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email: [email protected]: www.grc.cf.ac.uk

RESEARCH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME PROJECT EXPERIENCERESEARCH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME PROJECT EXPERIENCE

HYWEL THOMASHYWEL THOMASDIRECTOR, GEOENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH CENTRE, CARDIFF UNIVERSITYDIRECTOR, GEOENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH CENTRE, CARDIFF UNIVERSITY

Geoenvironmental Research CentreCanolfan Ymchwil Ddaearymgalcheddol 2

ABOUTABOUT MEME

• ENGINEER (EU FP “likes” engineering)

• CIVIL ENGINEER (EU FP “prefers” other forms of engineering eg ICT)

• WORKED IN THE UNIVERSITY FOR 30 YEARS.

(PERIOD 1980 TO 2010)

• MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

(“Rules” are somewhat different now e.g. Early Career Researchers)


ATTITUDE/APPROACHATTITUDE/APPROACH

• I WAS ALWAYS INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH EUROPEAN PARTNERS.

i.e. Drive came from me personally.

• SAW IT AS “INTERNATIONAL” RECOGNITION.

• AND EU IS ENGINEERING FRIENDLY.FRENCHGERMANITALIAN

• SO IT WAS ALWAYS PART OF MY PERSONAL STRATEGIC PLANNING.


APPROACHAPPROACH

• FOR THE FIRST TEN YEARS OF MY CAREER I DID NOT APPLY TO THE FP PROGRAMMES.

• I HAD TO BUILD MY CAREER FIRST.

• FUNDED FOR THE FIRST TEN YEARS BY EPSRC.

• CARRIED OUT BASIC RESEARCH.

• PUBLISHED THE WORK AND BUILT UP EUROPEAN CONTACTS VIA CONFERENCES.

• i.e. YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE TRACK RECORD.


MY AREAMY AREA

• VERY SPECIALISED.

• ENGINEERING BEHAVIOUR OF THE SOIL IN THE GROUND.

• I STUDIED TEMPERATURE EFFECTS.

• NO ONE ELSE IN THE WORLD STUDIED THIS SUBJECT.

• HAD A LONG TERM PLAN.

• TARGET AREA WAS HIGH LEVEL NUCLEAR WASTE DISPOSAL.

[MAJOR INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH PROGRAMMES]


The Äspö Hard Rock LaboratoryThe Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory

• The Äspö Hard Rock facility comprises a tunnel.

• Approximately 3,600 m long.

• Descends to a depth of approx. 460 m.

• Research areas are located around the facility.


MY FIRST GRANTMY FIRST GRANT

• ASSEMBLED A TEAM (Spanish, Belgian, French partners).

• TRAVELLED TO SPAIN, BELGIUM TO WORK WITH THEM (British Council Funding).

• WROTE THE PROPOSAL.

• I PLANNED TO LEAD.

• THE BELGIAN GROUP THEN DID A “TAKE-OVER”.

• WE PASSED THE QUALITY THRESHOLD.

• TIP: IN MY EXPERIENCE, BELGIAN ORGANISATIONS ARE VERY WELL CONNECTED TO THE COMMISSION.


EUROPEAN NEGOTIATIONSEUROPEAN NEGOTIATIONS

• IF YOU PASS THE “QUALITY THRESHOLD” YOU ENTER THE “NEGOTIATIONS”.

• PROJECTS CAN CHANGE COMPLETELY AT THIS STAGE.

• MY WORK WAS IN THE EURATOM PROGRAMME.

• THE BIG INDUSTRIAL PLAYERS PART FUND EVERYTHING.

• SO THEY THEN DECIDED (WITH THE EC) WHAT WE ACTUALLY DID.


MAIN IMPACTMAIN IMPACT

• RESEARCH WORK WAS FUNDED.

• JOINED THE EUROPEAN UNION “FAMILY”/”CLUB”.

• HAVE BEEN FUNDED CONTINUOUSLY SINCE.

(20 YEARS).

• VIA EU RECOGNITION JOINED THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE.

• US/CANADA/IAEA PLATFORMS.


COMMENTSCOMMENTS

•BREAKING IN IS HARDEST.

•ONCE YOU ARE “INSIDE” IT IS SOMEWHAT EASIER.

•BUT YOU OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO DELIVER ON RESEARCH QUALITY.


““TRICKS OF THE TRADE”TRICKS OF THE TRADE”

• WHEN YOU ARE ON THE “INSIDE” YOU CAN GET TO KNOW COMMISSION “THINKING”.

• IN RESEARCH MEETINGS COMMISSION OFFICERS MAKE PRESENTATIONS.

• ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOU ARE PRESENT.

• THE PRESENTATIONS OFTEN SEEM TO BE AT THE MOST INCONVENIENT TIMES – YOU MIGHT BE TEMPTED TO SKIP THOSE SESSIONS.

• THEY OFTEN GIVE YOU A VIEW OF COMMISSION FORWARD PLANNING.


WITHWITH TIMETIME

• WITH TIME YOU MAY BE ASKED TO HELP DESIGN FUTURE PROGRAMMES.

• OR AT LEAST MAKE INPUTS INTO THE SCIENTIFIC DIRECTIONS.


OTHER THINGS I DIDOTHER THINGS I DID

• LOOKED FOR NICHES.

• I WAS WELL POSITIONED WHEN THE “IRON CURTAIN” CAME DOWN.

• WORKED WITH THE CZECH REPUBLIC, POLAND AND HUNGARY.

• STARTED TO EXTEND BEYOND “NUCLEAR WASTE”.

• CO-ORDINATED ALL THOSE PROJECTS.


SIDE EFFECTSSIDE EFFECTS

• I BECAME KNOWN AS AN “EC PROJECT” PERSON.

• OTHER PEOPLE WANT YOU TO JOIN THEIR TEAMS – BECAUSE YOU HAVE A GOOD “EU” CV.

• “SNOWBALL” EFFECT.

• E.G. BROUGHT INTO PROJECTS BY “TEAM WALES” (The WDA in those days).

• REGENEREATION WORK (RESCUE).

• MAJOR SOCIAL SCIENCE COMPONENT.


OBSERVATIONSOBSERVATIONS

• EU HAS ALLOCATED VAST SUMS OF MONEY TO ITS RESEARCH PROGRAMMES.

• WE ARE WELCOME AT THIS PARTY.

• ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS APPLY. THIS OBVIOUSLY TAKES SOME WORK.

• MANY, MANY PEOPLE SEE A BRICK WALL.

• MANY, MANY PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT THE ADMIN.


THE PROBLEMSTHE PROBLEMS

• THE ADMIN.

• To LEAD or NOT TO LEAD.

• IF YOU ARE AN “EARLY STAGE ACADEMIC

DO NOT CO-ORDINATE JUST BE A PARTNER.

• IF YOU ARE A MORE SENIOR PROFESSOR, WITH AN ESTABLISHED RESEARCH CENTRE, LEADERSHIP IS OK. YOU PROBABLY HAVE A TEAM WHO CAN DO IT.

EVEN THEN ……………..BE CAREFUL.


ADMIN SUPPORTADMIN SUPPORT

• UNIVERSITY EC TEAMS.

(Nick Bodycombe and Team)

• EXTERNAL CONSULTANTS

MIXED EXPERIENCE.

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