CERIC (Central European Research Infrastructure Consortium) is a pan-European distributed research infrastructure (RI) in all fields of materials, biomaterials and nanotechnology, with a focus on energy materials and life sciences. It offers free, merit-based access to large and large mid-scale facilities based on photons (2 synchrotrons), neutrons, electrons and ion-beams, as well as to NMR, in eight European countries.
The Statutes of CERIC-ERIC state that ‘CERIC shall proceed to the periodical evaluation of the quality of its scientific activities, and the assessment of its impact on the European Research Area, on the Regions hosting its Partner Facilities and at international level. This shall consider both the performance of CERIC- ERIC as a consortium and of the single Partner Facilities’.
As part of its monitoring strategy, CERIC-ERIC collected a set of indicators for its core activities and has identified four areas of impact and indicators for some pathways along these areas. Considering the importance of impact assessment CERIC-ERIC engaged EFIS Centre to guide the team in:
• charting impact pathways and identifying suitable case studies,
• identifying the most suitable indicators and data sources,
• preparing self-assessment reports,
• choosing the most suitable methodology for impact assessment, and
• defining a roadmap of the activities to achieve these results.
