Irish Research Council to represent Ireland
The Minister of State for Research and Innovation, Seán Sherlock TD, has welcomed today’s Cabinet decision allowing Ireland to become a member of two European Research Infrastructure Consortia - the European Social Survey (ESS) and the Digital Research Infrastructure for the Arts and Humanities (DARIAH).
The Irish Research Council will represent Ireland in the two consortia.
Welcoming today’s decision, Minister Sherlock said: “Adequate research infrastructures are essential in promoting innovation, as they provide the conditions and critical mass required to carry out cutting-edge research.”
ESFRI, the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures, produced a roadmap in 2008 which identifies 44 Research Infrastructures of pan-European interest corresponding to the long term needs of the European research communities, covering all scientific areas. There are a total of five infrastructures in the roadmap which span the humanities and social sciences area, and these include the ESS and DARIAH initiatives.
The Irish Research Council has been involved with both these initiatives, in their pre-European Research Infrastructure Consortia (ERIC) form, for some time, and this has resulted in considerable benefits to the Irish research community.
Minister Sherlock said: “The involvement in these infrastructures as they develop into ERICs will further enhance the benefits to Irish researchers, and the Irish research system more generally.”
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
European Social Survey
The ESS, which was established in 2001, is an academically-driven social survey designed to chart the interaction between Europe's changing institutions and the attitudes, beliefs and behaviour patterns of its populations. Currently in its sixth round, the survey covers more than 30 countries and provides empirical evidence for governments, policy analysts and scholars on social trends across Europe.
Digital Research Infrastructure for the Arts and Humanities
DARIAH aims to enhance and support digitally-enabled research and teaching across the humanities and arts. DARIAH will develop, maintain and operate an infrastructure in support of ICT-based research practices and support researchers in using ICT-enabled methods to analyse and interpret digital resources
Overview of an ERIC
An ERIC is a consortium of member states, with a legal underpinning, involved in the establishment and operation of a research infrastructure. The ERIC is an easy-to-use legal instrument providing:
a legal personality recognised in all EU Member States
flexibility to adapt to the specific requirements of each infrastructure
some privileges/exemptions allowed for intergovernmental organisations
a simpler process for establishing pan-European infrastructures
a faster and more cost-efficient process than creating an international organisation
An ERIC must include the involvement of at least three Member States. The members agree on statutes ruling governance, financing, etc. The seat has to be in an EU-Member State or in a country associated to the EU Framework programmes. Each member of the ERIC makes a financial contribution. The liability of the members is limited to their committed contributions.