Speaker
Description
An introduction to the European Synchrotron and FEL Users Organisation (ESUO) & User survey and questionnaire on impact of absence of Trans-National-Access (TNA) funding
Cormac McGuinness1*, Carla Bittencourt2, Federico Boscherini2, Tom Hase2, Rainer Lechner2, Derek Logan2, Bridget Murphy2, Moniek Tromp2.
1) President and 2) Executive Board Members of European Synchrotron and FEL Users Organisation (ESUO), www.esuo.eu (*Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.)
The European Synchrotron and FEL Users Organisation (ESUO) was established for the purposes of advocating on behalf of European SR and FEL users of European facilities. ESUO’s vision is to support a thriving (European) synchrotron & FEL user community with equal opportunities of access and participation for all scientists based solely on the scientific merit of their ideas.
European users have benefitted over two decades from the availability of financial support via successive Framework/ Horizon 2020 Integrating Activities programmes providing Trans-National-Access (TNA) funding in accessing SR and FEL facilities, paying travel and accommodation costs for one or more members on a beamtime. Earlier, in 2014, ESUO had been successfully in helping lobby for continuation of TNA in Horizon 2020 via a general access activity giving the CALIPSOplus programme. However, the TNA which was funded by CALIPSOplus ended with the project on 31st October 2021. At present there is no direct replacement by the European Commission in the form of a general access curiosity driven programme that would continue to provide TNA to all researchers from across Europe no matter the topic.
ESUO has initiated a user survey on the possible impacts of the absence of Trans-National-Access (TNA) funding for the user community. This can be completed by going to the following link: https://www.esuo.eu/possible-impacts-of-the-absence-of-transnational-access-funding-support-for-the-user-community/
All researchers, young and old, whether Master or PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, academic staff, group leaders or professors are encouraged to complete the survey and to circulate it. Using the survey results, ESUO will continue to advocate to the European Commission, in cooperation with LEAPS facilities, for TNA funding for all science topics and all scientists.
ESUO first established in 2010, in 2021 has become an International non-profit organisation, and is composed of national delegates from all European nations and their National User Organisations (NUOs) and/or Facility User Organisations (FUOs).
