Evaluation of NORDSYNC and Nordic membership of the ESRF

While preparing its report, NRIN (NORIA-net Research Infrastructures Network) commissioned an evaluation of Nordic participation in international research cooperation. A pilot project for this evaluation examined the NORDSYNC membership of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF).The main findings are that ESRF has been very rele­vant to highly competitive research communities and that the NORDSYNC membership has succeeded in a strong involvement by leading research groups in the Nordic countries. The report presents lessons learnt from NORDSYNC, but also recommendations on how to strengthen Nordic use of research infrastructures. NRIN recommends that efforts are put into actual initiatives which have a direct impact on Nordic research infrastructure cooperation. Based on this pilot evaluation, NRIN recommends that the Nordic countries’ international memberships in research infrastructure organisations should be evaluated on a Nordic level.