Start of EOSC-Future
The proposal was re-submitted on 3/23 and at the end of the week the EC asked if we were ready to start the project on April 1st.
- The EOSC-Future Strategy Board agree to start on April 1st, as there is a fear that the EC may come back with additional requests if we wait longer; several people raised questions about realistic timescales, but:
- Understand it can be retroactively funded - so if Consortium agreement is not signed until May, it is still fine; that has been done before, we will be funded from April
- We insist that the start is on the basis of the last submission of the proposal - so not accept any more changes or requests
- Warn the EC that it will take time to actually get the consortium up and running
- Reality is that even with an April 1st start date, most organisations will not really start until mid-April because of Easter etc. and getting people in place
- Ron Dekker has been announced as the Project Director - this is a positive move as he is currently leading one of the science clusters (SSHOC), so understands the concerns of the science communities.
- 1st draft of Consortium Agreement has just been sent to the consortium
- Ron will already start 1st April, and he together with TGB team will provide a start up planning asap (next week?)