FAQ
For any further queries please contact hello@aquarius-ri.eu.
Q: Who is eligible to apply for transnational access (TA)?
A: The majority of the TA User Group must work in a country other than the country(ies) where the installation is located (unless access is provided by an international organisation, the Joint Research Centre (JRC), an ERIC or similar legal entity).
Only user groups that are allowed to disseminate the results they have generated under the action may benefit from the access (unless the users are working for SMEs).
Access for user groups with a majority of users not working in a EU Member State or Horizon Europe associated country is limited to 20% of the total amount of units of access provided under the grant.
Q: What’s included in the access to the infrastructures?
A: In most cases full access to the research infrastructure is available including the logistical, technological and scientific support for users, ad hoc user training and the preparatory and closing activities (mobilisation and demobilisation of a research vessel for example) needed to use the installation)
Users’ own Travel and Subsistence and logistics costs are covered up to a specified limit – this will be reimbursed to the Users by the RI Operator or the Operator can incur the costs directly (whichever is more agreeable to both parties).
In the case of mobile research infrastructures (drones, ROVs, AUVs etc), transport costs to the work area are covered by the project. Each proposal will be logistically evaluated on a case-by-case basis to ensure ‘value for money’ for the project.
Q: According to the criteria, equipment costs, sample analysis costs and other costs are not included, does this mean that we would need to ask for matched funding from our institutions/universities?
A: No, there is no need for matched funding. AQUARIUS cannot fund research, sample or data analysis that takes place after the use of the research infrastructure, so applicants should have their own funding to support that and to make the data available. That said, as part of our research infrastructure portfolio, we are also making available experimental facilities, e.g., laboratories and data services that can support analysis and we will also provide support and training to make your data openly available. So applicants do not need to “match” funding but do need to be able to fund their time, post-access analysis and write-up. Regarding bringing their own equipment, that is up to the user-group, but AQUARIUS can support shipping it to and from the infrastructure that it’s being used from.
Q: Can I request infrastructure located in the North Atlantic to conduct a research project in the Mediterranean?
A: Usually no, but check the infrastructure’s ‘Normal Area of Operation’ in the Online Infrastructures Catalogue. Some infrastructures are mobile and can be transported to other regions. Most Research Vessels are only available in their Normal Area of Operation. Please contact individual Research Infrastructure Operators for confirmation in advance of preparing your proposal – contact details for all operators are available in the Online Infrastructures Catalogue.
Q: Where can we access the application form, templates and relevant information to prepare our proposal?
A: All the information you need can be found on our website here. As soon as the calls open, you will be able to access the Transnational Access Platform through where you can prepare and submit your application. A training webinar on the use of this platform is planned for 27th November 2024.
Q: The application guidelines state that you have to use the research plan template provided for the scientific proposal. What do I need to bear in mind here?
A: You can find the research plan template here and in the TAP document library. In the introduction of the document you will find detailed information on the length and format of the research plan. For each point in the research plan, there are also detailed explanations of what information you should include.
The research plan should be a maximum of 10 pages long, excluding the title page, table of contents and introduction with the explanations in the above-mentioned research plan template document.
Q: Is the application process very time-consuming, and will it require the formation of partnerships?
A: It is a technical application and shouldn’t take too long to develop. There are technical sections that need to be well-defined. For anyone familiar with the EUROFLEETS application, it will be very similar. The time challenge is researching and deciding on which research infrastructures you want access to. Proposals for the AQUARIUS TA calls must involve at least three partners from three different countries.
Q: How long does it take from application to decision?
A: The process includes a science check, external review, logistics review, and typically takes 2-3 months before moving to preliminary review and negotiations for access time to the research infrastructures.
Q: Are non-EU partners eligible to apply for funding? If so, does the application require the involvement of at least one EU partner?
A: Yes, non-EU user groups are eligible to apply for AQUARIUS TA; we can grant them up to 20% of the access units that we offer in each TA call. This means that AQUARIUS will fund at least 80% of the total units of access, for example, the number of days on a research vessel, or hours of flight time for an observation aircraft provided by the AQUARIUS project, to parties with the majority of users working in the EU or associated country. We are more than happy to see non-EU applicants. There is no strict requirement for an EU partner to be involved in the application, although including one could provide additional benefits.
Q: Are there any restrictions on whether the participant is from a government agency or from academia or the private sector?
A: There is no restriction as to their sectoral status, i.e., whether they are from government, academia, private sector, or civil society organisation all are welcome to apply.
Q: Is there a limit on the amount of funding available per Transnational Access (TA) project?
A: AQUARIUS has a total of €8.1Million to support transnational access, including travel costs. We are encouraging large super-integrated ambitious projects, all proposals received will be evaluated based on scientific excellence and then logistically evaluated to ensure ‘value for money’ for the project. The budget per project could be in the order of one million euros, or more for larger projects that integrate multiple infrastructures, but smaller lower-cost projects are also encouraged.
Q: For each sea area (Lighthouse region) there are different themes/challenge areas. If we want to collaborate with different institutions from different countries can we address more than one challenge?
A: Yes, of course. Proposals must just address at least one of the indicated challenges in the relevant Lighthouse region. Further information on the challenges for the first TA Call can be found here and in the guidelines for applicants, available here.
Q: Is there a specified timeline/access period in which projects have to be finished, and how soon are research infrastructures being made available?
A: Each research infrastructure has a specific timeframe during which it is available, details of these can be found in the RI specifications in the Research Infrastructure Catalogue. In addition, access can only occur while the (four-year) AQUARIUS project is running. Therefore, the earliest time that projects could start is April, 2025 (to allow time for the logistical and scientific evaluation following Call closure on January 20, 2025). Projects must end by October 2027 to allow administrative finalisation before the AQUARIUS project ends in February 2028. These timeframes will also be visible in the application platform for Transnational Access (TA) Calls.
Q: How long are the research infrastructures available for?
A: There is a limit of three months access to each RI, but there is flexibility if the reason for longer or repeated access can be justified. For example, if applicants want to do multi-annual surveys, that can be facilitated. The acquisition or the work would have to be done to allow reporting from the proposal writer before the end of the project.
Q: Can we apply for access to a Swedish research vessel to conduct a research cruise off the west coast of Ireland, for example?
A: Research Vessels are only available to work in their ‘Normal Area of Operation’ which is stated in the Infrastructures Catalogue. Some smaller mobile pieces of infrastructure can be transported to locations other than their base location but will depend on transportation cost and availability.
Q: Is it possible for an AQUARIUS partner offering access to an infrastructure to apply for access to an infrastructure not belonging to their country?
A: Yes, this is possible.
Q: Regarding the restriction on not being able to access infrastructure within your own country, does this just apply to just the group leader or for all international partners on the proposal? For example, if a proposal led by a partner in another country includes an Irish partner, could they access Irish infrastructure or not?
A: There is a need to be practical, in terms of large projects with multiple partners and multiple infrastructures and the likelihood that there will be partners from the same countries as some of the infrastructures. As long as the lead partner is not from the country that hosts the infrastructure, then that is fine. What would not qualify, for example, would be an application led by a Spanish researcher, with 15 Irish researchers, seeking access to a piece of Irish infrastructure. Our ambition is to be fair and reasonable and follow the spirit of what AQUARIUS is trying to achieve; providing access to infrastructure in a country other than the applicant’s.
Q: How can we access portable equipment (drones, floats, etc.)?
A: Check the Research Infrastructure Catalogue for detailed scheduling information, including vessel locations. Remember, it’s about aligning your proposal with available research infrastructures, so study the catalogue thoroughly and request information as needed.
Q: If we would like to use sensors that are not available in AQUARIUS catalogues, and we would need to add a cost on those sensors… how is this handled in the proposal?
A: Unfortunately, we cannot support purchasing or manufacturing your own equipment. We can only support shipping (incl. customs) of your equipment to the destination of your access.
Q: Is it possible to submit an application requesting access to just one infrastructure, for example, to use a single research vessel?
A: Yes, that is possible as long as the proposal meets the challenges and criteria. We, would like to encourage people to put in multi-infrastructure applications to deliver impact. But if impact can be delivered using just one, infrastructure, that’s fine.
Q: If we have relevant events, would the AQUARIUS team be willing to present?
A: The AQUARIUS team is interested in participating, either in person or virtually, depending on the location. Please reach out to hello@aquarius-ri.eu.
Q: What is the criteria to classify as an early career researcher?
A: If you are within five years of your PhD or Masters then you are considered as an “early career researcher”. This would also include career-breaks. If you are applying for Transnational Access as a user group or group leader and you’re still an early career researcher then, as for all applicants, you have to provide letters of recommendation with your application to demonstrate that you and your team (at least three international partners) have the appropriate scientific expertise to conduct the proposed work. This is all specified in our “guidelines for applicants”, available here.
Q: Are the training opportunities reserved to AQUARIUS partners, correct? Or are they also available for any early-career researcher not in the consortium?
A: Training opportunities are open to anyone and in particular early career researchers from outside the consortium are Further information on training opportunities will be made available via the website very soon. AQUARIUS will cover participants’ travel and logistics costs up to a maximum amount per person. The first Call for the marine internships/floating universities for early career researchers will open on December 1st 2025.
Q: Can you clarify the data management strategy, particularly regarding its compliance with FAIR principles and its integration with platforms like Blue-Cloud, EMODnet, and SeaDataNet?
A: The data management strategy is fully outlined in a deliverable available on our website, which details how data generated using the research infrastructures will be managed and shared. You can access it here.
Q: Is it obligatory to share the generated data?
A: Yes. Each funded TA research project and user group will implement a data management plan (DMP), which will be supervised and reviewed by assigned data centres.
Q: Is the evaluation process being carried out by the AQUARIUS team?
A: No, the scientific evaluation is carried out by an external panel of experts. You can read more about the evaluation procedure and panel members here.
Q: Will the project provide funding for TA researchers to focus on the impact of their projects?
A: AQUARIUS funding is in the form of access to the available research infrastructures, however AQUARIUS Work Package 7 is dedicated to disseminating and communicating not just the AQUARIUS project activities but the funded TA projects also.
Q: What types of infrastructure are included, e.g., ships?
A: All the infrastructure available can be viewed in our Research Infrastructure Catalogue. There are different categories, including research vessels.
Q: Are ROVs available with the research vessels?
A: There are ROVs available in the catalogue, from Ifremer in France, from HCMR in Greece and from the University of Limerick in Ireland. All costs associated with access to the ROV e.g. transport, salaries and travel & subsistence of the ROV pilots will be covered by AQUARIUS. A research vessel is required to deploy the ROV from so if you don’t have access to one already for your project it must be requested in the AQUARIUS proposal.
Sometimes research vessels may have smaller ROVs available as part of the equipment list and so if you only need a smaller ROV it may be worth contacting the research vessel provider to confirm what is available.
Q: Does the budget also cover lab consumables, services etc. besides travel and logistics?
A: In principle AQUARIUS covers travel costs, shipping of equipment and everything you need to access the infrastructure, and the infrastructure, as such. AQUARIUS cannot buy scientists’ equipment or cover scientists’ salary costs or any other logistics’ costs not directly related to the access. But it also depends on the research infrastructure that you are accessing, for example, if it is a laboratory facility that you are accessing, then this may well all be included in the access conditions.
Please look at the detailed information for each infrastructure in the catalogue to see exactly what is included in the “access” to the infrastructure in question or if in any doubt, please contact the infrastructure provider to clarify. .
Q: Can you explain the different roles of the SEP and the anonymous reviewers?
The SEP ensures the scientific integrity of the process. These are scientific experts, and their names, institutions and areas of expertise are available on our website here. Their role is to oversee the process, and act as a watchdog to ensure the process is transparent and scientifically correct, and that each proposal is treated in the same way.
The SEP will analyse the proposals and allocate scientifically appropriate external anonymous reviewers to review the proposal. The SEP will not review the proposals, this will be done by the anonymous reviewers.