Smith, V.S. 2014. FP7 Funded RI Project experiences: some overly honest tips from a project coordinator, EC Horizon 2020 Research Infrastructures Information Day in at the Natural History Museum London, U.K. 18 June 2014.
FP7 Funded RI Project experiences: some overly honest tips from a project coordinator
1. Vince Smith, NHM, London
EC Horizon 2020 Research Infrastructures
Information Day, 18 June 2014
FP7 Funded RI Project
experiences
some overly honest tips
from a project coordinator
3. Enabling research via (small) digital infrastructures
Circa 5,000 spp.
Mammals & birds
12,000 associations
15,000 potential hosts
http://darwin.zoology.gla.ac.uk/~rpage/LouseBase/2/
LouseBASE
Specimens Images
(SID)
http://darwin.zoology.gla.ac.uk/~SID/
Literature
PHPBib
http://myphpbib.sourceforge.net/
Lab Notebook
http://www2.flmnh.ufl.edu/pdb/
Host-Parasite Checklists
http://www2.flmnh.ufl.edu/adb/
4. EC funding opportunities, a question of scale
• Became involved with (and frustrated by) EC projects
• Fixing these issues required getting involved
• Invited as a FP6 proposal reviewer
• Started writing FP6/7 proposals
5. FP6/7 eInfrastructure Projects
European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy (EDIT)
27 EU taxonomic institutions, 5-yrs, FP6 funded NoE 2006-11, €11.5 m
Towards a European Museum of Natural History by functionally federating
existing facilities
Synthesis of Systematic Resources
(SYNTHESYS) [1,2 & 3]
18+2 partners, 4-years,FP7 funded eInfrastructure 2013-17, €8.9 m
Improving physical and digital access to European natural history
collections collections
Virtual Biodiversity Research and Access
Network for Taxonomy (ViBRANT)
17 partners, 3-years, FP7 funded eInfrastructure 2010-13, €4.75 m
Supported the development of virtual research communities involved in
biodiversity science
6. Experiences developing, running & sustaining projects
• Project planning and design
• Management
• Sustainability
• Reviews & outputs
Mostly common sense?
(Caveat: my judgment derived from
experience rather than study)
7. Project Planning & Design Issues
• Set "Goldilocks goals" (suitably ambitious but realistic)
• Embed your users in every aspect (and ideally be a user)
• Build in agility (reassess and redefine milestones)
• Identify realistic partners (with a track record)
• Avoid silos (for both partners & activities)
• Submit it to the right call!
Open
source &
modular
Open
source &
modular
Infrastructure maintenanceInfrastructure maintenance
Technical
maintenance
Technical
maintenance User supportUser support
Crowd-
sourcing
support
activities
Crowd-
sourcing
support
activities
Maximising
support
efficiency
Maximising
support
efficiency
8. Management Issues
• Teamwork (a day-to-day project manager is critical)
• Devolve as much responsibility as possible
• Communication is key
• Use the Web as much as possible
• Keep a healthy travel budget (and use it)
• Measure and monitor progress (KPI dashboard)
• Advisory boards (mixed views)
SYNTHESYS Project
Management & Access
Websites
9. Sustainability Issues
• The sustainability plan starts now!
• Embed sustainability activities at every level
– For infrastructure (align with institutional strategy)
– For content (an active user community)
– For training and development (e.g. “ambassadors”)
– For marketing
– For strategy
• Think programme, not project!
23 ambassadors23 ambassadors
in 19 countries;in 19 countries;
600 communities,600 communities,
7,100 active users7,100 active users
23 ambassadors23 ambassadors
in 19 countries;in 19 countries;
600 communities,600 communities,
7,100 active users7,100 active users
10. Project Reviews & Outputs
• Link to external community events where possible
• Ideally, use reviews as an opportunity to do something useful
– e.g. Public launch activities, workshops or training events
– Strategy development
• Have tangible outputs (not just reports for reviewers)
• Or have a plan to build upon (use) project reports
• Invest in marketing and outreach