Work Packages
The Work Packages will facilitate the scientific and financial coordination of the project, the internal communication, and the linkage with international initiatives. The project activities are organised in three pillars (integration, implementation, and assessment) to ensure a smooth service provision.
TA1/WP1 - Enabling science for understanding and predicting key processes in polar regions
Lead participant
Objectives:
POLARIN will offer access to a large set of infrastructures to tackle the grand scientific challenges of the polar regions. TA1/WP1’s main objective is to define the scientific needs and the framework that will guide the coordination, implementation, and evaluation of TA to POLARIN RIs. TA1/WP1 will promote excellence and interdisciplinarity in research, in combination with optimal use of resources based on multiplatform access (research stations, vessels, data infrastructures…). It will develop the scientific framework, define the evaluation criteria for selecting applications, perform the scientific evaluation of submitted proposals, and assess the contributions of POLARIN’s funded projects towards the challenges, to adapt the subsequent calls for proposals accordingly.
The WP team will be assisted in its tasks by a Scientific Liaison Panel (SLP) which will advise TA1/WP1 in defining the themes for the calls, with particular attention to promoting interdisciplinarity and multi-platform operations (Task 1.1), assessing the performed work and suggesting themes for subsequent calls (Task 1.1 and Task 1.3), and implementing the scientific evaluation process and approving the report of funded projects (Task 1.2).
Tasks:
Task 1.1 Challenge driven call definition and integration (CNRS, IGOT-UL) (M1-M42)
Task 1.2 Scientific evaluation (OGS, UOULU) (M1-M48)
Task 1.3 Optimising the scientific outcome of the access programme (AU) (M7-M58)
TA2/WP2 - Proposal management service
Lead participants
Objectives:
The main objective of this work package is to ensure the technical management of the calls for proposals, including the launch of calls, proposal submission, logistic evaluation, and follow-up (e.g., to ensure the reporting and answers to feedback questionnaires are provided). The INTERACCESS on-line application, evaluation and reporting system from INTERACT will be expanded to handle all kinds of research infrastructure offering access, and to include several new features for streamlined and efficient access provision across domains and geographical regions.TA2/WP2 will provide the online system (INTERACCESS) procedure (Task 2.1), the platform for consultation and co-design (Task 2.2) and the quality assurance programme (Task 2.3) for TA provision in POLARIN. Altogether these tasks ensure integration, efficiency, and high quality of access provision across POLARIN RIs, across access modalities, and across domains and geographical regions. This will enable the operation of TA as a coherent and streamlined instrument responding to the grand challenges in the polar regions and supporting cross-cutting world-class research on these RIs. Ultimately, the well-integrated, streamlined, and high-quality access provision system developed will carry on as legacy beyond POLARIN, paving the way and potentially serving as the foundation for an Integrated Polar Observing System (IPOS). TA2/WP2 bring together operators and managers from Arctic and Antarctic research stations, polar vessels, and core repositories.
Tasks:
Task 2.2 Logistic evaluation of proposals (UTM-CSIC, AWI) (M1-M48)
TA3/WP3 - RIs offered for transnational access
Lead participants
Objectives:
The objective of TA3/WP3 is to inform about the access conditions for POLARIN’s infrastructures offering TA. Access is either in-person, provided to selected users that visit the installation, or remote, through the provision of remote scientific services (e.g., reference materials, samples, or installation of sensors). TA will be free of charge – including logistical, technological, and scientific support and the specific training that is usually provided to external researchers using the infrastructure. POLARIN offers 2.538 units of TA to Arctic stations and observatories, and 1.290 units of TA to Antarctic stations and observatories. As most of the observatories are part of the research stations, access to them is offered via the respective station. The only exception is the deep-sea observatory FRAM which is an independent installation. In addition, the project offers 2087 units of TA to research vessels and research icebreakers and 210 units of TA to core repositories.
TA4 - Improvement of data services and customised data products
Lead participants
Objectives:
Addressing the general data user as a stakeholder, WP4 aims at facilitating the discovery and consumption of data that is already available by ensuring that databases, datasets and/or data initiatives from polar regions are identifiable, and by facilitating access to them. It will improve workflows among data initiatives by reducing data fragmentation in support of data interoperability. In addition, tools will be developed to facilitate the access of data from multiple providers. These include tools that guide users (not necessarily data experts) towards the proper data queries in a stepwise/wizard-based approach. This approach helps the user to refine and better identify the fit- for-its-purpose datasets and data products.
Environmental data collected and stored in databases that very often consist of raw, unprocessed, collections. This limitation in the data value chain is hampering the capacity to develop knowledge from these valuable collections and their full potential may not reach some scientists, policy makers, local governments, or other organisations. POLARIN wants to make data products from existing databases available and to develop data products that can be directly used by a wide variety of stakeholders (for example to interpret atmospheric measurements).
Tasks:
Task 4.1 Improving access to polar data (ETT, CNR) (M1-M60)
Task 4.2 Improving polar data availability and interoperability (CNR, AU) (M1-M60)
Task 4.3 Data products, tools and data services (SIOS, NILU) (M1-M60)
VA1/WP5 - Provision of virtual access​
Lead participant
Objectives:
This WP will manage the VA to infrastructures (observatories, research stations, data infrastructures). A web portal (single entry point) accompanied by machine interfaces will be provided. This will allow monitoring and evaluating the VA provided by POLARIN RIs. The virtual access is permanently open for access and users are not selected. The budget provided to VA providers consists mainly of person months, to include new data from the projects carried out within POLARIN, to digitise old data, and/or to further develop open access.
Tasks:
Task 5.1 Development of a virtual access portal (SIOS, ETT, INKODE) (M1-M24)
Task 5.2 Monitoring and evaluation of the virtual access (CNR, SIOS, INPA) (M13-M60)
VA2/WP6 - RIs offered for virtual access
Lead participants
Objectives:
POLARIN is offering user-friendly, online access to scientific data, metadata, and data products from two observational networks, seven data infrastructures, ten Arctic and two Antarctic research stations. The objective of VA2/WP6 is to show the access conditions to POLARIN’s infrastructures that are offering access as VA. Virtual Access is provided through online services to users complying with the RI’s access policy, without selecting them. It includes the provision of access via a single-entry portal, and the access to data services. VA is permanently open and users are not selected.
WP7 - Training for infrastructure users​
Lead participants
Objectives:
Acquisition of scientific data in the polar regions is very expensive and logistically demanding in comparison with sampling of similar data anywhere else on Earth. It often includes the use of facilities (research stations, observatories, or vessels) with a working environment that is very different from what is usually experienced at a university or research institute. In addition, the work often takes place in vulnerable ecosystems and pristine environments that need to be preserved by reducing the impact of research activities as much as possible.
WP7 will organise training programmes to ensure that the new generations of researchers and RI users are able to fully utilise polar infrastructures efficiently, safely, and with minimum impact on polar environments. In addition, a training programme on data acquisition and sharing (data stewardship) will also be implemented.
Tasks:
Task 7.1. Training for ECRs and technical personnel to optimally use leading-edge RIs (UiT (APECS), UCPH) (M1-M60)
Task 7.2. Training on data stewardship (OGS, SIOS) (M1-M55)
Task 7.3. Training to perform safe and sustainable polar expeditions (FLPO, UCPH, AU) (M1-M55)
WP8 - Outreach, Engagement and Impact
Lead participant
Objectives:
The main objective of WP8 is the communication and outreach of POLARIN’s services and outcomes to users and other target groups. Efficient communication is crucial to the success of engaging identified target groups with the services of POLARIN WP8 will To ensure that communication, outreach and engagement are efficient, WP8 will assess its activities throughout the POLARIN project. WP8 will assess the impact of POLARIN on multiple stakeholders.
Tasks:
Task 8.1 Visibility and communication of POLARIN (EPB, INACH, IGOT-UL) (M1-M60)
Task 8.2 Engagement of Service Users and Ambassadors (EPB, IGOT-UL, INACH) (M1-M60)
Task 8.3 Evaluation of the communication and engagement activities and the impact of POLARIN (EPB, IGOT-UL) (M13-M60)
WP9 - Project Management
Lead participant
Objectives:
POLARIN will bring together the expertise and knowledge of 50 partners from 21 countries, forming an excellent network for achieving its objectives. Considering the size of the consortium, the organisational structure of POLARIN must be extremely efficient, allowing a fast and coherent decision-making process. WP9 will implement the necessary management routines to assure an effective and efficient project management of POLARIN. WP9 will guarantee the effective, smooth, and high-quality performance of the POLARIN project, with respect to contractual, financial, operational, and strategic management. It will provide support to all other POLARIN WPs by organising the general assemblies and the meetings of the Steering Board consisting of all WP leads.
Tasks:
Task 9.1 Contractual and financial management (AWI) (M1-M60)
Task 9.2 Operational management (AWI) (M1-M60)
Task 9.3 Clustering with other initiatives (ULUND, EPB, AWI) (M1-M60)
