ECORD-Net is a European Research Area Network supported financially by the European Commission through the ERA-Net scheme.

Funding agencies of ten countries are involved in the FP6 (6^th Programme Framework) Coordination Action to implement the ECORD structure and to move towards a single research and operational funding structure for science enabled by ocean drilling. The ECORD-Net networks the management and co-ordination aspects of ECORD with all areas of scientific drilling in the oceans and continents, to marine geophysical surveys which require validation by drilling, and to marine observatories.
(Read more about the ECORD-Net contract >>

WP1 - WP2 - WP3 - WP4 - WP5 - WP6 - WP7 - WP8 WP : Work Package

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

Establish best practice in Europe and internationally in mutual exchange of information: Create an accessible and highly visible data base to permit European scientists to efficiently exploit all aspects of scientific ocean drilling and managers to evaluate the impact of ocean drilling related science. WP1 - Leader: FCT WP1 - Events & Reports: ECORD web site is launched, March 2004 WP1-coordination meeting, October 5, 2004, Paris - all databases Coordination meeting, October 21, 2004, Bonn WP1-coordination meeting, February 7, 2005, Zürich - GeoMicroBiology database ECORD site survey database is released, November 2006 (demo web page - search metadata by Marsden square) WP1-coordination meeting, March 9, 2007, Paris - all databases WP1-coordination meeting, April 18, 2007 (EGU Vienna) - ECORD & GeoMicroBiology databases WP1-coordination meeting, May 30-31, 2007, Nancy, - ECORD & GeoMicroBiology databases ECORD Information & GeoMicroBiology databases are released, June 2007 ECORD Information and GeoMicroBiology databases are on-line, late July 2007 WP1-coordination meeting, September 25, 2007, Lisbon - All databases - ECORD portal is on-line.

Open ECORD to all European and other countries: Develop strategies for involving scientists from NAS and other European States in joint IODP proposals and joint research programmes through ECORD. Develop an outreach strategy for ECORD in association with all partners. WP2 - Leader: VR WP2 - Events & Reports: WP2-coordination meeting, September 16-17, 2004, Stockholm - Opening ECORD to other countries Coordination meeting, October 21, 2004, Bonn ECORD-Net brochure "Strenghtening the European Research Area" is released, November 2006 NEW! Research Opportunities with ECORD - "Drilling for the Future", May 27-29, 2008, Edinburgh, UK.

Provide a forum of exchange: Link scientific management of ECORD-net involving liaisons with other European and international scientific projects which require validation by drilling WP3 - Leader: DFG WP3 - Events & Reports: Coordination meeting, March 11, 2005, Stockholm Coordination meeting, November, 25, Edinburgh, U.K. - Launching the Deep Sea Frontier Initiative Building links with ICDP: EuroForum 2004 has been held in Bremen as a joint IODP-ICDP forum, 3 joint ICDP-IODP Townhall meetings have been organised at EGU 2005, 2006 and 2007.

Ensure best practice for subcontracting of pooled national funding: Develop the tools for the ECORD Managing Agency to become an open European structure for the financial, legal and research management of IODP. WP4 - Leader: CNRS/INSU WP4 - Events & Reports: IODP Council, July 2004, Paris

Establish and test best practice for implementation of complex scientific programs: Develop best practice for sub-contracting, balancing of European and international involvement in IODP drilling operations using mission specific platforms, ensure equitable availability of core samples, incorporate third party scientific interests in IODP activities in national waters. WP5 - Leader: NERC WP5 - Events & Reports: WP5 achievements – best practice procedures (pdf) ESO web site is launched, September 2006 Coordination meeting, May 2, 2007, Paris

Achieve mutualisation of European science programmes: Establish strategies for proposal preparation, efficient scientific staffing, and effective pre- and post-cruise funding and coordination of European science programmes in IODP. WP6 - Leader: NWO WP6 - Events & Reports: Establishing the 1st edition of the ESSAC web site with reference to the creation of the ESSAC office (October 2003) in Amsterdam. Since November 2005, ESSAC office has moved to Cardiff and has revamped the ESSAC web pages. Coordination meeting, November 2005, Edinburgh (Links with ESF) Agreement was reached with ESF: to follow the ESF procedures for EUROCORES for this first trans-national call for pre- and post-cruise science called EuroMARC, launched on January 3, 2006, to launch the Magellan workshop series on behalf of ECORD and coordinated with ESSAC. Coordination meeting, May 2, 2007, Paris NEW! ECORD-Net brochure: "Leading and Coordinating Ocean Drilling Science in Europe", is released April 2008.

Consortium management: EMA - ECORD Managing Agency WP7 - Leader: CNRS/INSU WP7 - Events & Reports: : Kick-off meeting, December 2003, Paris (pdf) SWOT review meeting, February 2005, Zurich (pdf) ECORD review, 1st meeting, June 22 , 2006, Paris Coordination meeting, 27 February, 2007, Brussels

Establishment of a European Programme on Deep-Sea Frontier Science WP8 - Leader: DFG WP8 - Events & Reports: : Initial Meeting of Deep Sea Frontier Initiative (DSF), September 8, 2005, Bonn 1st Steering Committee Meeting of DSF, January 13, 2006, Brussels 2nd Steering Committee Meeting of DSF, April 3 2006, Wien Deep Sea Frontier Workshop, June 1-2, 2006, Napoli 3rd Steering Committee Meeting of DSF, August 31, Paris Coordination meeting, 27 February, 2007, Brussels Coordination meeting, May 2, 2007, Paris The Deep-Sea Frontier: Science challenges for a sustainable future, June 2007 - pdf (3MB)

WP* : Work Package

ECORD-Net Contact: ECORD Managing Agency - EMA IPGP - LGM 4 place Jussieu 75252 Paris cedex 05, France ema@ipgp.jussieu.fr

ERA-NET Supporting the Cooperation and Coordination of Research Activities carried out at National or Regional Level ERA-NET scheme is a highly innovative component of the European Union's Sixth Research Framework Programme (2002 - 2008), aimed at integrating and strengthening the European Research Area. To overcome the traditional fragmentation of research efforts in the European Union, ERA-NETs are expected, through better coordination and cooperation, to lead to collaboration of major significance, including the strategic planning and design of joint research programmes, the reciprocal opening of national research programmes to researchers from other member countries, the pooling of resources and the launch of fully transnational programmes. A total of 148 million Euro has been allocated to the ERA-NET scheme for the life of FP6. The first open call for proposals received an extremely positive initial response. The ECORD-net proposal was highly ranked by the EC and, after negotiations, the European Community contract No ERAC-CT-2003-510218 entered into force on 12 December 2003.

l Acronyms l Addresses l Contact ECORD l IODP News l Links l Members l Vacancies l ECORD - European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling EMA - ECORD Managing Agency 2004 ema@ipgp.jussieu.fr