on several key activities:
- Prospective Studies and Research Lobbying: ISC collaborates with leading scientists and international panels like IPCC and IPBES to pinpoint gaps in ecosystem sciences. They advocate for funding by sharing this information with research agencies.
- Project Development Support: ISC assists scientist consortia in proposal preparation by analyzing current ecosystem experimental methodologies and platform services. This helps in crafting large-scale projects involving multiple national platforms.
- Outreach Material Creation: Besides scientific publications, AnaEE creates outreach materials for policymakers, educators, and citizens. A Communication engineer oversees the development of these materials and organizes e-learning initiatives.
- Global Synthesis Workshops: AnaEE organizes syntheses on ecosystem science topics, integrating AnaEE data with global research. For instance, they might study the combined effects of heat and drought on terrestrial ecosystems.
- Societal Scenario Building: Workshops engage policymakers, professionals, and industries to develop societal scenarios and innovation needs. These discussions inform policy recommendations and potential collaborations with industry.
- Portal Management: ISC maintains the Interface and Synthesis Centre section of the AnaEE portal, sharing information on conferences, workshops, and outreach materials.
- Policy Recommendations: Upon request, ISC contributes recommendations and synthesis papers to address critical scientific and societal issues.
The ISC is hosted by CzechGlobe in Brno, Czech Republic.
The Data Modelling Centre (DMC) serves as a pivotal hub for ensuring that scientific data within the AnaEE framework adheres to the principles of being Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR). Its primary objectives are to streamline the process of data discovery, facilitate seamless access to datasets, promote their effective utilization, and encourage their widespread sharing across the scientific community.
- Data Management: The DMC assists researchers in crafting and maintaining robust data management plans, providing guidelines and operational tools such as thesauri and ontologies to standardize metadata and data formats. It supports new projects and platforms in developing tailored data management strategies.
- Data Quality Enhancement: Through collaborative efforts and synergies among National Platforms, the DMC endeavors to enhance the quality of datasets by conducting analyses across larger data pools and comparing model predictions with fresh data inputs. It develops visualization, statistical, and data analysis tools, ensuring their accessibility and availability through open repositories like GitHub.
- Data Accessibility: Central to the DMC’s mission is ensuring the visibility and accessibility of AnaEE data. It works towards full interoperability of experimental datasets collected across AnaEE platforms, providing a single querying tool on the master AnaEE portal for easy access. Additionally, it establishes workflows for data publication and assigns Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) to datasets, thereby facilitating their citation and referencing.
- Modeling Solutions: Recognizing the significance of modeling in understanding ecosystem dynamics, the DMC facilitates access to two types of national AnaEE Modelling Platforms: Modelling Solution Platforms and Model Factory Platforms. These platforms offer both established models and tools for model development, catering to diverse research needs within the ecosystem science community.
- Model Interoperability and Usability: The DMC promotes model interoperability by defining and implementing software interface standards, facilitating seamless integration across different modeling platforms. It also ensures accessibility for non-model developers through quality tutorials and training workshops, empowering them to leverage modeling tools effectively in their research endeavors.
- Demonstration and Training: Through demonstration cases and training sessions, the DMC showcases the practical applications of modeling in enhancing data interpretation, experimental design, and upscaling of research findings. These initiatives are developed collaboratively with national nodes and advisory bodies, addressing a wide range of ecosystem-related challenges.
- FAIR Data Practices: In alignment with FAIR principles, the DMC organizes workshops and training sessions to educate users and platform operators on data handling and sharing practices. It fosters a culture of open exchange and collaboration, ensuring that AnaEE data remains accessible and usable by the broader scientific community.
The DMC is hosted by the Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria (CREA) in Bologna, Italy.
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