SIXTH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME Research Infrastructures Communication network Development Contract for: INTEGRATED INFRASTRUCTURE INITIATIVE Annex I - “Description of Work” Project acronym: EXPReS Project full title: A Production Astronomy e-VLBI Infrastructure Proposal/Contract no.: 026642 EXPReS Date of preparation of Annex I: 19 September 2005 Start date of contract: 1/03/2006 026642 EXPReS – Annex I, ver. 2.0 – Approved by EC on 5/10/2005 1 1. PROJECT SUMMARY........................................................................................................................................................... 4 1.1 ABSTRACT........................................................................................................................................................................ 4 1.2. TABLE 1 - LIST OF PARTICIPANTS ........................................................................................................................................ 5 AARNET ............................................................................................................................................................................... 5 1.3. TABLE 2 - LIST OF ACTIVITIES ............................................................................................................................................. 9 1.4. DELIVERABLES ............................................................................................................................................................ 17 2. OBJECTIVES OF THE I3.................................................................................................................................................... 21 2.1 EXPRES PROJECT OBJECTIVES .......................................................................................................................................... 21 2.2 RELEVANT TO THE OBJECTIVES OF COMMUNICATION NETWORK....................................................................................... 22 2.3 LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY AND STRUCTURING EFFECT .................................................................................................. 23 3. POTENTIAL IMPACT......................................................................................................................................................... 24 3.1 CONTRIBUTIONS TO STANDARDS........................................................................................................................................ 25 3.2 CONTRIBUTION TO POLICY DEVELOPMENTS ....................................................................................................................... 25 3.3. RISK ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................................................................ 26 4. OUTLINE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR THE FULL DURATION OF THE I3................................................... 27 4. A ACTIVITIES ....................................................................................................................................................................... 27 4.1 NETWORKING ACTIVITIES.................................................................................................................................................. 27 4.2 SPECIFIC SUPPORT ACTIVITIES........................................................................................................................................... 28 4.3 JOINT RESEARCH ACTIVITIES .............................................................................................................................................. 29 4. B PLANS............................................................................................................................................................................... 30 4.4 PLAN FOR USING AND DISSEMINATING KNOWLEDGE .......................................................................................................... 30 4.5 GENDER ACTION PLAN ...................................................................................................................................................... 30 4.6 RAISING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND................................................................................................................................. 31 4.7 MAJOR MILESTONES OVER THE FULL PROJECT DURATION .................................................................................................. 32 5. DETAILED IMPLEMENTATION PLAN (FOR FIRST REPORTING PERIOD PLUS 6 MONTHS)....................... 34 5. A EXPRES NETWORKING ACTIVITIES ........................................................................................................................ 34 5. A.1. ACTIVITY NA1 – MANAGEMENT OF THE EXPRES I3................................................................................................. 34 5. A.1.1. QUALITY OF THE MANAGEMENT OF EXPRES........................................................................................................... 34 5. A.1.2. QUALITY OF THE PLAN FOR USING AND DISSEMINATING KNOWLEDGE....................................................................... 40 5. A.2 DESCRIPTION OF THE OTHER NETWORKING ACTIVITIES ................................................................................................. 41 5.A.2.1 ACTIVITY NA2 – EVN-NREN FORUM .................................................................................................................... 41 5A.2.2. PARTICIPANTS ............................................................................................................................................................. 42 5. A.2.3. JUSTIFICATION OF THE FINANCE REQUESTED ............................................................................................................. 43 5A.2.4 SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................................................... 44 5.A.3.1. OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTED OUTCOME OF THE ACTIVITY........................................................................................... 47 5. A.3.2. PARTICIPANTS ........................................................................................................................................................... 49 5. A.3.3 JUSTIFICATION OF THE FINANCE REQUESTED .............................................................................................................. 49 5. A.3.4. SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................................. 50 5. A.4.1. OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTED OUTCOME OF THE ACTIVITY.......................................................................................... 53 5. A.4.2. PARTICIPANTS ........................................................................................................................................................... 54 5. A.4.3. JUSTIFICATION OF THE FINANCE REQUESTED ............................................................................................................. 55 5A.4.4. SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................................... 56 5. A.5 OVERALL IMPLEMENTATION AND CO-ORDINATION OF THE NETWORKING ACTIVITIES .................................................. 57 5.B. SPECIFIC SERVICE ACTIVITIES ................................................................................................................................ 62 5. B.1. SCIENTIFIC & TECHNOLOGICAL EXCELLENCE ............................................................................................... 62 5. B.1.1. QUALITY OF THE E-VLBI INFRASTRUCTURE ............................................................................................................. 62 TABLE S1 - GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE CONSTITUENT PARTS OF THE GRID-EMPOWERED INFRASTRUCTURE ................................................................................................................................................................ 66 TABLE S2 - GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE GRID-EMPOWERED INFRASTRUCTURE. ............................................................................................................................................................... 73 5.B.1.2. QUALITY OF THE MANAGEMENT......................................................................................................................73 5.B.1.3. EUROPEAN ADDED VALUE AND IMPACT ....................................................................................................... 76 5.B. 2 SPECIFIC SERVICE ACTIVITY 1: PRODUCTION E-VLBI SERVICE............................................................... 79 5.B.2.1. SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL EXCELLENCE......................................................................................................... 79 026642 EXPReS – Annex I, ver. 2.0 – Approved by EC on 5/10/2005 2 5.B.2.1.1 OBJECTIVES AND ORIGINALITY OF THE SERVICE ACTIVITY ....................................................................................... 79 5. B.2.1.2 EXECUTION-PLAN OF THE SERVICE ACTIVITY .......................................................................................................... 82 A DETAILED EXECUTION PLAN FOR THE FIRST 18 MONTHS OF SA1 IS PRESENTED IN FIGURE SA1.3