Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What does EXPEER TA offer?
- Access to 33 ExpeER infrastructures (ExpeER sites) across Europe.
- Scientific support and collaboration.
- Visitors work closely with a "host" researcher working in a similar field at the centre visited or in an associated department.
- Visitors are allocated an office within their "host" department and should be fully integrated there.
What expenses are covered by EXPEER?
- ExpeER TA will contribute to travel, accommodation and operational costs.
- Only ONE person will be reimbursed for each TA visit, for detailed information, see the “Reimbursement” section on the website.
What is a ‘user’ or ‘user group’?
- User means a researcher within a user group, including the user group leader.
- User group means a research team of one or more researchers given access to the infrastructure under the project. Each user group is led by a user group leader.
Who can apply?
- Applications are welcome from researchers at any level (PhD students, researchers, and senior professors) who are working on research in any discipline which can benefit from ExpeER experimentation sites
- Eligible user groups are:
----- the user group leader and majority (i.e. 50% or more) of the users must be employed by public or private institutions within Member States or Associated States;
----- the user group leader and majority (i.e. 50% or more) of the users must be employed by institutions in a country other than the country where the legal entity operating the infrastructure is established;
----- the user cannot apply for travel and subsistence support to access his/her own facility through this programme.
How do I apply for TA?
- Applicants should first identify and contact a researcher with whom they wish to collaborate, at one of the participating ExpeER sites.
- Applicants should then submit their proposal using the TA Application Form via the ExpeER website (2nd-stage application).
When to apply?
- Selection mechanism will be always open but, as a general rule, people should apply between two and six months before they wish to begin their visit.
Is it possible for applications from more than one researcher working on the same project to be submitted?
- No, each researcher must complete a separate application, each with its own supporting documents. One application per research project.
- The User Selection Panel (USP) will consider each application individually on its own merit.
Can I apply for multiple sites?
- ExpeER strongly encourages users to include multiple sites in their project proposals
Is it possible to split my TA visit?
- Yes, however:
----- subsistence payments will be suspended during your absence,
----- travel costs will only be reimbursed once for each TA project.
How will my proposal be evaluated?
- An initial evaluation will be undertaken by the site PIs considering the logistical and scientific feasibility of the proposal.
- A User Selection Panel (USP), including the TA Coordination Team and two external reviewers will evaluate the proposals basing its decision on:
----- Scientific quality of the proposal.
----- Availability of the requested site at the time the proposal is made.
----- Level of support from the local host researcher(s).
----- How well the research interests of the applicant and the proposed host(s) complement each other.
----- The network value and training potential based on the experience gained by the scientist(s), the number of scientists and students involved and the country of origin of the members of the group.
----- Preference will be given to first-time users and young researchers.
What are the expectations of TA under EXPEER?
- Users are expected to publish their results in open literature within a reasonable time.
- Acknowledgement of the access provided to users under the contract by the EC must be included in any published material, specifying that the project leading to the publication has received research funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (EU FP7), e.g. "Financial support by the Access to Research Infrastructures activity in the 7th Framework Programme of the EC for conducting the research is gratefully acknowledged".
What do I have to do upon completion of my TA visit?
- To enable the Executive Commission to evaluate the Research Infrastructures Action, monitor the individual contracts, and improve the services provided to the scientific community, each user or user-group leader of a project supported by the TA is requested to complete the "User Group Questionnaire". The questionnaire must be submitted once by each user or user group as soon as the experiments at the infrastructure come to end. The questionnaire can be submitted here.
- You must complete the TA Agreements form (which can be downloaded from the website) and ask the site manager and TA Coordination Team to sign it.
FAQ