The National Programme for Research Infrastructure

The Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation hereby calls for:

As part of the political agreement of November 2006 concerning the allocation of the globalisation pool and follow-up on the welfare agreement, it was decided to establish a special programme of DKK 600 million to be used in the years 2007-2009 for investment in research infrastructure at national and international levels.

In the political agreement of 5 November 2008 on the distribution of the globalisation pool for research and development, it was agreed to increase investments in research infrastructure in the years 2010-2012. A clarification of this new effort is expected to be politically agreed upon during 2009. It has to be emphasised that for the time being no decision has been taken with regard to whether – or to what extent – the implementation of new funds for research infrastructure will be based on the application model used in 2007-2009.

Research infrastructure is used in all scientific disciplines and includes a wide variety of advanced equipment; databases; laboratory facilities; test plants and other tools and facilities necessary for the research process. Research infrastructures may be located in one or more places or they can be virtual.

Applications from all scientific areas are encouraged.

The infrastructure programme is to support investments which are of national strategic importance and which are generally utilised by several institutions jointly, due to their large scale. In 2009 funding from the National Programme for Research Infrastructure will be available for the following purposes:

• The establishment of major national research infrastructures.
• Danish membership or participation in major international research infrastructures.

DKK 200 million is available for allocation in 2009.

Only submission of full applications is called for, i.e. no two-step application process including expressions of interest and applications is applied.

As a consequence hereof the institutions are also in 2009 encouraged to prioritise in order to limit the total number of applications.

1. Purpose, framework and procedures

The National Programme for Research Infrastructure shall contribute to ensure that Danish researchers have access to the very best research infrastructure – both nationally and internationally. Furthermore, the expansion of research infrastructure is necessary, if Denmark is to be able to attract talented researchers from all over the world.

As a general rule, a research infrastructure should be established with active contribution from several institutions and research teams in order to achieve a coherent and concentrated national effort built up around strong environments.

All applications must be submitted by the management of the institutions involved, i.e. at the level of rector or similar.

Regarding funding for the establishment of major national research infrastructures:

The research infrastructure programme supports projects that exceed the financial limits of what the research institutions may be expected to finance on their own. Thus, applicants will, as a general rule, only be able to apply for funding of a minimum DKK 20 million for the establishment or upgrading of an infrastructure.

In connection with the establishment of major national research infrastructures, the programme may co-finance up to 80 percent of the investment. The institutions' share of the investment will be included in the assessment of applications. As a predominant main rule, no funding is granted to specific research projects, operating expenses and construction work. However, in special cases subsidies may be granted for renewal, replacement and new installation related to the infrastructure applied for, including permanent equipment, such as for instance IT cables and power outlets for IT-work stations.

In exceptional cases, amounts less than DKK 20 million may be applied for depending on the general scope of the investments in the research field in question. This is under the provision that investment would give the field a boost and result in new research and societal opportunities of national strategic importance.

Potential applicants may include anyone from an individual research institution (including Authorised Technological Service Institutes – GTS institutes) to cross-institutional consortia with industrial and international partners. Every effort should be made to ensure that all relevant research teams/researchers working in a given field participate in the formation of a national consortium.

The proposed projects shall be closely related to the institutions' own strategic priorities and the host institution shall have its own specific plans for research activities involving the research infrastructure in question.

The research infrastructure shall form a basis for scientific research at the highest international scientific level with a significant degree of topicality and relevance. Consequently, the application shall in a convincing manner account for the scientific ideas and perspectives as well as the research planned for and enabled by the research infrastructure.

Furthermore, it is a requirement that the institutions assume responsibility for operation of the research infrastructure once it is established.

Regarding Danish membership or participation in major international research infrastructures:

For Danish membership or participation in international research Infrastructures, it is a requirement that the infrastructure are of strategic importance for one or more universities or publicly-financed research institutions. Thus, the management of these institutions must consider Danish participation to be of significant importance for the realisation of the institutions’ research strategies.

Consequently, one or more institutions are to initiate a possible Danish membership or participation, including being willing to allocate the necessary resources for derived research. Derived research is to be financed by the institutions themselves or by funding offered in competition by scientific research councils. A consortium of relevant Danish research environments will typically be behind the submission of an application.

In relation to Danish participation in international research infrastructures, based on an international convention, a budget accounting for the construction phase and an estimate of the subsequent annual operating costs shall be submitted.

Allocation procedures and expected timetable:

The Danish Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation allocates funding from the programme to major research infrastructures on advice of the Danish Research Coordination Committee (DRCC). The DRCC will be assisted by an international committee of experts.

The applications will be evaluated by the committee of experts, who will decide which applications are to be subject to an international assessment with a view to a subsequent new committee evaluation. When deemed appropriate, the research council system, the relevant authorities or professional bodies may be consulted in order to establish the national relevance of a given application.

The result of the international assessment and any consultations will form a part basis of the committee of experts´ evaluation which is expected to be completed in November 2009. The Danish Minister of Science Technology and Innovation is expected to decide on allocation in December 2009 so that applicants will get an answer within the end of the year.

2. Assessment criteria

In the assessment of applications significance is attached to:

• That the research infrastructure is of broad national interest.
• That the research infrastructure forms the basis for research at the highest international scientific level with significant topicality and relevance, including that the application accounts for the scientific ideas and perspectives and the research planned for and the results aimed at in a convincing manner.
• That the research infrastructure has a significant societal and commercial relevance, benefit and potential.
• That there is a detailed plan for the research infrastructure’s organisation, management, consortia formation, handling of technical challenges, etc.
• That the research infrastructure has a clear relation to the research institutions' own strategic priorities. In this regard, the potential applicants' share of financing and other resource contributions will be taken into account
• That the research infrastructure is highly accessible for relevant research teams (including utilisation of the infrastructure, collected data, etc.)

3. Application requirements

Applications shall be submitted in English using the research advisory system's standard Application Form 1 (English version).

However, item 15 (Popular-science description) shall be submitted in both English and Danish. In item 14 of the Form 1, the member of the project group chosen as coordinator shall be marked.

The following appendices (1-7) must be attached

A standard page is equivalent to a maximum of 2400 keystrokes using at least pitch 11.

Applications that fail to meet the formal requirements set out in this call may be rejected without prior substantive consideration

Appendix 1)

Summary (a maximum of 2 standard pages)

Sum up the significant parts from Appendix 2-5.

Appendix 2)

Project description (a maximum of 14 standard pages)

The objectives of the research infrastructure and an account of how it would give the field a boost and result in new research and societal opportunities of national strategic importance, including:

• The contribution of the research infrastructure to promote a coherent national effort.
• The research infrastructure's contribution to promote Danish research/the research field(s) in question, including its significance for competency development in the field.
• The quality and volume of the research in the environments which are applying for or are expected to use the infrastructure in question.
• The projects and research programmes which are planned to be carried out through the infrastructure, including the objectives, level, quality and relevance of the research as well as the results aimed at and the anticipated impact.
• The contribution to graduate training, research training, postdoctoral activities as well as technology transfer and innovation.
• A description of how Danish society and business community may benefit from the infrastructure, including a description of the expected socioeconomic impacts.
• A cost-benefit account of the anticipated benefit in relation to the estimated establishment and operating expenses.
• Description of any other application areas of the infrastructure besides research – such as teaching or patient treatment – including how much of the total project is attached to scientific research (The programme will only allocate resources to the research-related part of the project).
• Description of any special societal comparative benefits which could be utilised by establishing the research infrastructure.
• Any other elements considered to be of importance.

Appendix 3)

Plan for the research infrastructure’s organisation, management, consortia formation and handling of technical challenges (a maximum of 4 standard pages).

• Description of the consortium and of the administrative, technical and scientific organisation, including description of the associated investment profile for preparation, construction, operation, upgrading and possible decommissioning.
• The location of the research infrastructure and the motivation hereof, and a description of the collaboration with national and international infrastructures in the field, including descriptions of plans for establishing a similar infrastructure in Denmark or abroad and of alternative location options and solutions.
• Financing plan (self-financing, national and international authorities, private sector, loans).
• Description of possibilities for access by external public and private users and financing of this access. This could be a payment model or a model in which users are allotted time to use the infrastructure upon special application.
• Description of the technical aspects relating to establishment, specific constructional aspects, etc.

Appendix 4)

Correlation with the institutions/partners strategic planning (a maximum of 4 standard pages)

• The institutions´ strategic plans, including their project prioritisation as regards allocation of research funds. Please also account for any connection to applications/grants related to any other large research programme etc.

Appendix 5)

Detailed budget

Price quotations shall not be enclosed. Key figures and information from price quotations shall be embodied in the budget.

• Detailed budget stating the internal distribution key among participating parties/institutions, including description of co-financing and price quotations.
• Documentation of the research institutions’ financing in the establishment phase and undertaking of financing in the operational phase.

Appendix 6)

CVs for the project's key scientific/academic and technical/administrative staff

• A standard format CV is to be used

Appendix 7)

Please propose at least five international and renowned scientific researchers who – if deemed beneficial – can contribute to review of the application. The proposed peer reviewers shall not be incompetent or in any way biased in relation to the application.

Regarding overheads, private sector enterprises, etc.:

In connection with support of large national or international research infrastructures overhead contributions will not be made available.

Any funding of the private sector must be in accordance with the EU State aid regulations. In any case private-sector enterprises will be required to contribute with significant co-financing. Private-sector support can be given in accordance with:

The group relief schemes for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

• Read the entire set of rules

EU "de minimis" rule, cf. guidelines for companies

• Find them at the Danish Competition Authority

4. Submission of applications

All applications to the Danish National Programme for Research Infrastructure shall be submitted in the form of one paper copy and two PDF files on a CD-ROM (one contiguous file including Form 1 and Appendices 1-6 and one additional separate file including Appendix 7). Furthermore, the popular-science project description in Danish and English (item 15 of the Form 1) shall be submitted in Word or a Word compatible format on the electronic media. The PDF files may be submitted per e-mail upon special agreement. The printed copy must be provided with original signatures, while this is not a requirement for the PDF file. By signing the printed copy, the applicant confirms that the printed copy of the application is identical to the PDF file.

Please submit applications to:

Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Please mark the envelope "Research infrastructure".

Contact

For further information, please contact:
Peter Uffe Meier: Phone: +45 33 92 97 06 or e-mail
Anders Ødegaard: Phone: +45 35 44 62 53 or email
Troels Rasmussen: phone: +45 35 44 63 17 or e-mail

This call is available in a Danish and an English version. In the event of any disparities between the two versions of the call, the Danish version shall always apply.

• Standard CV format (Word)
• The group relief schemes for small and medium-sized enterprises
• EU "de minimis" rule
• Other Calls