The KM3NeT International Collaboration contributes to several other Research Infrastructures through the participation in different EU projects, thus strengthening the exchange of knowledge on a European scale and reinforcing the inclusion of KM3NeT in European research networks.
ASTERICS, a boost for European astronomy
The Astronomy ESFRI and Research Infrastructure Cluster, ASTERICS, was a €15 million project for Research Infrastructures funded by the European Commission‘s Horizon 2020 framework, from 2015 to 2019. ASTERICS addressed the cross-cutting synergies and common challenges shared by the various Astronomy ESFRI facilities (SKA, CTA, E-ELT and KM3NeT). It brought together for the first time the astronomy, astrophysics and particle astrophysics communities, in addition to other related research infrastructures. The major objectives of ASTERICS were to support and accelerate the implementation of the ESFRI telescopes, to enhance their performance beyond the current state-of-the-art, and to see them interoperate as an integrated, multi-wavelength and multi-messenger facility.
EOSC, a European multidisciplinary environment for Open Science, and the ESCAPE project
EOSC is a cloud for research data in Europe allowing for universal access to data through a single online platform, launched in 2015 at the initiative of the European Commission. EOSC federates existing resources across national data centres, e-infrastructures and research infrastructures allowing researchers and citizens to access and re-use data produced by other scientists. EOSC success is based on continuous engagement with scientific stakeholders actively supporting its implementation and in their respective capacities.
The ESCAPE project, a European Science Cluster for Astronomy and Particle physics
In 2019, EOSC launched a project specifically dedicated to Astronomy & Particle physics ESFRI research infrastructures: the ESCAPE project. Funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme, it addressed the Open Science challenges shared by ESFRI facilities (CTA, ELT, EST, FAIR, HL-LHC, KM3NeT, SKA) as well as other pan-European research infrastructures (CERN, ESO, JIV-ERIC, EGO-Virgo) in astronomy and particle physics research domains. Ended in January 2023, ESCAPE brought together partners from astronomy and particle physics to collaborate on building the EOSC by: delivering solutions to ensure integration of data, tools, services and scientific software; fostering common approaches to implement open-data stewardship; establishing interoperability within EOSC as an integrated multi-probe facility for fundamental science.
REINFORCE, engage citizens in Science
The REINFORCE project engaged and supported citizens to cooperate with researchers and actively contribute in the development of new knowledge for the needs of science and society. Funded under the Horizon 2020 European programme (add CORDIS link here) from 2019 to 2022, the project contributed to make the knowledge gap between science and society smaller through Citizen Science.
An invitation for citizens to study bio-activity in the deep sea
In this respect, the KM3NeT Collaboration has actively participated in the Deep-Sea Explorers demonstrator by inviting citizens to optimise the KM3NeT neutrino telescope against sources of environmental noise which have never been systematically studied, while engaging in the exciting world of neutrino astronomy.
