Select virtual research infrastructure

Detailed information for all virtual VIPERLAB infrastructures as well infrastructure responsible can be found under VAPo/infrastructure description. When submitting your proposal, ensure to select the correct abbreviation of the infrastructure requested in the GATE application system.

Viperlab calls for user proposals

Similarly to for physical infrastructures, a call for user proposals for access to VIPERLAB virtual infrastructures will be announced every year with a submission deadline and evaluation phase every quarter, as outlined in the sketch below.

Eligibiliy criteria

Freedom to disseminate results

Only user groups that are able to scientifically disseminate the results generated as a result of VIPERLAB infrastructure access are eligible to apply. Exceptions for this eligibility criterium are only made for users working for SMEs (see below).

Industrial users

Users working for or with industry of any size are welcome to apply for VIPERLAB access either as individuals or as part of a larger user group (e.g. with academic teams). Access is granted free-of-charge if the results of VIPERLAB access are published/disseminated with the exception detailed below.

SME user groups

Users working for SMEs are allowed to use results generated within VIPERLAB for proprietary research. Proposals submitted by users working for SMEs will undergo technical feasibility check and scientific evaluation as for all VIPERLAB proposals.

Drafting your proposal

Proposals for user access to VIPERLAB infrastructures consist of a scientific case and an experimental plan.

Scientific case

The scientific case is the main document used for the evaluation and ranking of user proposals for access to virtual research infrastructures by the infrastructure access suppliers/supporters. This document should be written in English and on maximum 1 page contain the following sections:

• Scientific context: Provide a clear description of the goals of the experiment within the framework of the broader scientific context.
• Preliminary work: Briefly describe results of preliminary work carried out that support the necessity for further experiments/results from VIPELAB infrastructure access(more details to be provided in the Experimental Plan).
• Publications: List the 5 most relevant publications related to your experiment(s) to show that you either have carried out relevant work before by yourself and/or are aware of the work of others.
• Choice of specific instrument/station: Justify, why you need to use the particular VIPERLAB infrastructure you apply for.
• Scientific impact: Describe the expected scientific impact of the work for the proposer, the infrastructure operators and for the scientific community as a whole.

Experimental plan

The experimental plan provides a detailed description of the experiment to be carried out at the VIPERLAB host infrastructure. As possible experiments are dependent on the experimental facilities to be used in the VIPERLAB consortium, the Experimental Plan should be always drafted in correspondence with the Infrastructure responsible.

• Give a detailed description of the experiment, including sample and parameter changes.
• You should justify the amount of final time request for analysis/simulation you asked for in the technical part.
• Ask the infrastructure scientist/responsible for help if needed.

Note, that specific details to be defined in the Experimental Plan will vary dependent on the infrastructure requested so please make sure to contact the instrument responsible for further details and assistance when drafting your experimental plan.

Submitting your proposal

You can view the guidelines to access GATE here.

For the submission of your proposal you will need the abbreviated name for the specific VIPERLAB infrastructure that you are requesting access for. Please check the technical description of the different virtual research infrastructures.

Access the VIPERLAB-GATE single entry point and submit your proposal:

• Login or sign up if you are a new user to access your online application form.
• Before starting to fill in the application form, please read the Terms & Conditions, read the proposal application guide and carefully follow the instructions outlined.
• Create a new user proposal and submit your Scientific Case and Experimental Plan specifying personal details needed for the proposal evaluation and the VIPERLAB infrastructure you are applying for.

After proposal submission through GATE, users will receive an automated message confirming that the proposal was successfully submitted for evaluation.

Proposal evaluation

Proposals for Virtual Research Infrastructure Access will be evaluated by the provider or technical support of the specific virtual infrastructure..

Execute proposal & report

Once your proposal has been granted you can take steps to carry out your project as intended. Once your VIPERLAB experiments have been completed, you will receive an automatic request from the GATE system to submit your experimental report.

Terms & conditions

The user/user group declares to accept the following:

1. With respect to the submission of proposals within VIPERLAB project, the virtual infrastructure owner has the right to evaluate and rank the users’ proposals as they view best fitting the established evaluation criteria.
2. The decisions are final and non-negotiable. Inquiries or disputes surrounding the decisions will not in any way be considered.
3. By submitting an application or any request or by entering the premises of any VIPERLAB Access Provider, the user/user groups agree to the present Terms and Conditions as stated above.
4. The user/user groups confirm and certify that all information provided to VIPERLAB is true and accurate, and that they undertake to respect all VIPERLAB, EC and national rules and regulations, also in point of safety rules.
5. The user declares that none of the user group members is individually involved in providing access in the frame of the VIPERLAB project.

Revisions to Terms of User Agreement

VIPERLAB consortium may revise at any time the terms of this Agreement without notice.