LTSER 4 (Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research)

The European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) is a forum staffed by EU member states that provides a platform for establishing European research infrastructures of high strategic relevance. The ESFRI Roadmap is published every two to four years as an agreed list of priorities. Included infrastructures have ten years to formalize as legal entities. As of September 2018, the Integrated European Long-Term Ecosystem, critical zone and socio-ecological systems Research Infrastructure (eLTER RI) is on ESFRI's roadmap. On February 1, 2020, the Preparatory Phase Project, funded by the European Commission, began. The five-year project is for detailed planning of the eLTER RI. Another H2020 project, eLTER-PLUS, is for accompanying scientific research. The operators of the national eLTER sites and their financial backers (largely the federal ministries) are required to contribute concerted Austrian positions to the eLTER RI detailed planning and implementation.The organization of the national process serves the following key objectives: -structuring of opinion formation on eLTER design and services in the areas of responsibility of the ministries concerned,-coordination of (1) expert contributions from site-operating institutions and scientific teams with (2) strategic aspects from the institutional management level (top-down, executive boards, directorates, rectorates),-creation of a platform for national opinion and strategy formation, -Interface between opinion and strategy formation of the site coordinations and their institutional representatives with the formal representation of Austria in the European eLTER ESFRI process,-Time and cost efficient representation of Austria in the eLTER Interim Council as the central decision making body for the design and implementation of the eLTER RI.