Scientific exploration of data from research infrastructures (ESDIR) - Edition 2023

The ESDIR 2023 call aims at helping the scientific valorization of remarkable data, observations and measurements that can only be realized within the framework of the research infrastructures and long-term programs labeled nationally or internationally. This 2023 edition is dedicated to the research campaigns conducted on two large infrastructures, French Oceanographic Fleet (FOF) and Astronomy and astrophysics using ground-based observatories (A&A), whose data are already acquired (FOF and A&A) or in the process of guaranteed acquisition by the start of the projects (only A&A).

France invests significant resources in the development and implementation of large research infrastructures, whether on a national scale or in the context of large international cooperative projects. These resources are mainly used for initial investments or to fund experimental campaigns.

However, unlike other countries, France has not set up specific support programs for the scientific exploration of data obtained by these research infrastructures.

To fill this gap, it was decided to develop a pilot research call in 2022 and 2023 whose aim is to support research projects focusing on the scientific exploration of data from research infrastructures. The text of the call and results from first edition ESDIR 2022 are available online https://anr.fr/ESDIR2022

Scope and scientific objectives

The second pilot call ESDIR (edition 2023) is limited to two groups of research infrastructures and to the following topics:

• Axis 1: the French Oceanographic Fleet (FOF)
   
  The projects related to the Axis 1 (FOF) must focus exclusively on the use of data acquired by scientific projects selected by the National Commission of the Offshore Fleet (CNFH), for which at least one cruise mission took place in 2022. Proposals can relate to any scientific topic.
   
• Axis 2: Astronomy and astrophysics using ground-based observatories (A&A)   
   
  Proposals for Axis 2 (A&A) must use data acquired through large programmes, key programmes or guaranteed time projects at least one of the following research infrastructures: European Southern Observatory (ESO), Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimiter  Array  (ESO/ALMA), Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), Institut de RadioAstronomie Millimétrique (IRAM) and possibly the combination and correlation with complementary data produced by other structures/missions to which the team has access. The projects can cover any scientific topic in astronomy or astrophysics as long as they are based on the data obtained by at least one of the observatories listed above.