The overall objective of the ‘Research infrastructures’ part of the FP7 Capacities programme is to optimise the use and development of existing research infrastructures existing in Europe.
Furthermore, it aims to help to create new research infrastructures of pan-European interest in all fields of science and technology. The European scientific community needs these to remain at the forefront of the advancement of research, and they will help industry to strengthen its base of knowledge and technological know how.

The term research infrastructures refers to facilities, resources and related services that are used by the scientific community to conduct top-level research in their respective fields. The definition covers: major scientific equipment or set of instruments; knowledge-based resources such as collections, archives or structured scientific information; enabling ICT-based infrastructures such as Grid, computing, software and communications; any other entity of an unique nature essential to achieve excellence in research.
Research infrastrucures must contribute significantly to the development of European research capacities.

The activities to be supported are grouped under three main lines of actions:

1. 1. Support to existing research infrastructures
   The objective is to optimise the use and development of existing research infrastructures, in all fields of science and technology, including ICT-based infrastructures, and to ensure the access of research teams from across the EU to these infrastructures.
   Integrating activities:

• Emphasis should be given to the efficient and coordinated implemenatation of transnational access to the best research infrastructures for all european researchers. Integrating activities should also aim at structuring better, on a European scale, the way research infrastructures  operate, and at fostering their joint development in terms of capacity and performance.
  
• e-infrastructures:
  The e-infrastructure activity supports the further development and evolution of high-capacity and high-performance communication (GÉANT) and grid empowered infrastructures. Furthermore the activity will open the path to the deployment of a scientific data infrastructure resulting from the coordination, of pan-European level, of data storage, archiving, access, management and curation acitivities. e-infrastructueres aim at developing a new research environment in which all scientists have an easy-to-use controlled access to scientific facilities, regardless of their type and location in the world. The major benefit is the strenghtening of more intense collaboration between research centres and their researchers in "virtual research communities", enabling worldwide partnership in all e-Science fields.

1. 2. Support to new research infrastructures (or major upgrades of existing ones)
   The aim is to help to create in all fields of science and technology new research infrastructures of pan-European interest needed by the European scientific community in order to remain at the forefront of the advancement of research, and to be able to help industry to strengthen its base of knowledge and its technological know-how. Support will be provided for:

• Design-Studies:
  to contribute to conceptual design studies for new research
  infrastructures, that demonstrate a clear European dimension and interest.
  
• Construction of new infrastructures (or major upgrades of existing ones):
  to provide a catalytic and leveraging support for the construction of critical new facilities building primarily upon the work conducted by the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI)1.

1. 3. Support for policy development and programme implementation, including support to emerging needs
   To enhance the effectiveness and coherence of national and Community research policies, international cooperation and the analysis of emerging needs in the field of research infrastructures.
   

Duration: 2007 bis 2013
Directorate Generale: DG Research
Budget:  1,9 Mrd. Euro