5th edition of the Big Seashell Survey

BigSeashellSurvey

All along the Flemish and Dutch coasts, 19 March 2022.

Who isn’t fascinated by shells on the beach? Picking up shells, admiring them and trying to find out the story behind the find. And if at all possible, to give science a helping hand at the same time. That is what the Big Seashell Survey is all about!

On Saturday 19 March 2022, the Big Seashell Survey will take place, as part of the LifeWatch Belgium programme. It is the fifth time this citizen science initiative has been organised. In each of the ten coastal municipalities, shell experts will help you collect and identify your hundred beach shells at the counting stations between 10 am and 4 pm. And if hundreds of enthusiasts do this, we all learn a lot more about these fascinating sea creatures. Experience or not, everyone can become a marine citizen scientist for a day!

For the first time this year, comparisons will be made between the shells found on Flemish beaches and those of the Netherlands. On the same day, the natural history museum Naturalis in Leiden will be holding a big seashell survey as well, on the beaches of the coastal province South Holland – as part of the event Leiden2022 – European City of Science. Are you also curious whether we will see big differences?

In addition, families with children can go to three provincial visitor centres (Duinpanne, Raversyde Anno 1465 and ZWIN Nature Park) for a playful introduction to shells (workshop in Dutch only). Afterwards, they will be fully prepared to collect and process a sample of shells at a counting station.

Find more information about this event on www.groteschelpenteldag.be (in Dutch only).

Subscribe now on the website of EOS Iedereen Wetenschapper and receive the newsletter (in Dutch only) with the necessary information and keep up to date on the results (registration is free and not obligatory).

The Big Seashell Survey is an initiative of the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), EOS Wetenschap magazine, the Province of West Flanders, Natuurpunt, Strandwerkgroep, Kusterfgoed and the 10 coastal municipalities. Initiative within the framework of LifeWatch Belgium.

ACTRIS Science Conference

ACTRIS Science Conference

Online, 11–13 May 2022.

Hosted byACTRIS (ENVRI Community Member)
Organised byInstitute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR), University of Helsinki Atmosphere and Climate Competence Centre (ACCC), University of Helsinki ACTRIS Interim Head Office
Supported byEuropean Commission, University of Helsinki, Academy of Finland
Funded byEuropean Union research and innovation programme under grant agreements ACTRIS IMP (871115), ATMO-ACCESS (101008004), RI-URBANS (101036245) and Academy of Finland via ACCC Flagship (337549).
OverviewThe three-day open ACTRIS Science Conference aims to bring together members of different atmospheric science communities and discuss the latest scientific breakthroughs e.g., in air quality and climate research. The contributions are solicited on the topics covering all aspects of ACTRIS scientific activities. Furthermore, we would like to encourage participation of the scientists working in the other European Environmental Research Infrastructures to share their findings and access unique opportunities for networking and Research and Development collaboration! The scientific topics include, inter alia:
– climate change
– air quality measurement
– technology development and innovation
– atmospheric composition and vertical profiling
– aerosol particles, trace gases and clouds
– harmonisation of observations
– laboratory experiments
– mobile measurements (measurement campaigns and experiments)
– calibration/validation of satellite observations
– ACTRIS data usage in models
Participation and call for abstractsThe ACTRIS open science conference registration and call for abstracts will open in March 2022. The abstracts will be published in the Report Series in Aerosol Science.
Who is it for?– Research organisations and scientists in the field of atmospheric and environmental sciences
– Environmental Research Infrastructures and their staff
– Private companies developing scientific instrumentation or services in the field of atmospheric sciences
– Industrial end-users looking for new technologies/ services
– Air Quality Networks and end users of air quality data interested in enhancing their monitoring capacities and implementing newest scientific findings
ContactFor all practical questions, please contact Prof. Tuukka Petäjä (tuukka.petaja[@]helsinki.fi) and Prof. Katrianne Lehtipalo (katrianne.lehtipalo[@]helsinki.fi)

AnaEE Conference 2022 – “Ecosystems services under pressure: the role of experimentation”

AnaEE

Prague, Czech Republic, 27–30 June 2022. AnaEE Conference 2022: Ecosystems services are crucial for society and human welfare. It is essential to protect ecosystem functioning in order to mitigate the challenges of the Anthropocene. Novel management strategies are needed to secure biodiversity, promote greenhouse gas reduction and carbon sequestration, ensure drinking water quality and quantity, and sustain or develop food production. Experimentation and modelling are of uttermost importance to understand the functioning of ecosystems and their behaviour under anthropogenic pressures such as climate change, pollution, land use and management practices.

The goals of the AnaEE Conference 2022 are to discuss the role of agriculture, forests and natural ecosystems in reducing GHG emissions and increasing carbon sequestration, as well as to discuss the importance of holistic approaches that integrate across ecosystem boundaries spanning from terrestrial to freshwater ecosystems. A stakeholder session will be held to summarise the outcomes of the conference and initiate a discussion aimed at policy makers, practitioners, farmers and industry, as well as other related scientific communities, to leverage the added value of the AnaEE infrastructure and find answers to the most pressing ecosystem challenges. At the end of the conference, a full day will be devoted to an internal AnaEE business meeting, and training for platform managers and other interested parties.

Programme

Topics and featured speakers

SOC and LOC

Deadlines, fees, and call for abstracts

Registration

Abstract submission

Sponsors

Visit the conference website for more information.

ENVRI FIP workshops: Making the ENVRIs “FIP for purpose” through FAIR Convergence

FIP Workshops

Online, 25 January – 22 February 2022.

For this series of workshops, ENVRI has invited experts in FAIR implementation to guide us through the steps needed to create our own FAIR Implementation Profiles (FIPs). The experts will provide an overview of the variety of options and technologies that are available to address each of the FAIR principles. Then, using state of the art tools, they will assist us in producing a set of machine-readable FAIR Implementation Profiles that support and inform FAIRification efforts both within, as well as between, ENVRI subdomain communities.

A link will be provided shortly before the meeting.

Registration

You have to register yourself to receive the meeting link. Please register here

Speakers

Barbara Magagna, Eric Schultes

Who should attend

Data management specialists and IT developers from all ENVRI Community members, across subdomains and RI maturity levels, who are working on FAIRifying their data management and services.

Background

The FAIR principles describe how digital objects should be like, and behave, for them to be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable by computer-driven processes. But the principles do not give any detailed recommendations on how to achieve FAIRness in practice – what technologies to apply, which metadata standards to follow, etc. Instead, it is expected that every research community of practice should make their own choices. This has led to a huge variety of technical solutions for what are actually common problems.

To bring some order and convergence, and at the same time allow comparisons between and within domains, the concept of FAIR Implementation Profiles was introduced. These profiles are visualized in the FAIR Convergence Matrix, a collaborative online resource containing machine-readable descriptions of all FAIR implementation choices made by a wide range of research communities. This is the approach already taken by ENVIR-FAIR in the first two rounds of assessing the status of FAIR implementation in the involved RIs. Since then, the FIP tool has been considerably improved and this three-day training event will help to make use of it in the third run.

The FIP workshops in a nutshell:

FIP introduction

25 January 2022 – 9:00-12:00 CET

The first workshop introduces to the FIP approach: The FIP ontology and some discussion on the FAIR enabling resources (technical solutions, implementation strategies, standards and models) which address each of the FAIR Guiding principles. The FIP Wizard is explained and its use is demonstrated with the compilation of a demo example.

Based on this introduction, the data stewards in charge for each of the RIs’ are asked to engage the FIP Wizard and build the FIP representing the implementation choices of their specific repository.

FIP consultation

28 January 2022 – 9:00-12:00 CET

The second workshop provides consulting around the issues encountered by the data stewards, providing guidance around the many considerations influencing implementation choices.

FAIR convergence

22 February, 2022 – 9:00-12:00 CET

The finalised FIPs are collected in a FAIR Convergence Matrix where each column represents a Community (or a RI) and each row a FAIR enabling resource deployed for specific FAIR principles. In this way potential alignments of FIPs from different Communities can be identified in order to optimise convergence on the reuse of existing Resources and interoperation between the FAIR data and services of each Community.

2nd RDA Info Share Webinar

RDA Info Share Webinar

Online, 12 January 2022.

The EOSC Future project is organising the second RDA info share webinar. This online event will highlight two new RDA Open Calls focusing on domain ambassadors and maintenance facilities. The information session will delve into the details of both calls as well as future RDA funding plans. Register now.

The Research Data Alliance (RDA) Open Calls aim to bring data initiatives closer to EOSC and provide EOSC with expertise, tools, best practices and standards from the global research data community. Throughout the entire EOSC Future project, the RDA’s €1 million mechanism will award over 65 grantees under 9 open calls.

On 12 January, EOSC Future and RDA will hold the second RDA info share webinar to discuss the second & third RDA Open Calls:

  • Open Call for Domain Ambassadors (Deadline: 15 February 2022, 16.00 CET) invites disciplinary experts and groups to serve as ‘EOSC communicators’ within their respective communities 
  • Open Call for Maintenance Facilities (Deadline: 15 March 2022, 16.00 CET) is tailored to individuals/teams who can help establish an EOSC maintenance facility drawing on RDA standards, tools and outputs.

Both calls are looking for applicants who can support EOSC – integrating services and expertise – but from distinct angles. Successful applicants will:

  • contribute know-how to EOSC, while also benefitting from its services
  • ensure EOSC has the necessary resources to provide its core services
  • provide long-term maintenance solutions supporting the broader EOSC community
  • leverage EOSC services in support of community-driven disciplinary development
  • raise awareness and wider engagement in the EOSC community.

Info Share Agenda

11.00 – 11.05          Welcome & EOSC Future – RDA Open Call Context

11.05 – 11.15          Open Call Presentations: ‘RDA Open Call for Domain Ambassadors’ & ‘RDA Open Call for Maintenance Facilities’

11.15 – 11.20          Next RDA Open Calls (planned until mid-2022)

11.20 – 11.45          Questions and Answers

Registration

This meeting is open to anyone interested in RDA and EOSC-related topics, whether RDA open call applicants, EOSC Future consortium members, or other interested parties. 

Interested? You can register here. 

You can also consult the EOSC Future Funding Platform for more information on both calls, the number of grantees and scope. 

EOSC Future is just one of the many ongoing high-level projects that LifeWatch ERIC is involved in.

Stakeholder meeting of AFRIMED EU project – Restoring macroalgal forests in the Mediterranean Sea: are we ready for scaling up?

AFRIMED

Hybrid: Naples, Italy + Online, 17 January 2022.

In the framework of AFRIMED project, the Business Club fosters interactions among stakeholders, to share information and solicit input regarding the recent advances on marine forests restoration. The final aim of the meeting is to share experiences, create a network of stakeholders and produce a shared vision of the needs and challenges of their conservation and restoration in the Mediterranean Sea.

New findings of the AFRIMED project and the current state of knowledge will be presented (see the 1st Stakeholder meeting here), along with more applied contributions from different stakeholders (contact us before 31 December if you want to contribute with a short presentation).

An active discussion and common work will allow the updating of the perceptions, interests and priorities of the participants, focussing on knowledge gaps, management needs, Blue Economy opportunities and particular challenges linked to scaling up the actions of macroalgal forests restoration in the Mediterranean Sea.

The meeting will follow a hybrid format, being held in presence at the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy, and online.

Attendance is free, but registration is required.

Draft agenda
17 January afternoon (14:00-18:00)
– Introduction to the meeting
– Results achieved in AFRIMED
– Presentations of stakeholders (experiences, ideas, needs and challenges) – Discussion
– Conclusions of the meeting
– Social dinner

Website: afrimed-project.eu
Contact: afrimedbusinessclub@gmail.com

Algal Forest Restoration In the MEDiterranean Sea (AFRIMED)

Grant agreement n. EASME/EMFF/2017/1.2.1.12/S4/01/SI2.789059

EGERIC Report and Recommendations

EGERIC
Presentation and discussion with the ERIC Forum community

Online, 17 January 2021. EGERIC (the Commission expert group to assess the implementation of the ERIC Regulation and identify best practices and potential recommendations) will present its Report and Recommendations to the ERIC Forum community on 17 January 2022.
The online session will aim to discuss and collect the ERIC Forum community’s feedback on the report, in preparation for the ERIC Forum Meeting on 26–27 January 2022, where the key conclusions will be presented.

More information about the event’s registration will be available soon.

About the mission of the EGERIC:

The expert group’s mission was to provide a report on the implementation of the ERIC Regulation, including independent advice and recommendations on specific issues highlighted by the Council. The group addressed the specific technical issues highlighted by the Council, which affect the implementation of the ERIC Regulation, notably concerning “an acceptable solution for the VAT exemption for in-kind contributions, to stimulate investments in ERICs and other ESFRI Roadmap Infrastructures, to increase transnational and open access to European Research Infrastructures and to enhance their financial sustainability”.

Green transition for competitive and sustainable research infrastructures

Green Transition

Virtual, 1 December 2021. Join the Green transition for competitive and sustainable research infrastructures event held virtually on the 1 December 2021, 11:30 -13.00 CET / 12:30 – 14:00 EET.  

Climate change and environmental degradation are affecting all of us, and therefore increased focus is being placed on public policies and investments fostering sustainable growth and building on technological developments especially in the area of green ICT and energy efficiency.

Research infrastructures play a key role in this context, as drivers through scientific discoveries and scientific advances that address societal challenges, such as climate change, and as pioneers of the green transition through the innovative technologies, green ICT and other sustainable solutions they adopt for their own operations. 

With this event we aim to raise awareness, and encourage an exchange on the challenges and the success stories of green transition especially for research infrastructures. 

Through a series of talks and panel debate, speakers and participants will reflect on and canvass the issues, opportunities and best practices facilitating green transition, how to adopt a more coordinated approach across research infrastructures landscape and what should be key priorities in terms of investments and scientific agendas for RIs in order to be competitive and sustainable on the longer term.

Speakers: 

Jean-Eric Paquet – Director-General, European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD)

Jana Kolar – Executive Director, CERIC – ERIC and newly elected ESFRI chair 

with Opening remarks by Kimmo Koski, CEO,  CSC – IT Center for Science  

Joining for the panel discussion:
Christos Arvanitidis – Lifewatch ERIC CEO
Lilli Freda – EPOS ERIC Executive director / INGV
Markku Kulmala – INAR Executive Committee Chair / University of Helsinki
Sverre Quale – ECCSEL ERIC Director

Registration for the event is open at https://cscfi.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_n3aFs6ahR5uePsy1B62v7Q

ICRI 2022

Brno, Czech Republic, 19–21 October 2022. The International Conference on Research Infrastructures (ICRI 2022) is a major worldwide event providing an opportunity for strategic discussions about international cooperation in research infrastructure. A variety of experts and stakeholders discuss challenges and emerging trends, highlighting the essential role of research infrastructures.

Every two years since 2012, ICRI has hosted about 500 delegates, who discuss topics concerning research infrastructures on the international level. The venue alternates between the EU and third countries, and the event is organised jointly by the European Commission and the host country.

More information is available here.