Nordic eScience Globalisation Initiative (NeGI)

eScience and eInfrastructure

eScience is about developing and applying advanced tools within information and communication technology (ICT) in order to exploit a new mode of advancing research, complementing theory and experiments. eScience is also about global collaboration within key areas of science, and about the next generation of infrastructures that will enable it.

eInfrastructures include:

• computer networks
• high performance computing and visualisation systems
• federated databases
• and network-enabled research instrumentation
• It also includes ICT Grids – the distributed computing technology that provides access to remote resources and enables collaboration among distributed virtual organisations.

Background

In 2006, the Nordic Council of Ministers formed an ad hoc eScience Work Group assigned to propose a joint Nordic eScience strategy. The strategy emphasises the need for long-term, sustainable collaborations within Nordic eScience infrastructures and proposes new Nordic eScience programmes within research, infrastructure and education.

NordForsk took the initiative further in the shape of The Nordic eScience Initiative (eNORIA)which is based on collaboration between experts from the research councils of Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, and Norway. Upon request from the Nordic Ministers for Education and Research (MR-U), eNORIA proposed an action plan (2008) for the implementation of the Nordic eScience strategy. You can find eNORIA’s action plan here.

In 2009 the Nordic Committee of Senior Officials for Education & Research (EK-U) proposed a globalisation initiative on eScience. NordForsk has been given the responsibility by the Nordic Council of Ministers to coordinate the implementation of this initiative.

Financing

Under the course of 2010, NordForsk consulted the Nordic national research councils and other relevant stakeholders in order to identify their main eScience priorities and their interest in contributing to the financing of an eScience globalisation project.

At present, the financial contributors are:

• The Nordic Council of Ministers
• The Research Council of Norway
• The Swedish Research Council
• The Academy of Finland
• NordForsk

The total budget for a five year period (2011-2015) is approximately 110 MNOK.

In addition, the research councils of Norway and Sweden, the Finnish Ministry of Education and Research, as well as the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation will allocate funding for eInfrastructure to follow up the work of the Nordic Data Grid Facility, amounting to 60 MDKK.

Focus areas

The two focus areas of the eScience globalisation initiative are research on climate change and research on health/social preconditions for health. Both include the development of eScience methods and tools.
Another focus area for the eScience globalisation initiative will be training researchers in eScience – an action to strengthen and improve the graduate education within eScience in the Nordic countries.

The distribution of funding in The eScience globalisation initiative. Total funding: 14,8 MEUR.