Risk management, mitigation and contingency for ESFRI/ERIC and other world-class research infrastructures

Expected Outcome

Project results are expected to contribute to several of the following expected outcomes:

• European research infrastructures benefit from more robust risk management plans notably in the climate, biodiversity loss, pollution, health and social science domains and the risks related to access to critical data, equipment or facilities;
• European research infrastructures have implemented mitigation plans and, where needed, contingency plans for the most critical risks such as preservation of critical data, geographical coverage, alternative methods, tools, equipment, new or strengthened collaborations;
• EU and Member States are better informed on critical research infrastructures and critical R&I services and able to develop policy to preserve critical data, knowledge and capacities.
• The European Research Area benefits from more information about critical research infrastructures and R&I services, and from a preserved capacity and research freedom to address its priorities and socio-economic challenges;
• The global competitiveness and attractiveness of the European Research Area is reinforced.

Scope

This topic targets pan-European research infrastructures such as ESFRI research infrastructures[1], ERICs[2] and other world-class research infrastructures in Europe notably in the fields of climate, health and social sciences and aims at supporting these infrastructures in implementing mitigation and contingency plans for critical risks.

Pan-European research infrastructures such as those prioritised by ESFRI, ERICs, and other world-class research infrastructures in Europe often engage in international collaboration in areas where global coverage is essential for knowledge creation, like for example climate understanding and modelling or pandemic preparedness, or where a critical mass is needed.

Proposals should involve research infrastructures that are sharing similar or related risks, which could be better addressed by common or coordinated implementation of mitigation and, where needed, contingency plans. Proposals should pay due attention to the importance of sustaining such plans beyond the project’s duration.

Proposed actions under this topic should

• Describe capacities at risk, be it due to shrinking geographical coverage or to loss or interruption of data, limited access or expansive access fees to data, to equipment, to facilities, supply challenges (see ESFRI work[3]) etc. and where relevant update risk management plans. Exchange best practices on risk-assessment and develop guidance.
• Describe where applicable the expected impact of realised risks beyond the research infrastructures concerned i.e. impact on related operational or deployment programme where relevant, on international agreements, on addressing EU priorities, on EU competitiveness, on EU strategic autonomy; in this context, identify which research infrastructures services could qualify as ‘critical R&I services’.
• Implement mitigation and, where applicable, contingency plans to address capacities at risk, in order to ensure the sustainability of the research infrastructure concerned as well as to preserve EU capacity and research freedom to address its policy, priorities and socio-economic challenges investments across Europe for trusted and secure storage, processing and sharing of critical data including through EOSC.
• Develop guidance and disseminate best practices on risk-assessment and research security, taking into account EU recommendations in the field of research security and foreign interference. Where relevant, links to initiatives such as the development of a European centre of expertise on research security should be explored.

[1] ESFRI RIs PORTFOLIO https://ri-portfolio.esfri.eu/

[2] ERIC Landscape - Active European Research Infrastructure Consortia (ERICs) https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/strategy/strategy-research-and-innovation/our-digital-future/european-research-infrastructures/eric/eric-landscape_en

[3] ESFRI Report on Energy and Supply Challenges of Research Infrastructures ESFRI Report on Energy and Supply Challenges of Research Infrastructures | www.esfri.eu