Europlanet Expert Exchange Programme
Europlanet’s Expert Exchange Programme aims to support the mobilisation of the planetary community to share expertise and best practice and to prepare new facilities and services for integration into the Europlanet Research Infrastructure (RI).
The programme provides funding for short visits (up to one week).
Objectives for an Europlanet Expert Exchange might be:
- To improve infrastructure facilities and services offered to the scientific community by laboratories or institutes.
- To provide training on theoretical or practical aspects of the laboratory/fieldwork required to plan a future application for transnational access.
- To foster cooperation between academia and industry (SMEs).
- To support early career professionals to develop skills to use or manage RI facilities or services.
- To widen participation from Under-Represented States (from Europe and around the world) in RI activities and services.
- To support the inclusion of amateur communities in European planetary science campaigns.
- To support engagement with wider society e.g. through the involvement of outreach providers, educators, journalists, artists etc.
Organising an Expert Exchange
The following procedure outlines how to set up and organise a visit in the framework of the Europlanet Expert Exchange programme:
- The need for a visit or a virtual Expert Exchange is clearly identified.
- The applicant contacts the host facility / institute and agrees the terms of the exchange or virtual visit.
- The applicant fills in the application form on the Europlanet website.
- When application is accepted, the applicant and the host, with help of the facilitator, prepare a plan to realise the Expert Exchange, either through a physical visit or virtually.
- The Expert Exchange takes place.
- After the Expert Exchange, a visit report (2 page maximum PDF file) is prepared and uploaded along with the reimbursement form via the the post-vist form on the website.
- The report is reviewed by the Expert Programme Board and if accepted, the eligible costs will be refunded.
- Visit report is published on the Europlanet website.
The same basic principles apply for virtual Expert Exchanges as well as normal on-site visits. However, there is some flexibility in terms of the type of eligible costs for virtual Expert Exchanges (see case study below for an example), beyond the accommodation, travel and per-diems that are funded for a physical visit.
Next Call For Europlanet Expert Exchange Programme
The final call for the Europlanet 2024 RI Expert Exchange Programme closed in January 2024. A new call for Europlanet Expert Exchanges will be launched in 2025.
