Transnational Access

Introduction
Criteria of Eligibility
How to Apply for Access
How to Apply for the TNA travel support
User Feedback - final step

Introduction

RadioNet3 is a project supported by the European Commission (EC). The objectives of the Transnational Access portion of RadioNet3 are

• to draw together all of the European radio facilities under one umbrella;

• to enable the European user community to have easy and transparent access to the entire range of facilities;

• to offer the European user community an integrated, professional and consistent level of user support;

This suite of facilities that exists in European organisations, that is owned and run by European organisations, offers a unique array of capabilities, unmatched anywhere in the world.

The use of the telescope/array is provided free of charge, including all the technological and scientific support and the training that is normally provided to external researchers using the infrastructure. Additionally, travel costs for one member of a TNA-eligible research group are usually reimbursable.

RadioNet's goal is, through the judicious use of EC funding, to simultaneously improve the data products delivered by these facilities and to keep the installations consistently on the highest technological level.

• The TNA user group leader and the majority of the TNA users must work in an institution established in one of the EU Member States and Associated States

• The TNA user group leader and the majority of the TNA users must work in a country other than the country(ies) where the legal entity(ies) operating the infrastructure is(are) established.

o In case of IRAM, the ineligible countries of work residence are France, Germany and Spain.

o Since ESO is INO, all ESO employees are eligible for any TNA of RadioNet3.

• Some TNA user groups may prefer to access the facility electronically (i.e. via an archive). In such cases, it will be necessary for the facility to demonstrate electronic access, possibly through the issuance of a password. TNA funding may also be used to support the travel of users to 'user meetings' of a particular facility. 

• The TNA users are requested to disseminate the results obtained and generated under the TNA access as widely as possible and to provide the TNA contact person with those details. Any publication should include the following acknowledgement:

[...] The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Commission Seventh Framework Programme (FP/2007-2013) under grant agreement No 283393 (RadioNet3)

How to Apply for Access

The TNA programme is available to astronomers from EU Member States and Associated States to eight European telescopes (or arrays):
• EVN
• e-MERLIN
• Effelsberg
• LOFAR
• WSRT
• IRAM (NOEMA & PV)
• APEX

Time on these facilities is awarded following standard selection procedures for each TNA site, mainly based on scientific merits and feasibility. A priority is given to new users, young researchers and users working in countries where no such research infrastructures exist.
The details of proposal submission and TNA contact persons are given on RadioNet Transnational Access sites.  

How to apply for TNA Travel Support
RadioNet3 set priority on offering TNA funding to young astronomers: To those new to a facility or from countries/institutes less able to afford expenses for traveling to the facility. As a general rule, only one member from the TNA user group can be supported. Additional grants are approved only under exceptional circumstances.

It is the responsibility of the TNA user group leader to decide which member of the TNA user group should be supported. A TNA user group leader applies for a travel grant by contacting the TNA contact person at least two weeks prior to the observing / data reduction visit.

The TNA user group leader will receive detailed information about the TNA travel support by email.

The individual researcher should send the application for travel support for a facility users' meeting directly to the TNA contact person.

User Feedback - final step

The feedback from the TNA user group is crucial for documenting the importance of the RadioNet3 facilities to the European Commission, and also for improving the RadioNet3 TNA programme itself. The feedback will enable the European Commission to evaluate the Research infrastructures Programmes, to monitor the individual contracts, and to improve the services provided to the scientific community.
Therefore, after receiving their data or after data reduction run has been completed, the TNA user group leader is required to submit:

1. The project summary by e-mail to the TNA contact person
2. The User group questionnaire by online tool to the European Commission (choose the project RadioNet3)
3. A copy of the user group questionnaire in paper or in electronic format (PDF) by e-mail/mail to the RadioNet3 irottmann [at] mpifr [dot] de (subject: TNA%20user%20group%20questionnair) (Project Manager- Izabela Rottmann). 

Please note that this information will be kept confidential and is only requested for the assessment of the online submission. As the online user group questionnaire goes directly to the European Commission without any confirmation to the project, we need this information directly from the users.

Please remember that travel expenses will only be reimbursed after submission of these documents.