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AQUAtic ecosystems from the Arctic to the Mediterranean

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MESOAQUA’s management structure

The Coordinator, University of Bergen (UiB) is responsible to the Commission for the project achieving its scientific and technological objectives and its overall management. The project management is integrated within a flexible decision-making structure involving the Scientific Coordinator and the Project Office, the Steering Committee and the individual work packages.

The project management structure of MESOAQUA consists of the  

 

 

Figure of MESOAQUA's management structure


Steering Committee (SC)
 

The Steering Committee comprises a representative from each partner (work package leaders of each facility) and is chaired by the Project Coordinator. The Steering Committee is responsible for the strategic management and decision making in the project.

Members of the Steering Committee

Paolo Simonelli (Project coordinator and WP leader at UiB, Bergen NO) since Mar 2012

Frede Thingstad (WP leader at UiB, Bergen, NO)

Ulf Riebesell (WP leader at IFM-GEOMAR, Kiel, DE)

Ulrich Sommer (WP leader at IFM-GEOMAR, Kiel, DE)

Behzad Mostajir (PW leader at CNRS ECOLAG, Montpellier/Sete, FR)

Ulf Båmstadt (WP leader at UmU, Umeå, SE)

Paraskevi Pitta (WP leader at HCMR, Crete, GR)

Hallvar Gisnaas (WP leader, KBML, Svalbard/Spitzbergen, NO) since Sep 2010

Previous Members of the Steering Committee

Jens Nejstgaard  (Project coordinator and WP leader at UiB, Bergen NO) from Mar 2009 to Dec 2010

Aud Larsen (Project Manager at UiB Bergen, NO) from Mar 2009 to Dec 2010

Bendik Eithun Halgunset (WP leader, KBML, Svalbard/Spitzbergen, NO) from Mar 2009 to Aug 2010

Anita Jacobsen (Project coordinator at UiB, Bergen NO) From Jan 2011 to Feb 2012
 

Responsibilities of the Steering Committee

  • Monitoring the overall progress in the work packages and verifying the progress of deliverables and achievements of the milestones
  • Evaluating and accepting the periodical project reports, mid-term assessment and end report towards the Commission
  • Approving the agenda to meetings and workshops;
  • Performing knowledge management with development of dissemination and exploitation plans
  • Performing risk assessment and suggesting strategies if conflict or problems arise

 

Project Office (PO)
 

The Project Office located at UiB, Department of Biology, acts as a centre for all internal and external communication in MESOAQUA. The Scientist in charge fills the position as the Scientific Coordinator, assisted by a part-time project manager and the Management of the coordinating institution, Department of Biology.

Members of the Project Office

Paolo Simonelli (Project Coordinator, UiB, Bergen, NO) since Mar 2012

Stella Berger (Scientific Site Coordinator/Web Editor, UiB, Bergen, NO)

Heidi Lappegård (Economic Coordinator, UiB, Bergen, NO)

Previous Members of the Project Office

          Jens Nejstgaard (Project Coordinator, UiB, Bergen, NO) from Mar 2009 to Dec 2010

          Aud Larsen (Project Manager, UiB, Bergen, NO) from Mar 2009 to Dec 2010

         Anita Jacobsen (Project coordinator at UiB, Bergen NO) From Jan 2011 to Feb 2012

Responsibilities of the Project Office

  • Being the overall contact towards the Commission on scientific, administrative and financial matters;
  • Preparing the project deliverables and reports and addressing them to the Commission after validation by the Steering Committee;
  • Day-to-day coordination of the project; monitoring project planning and progress - deadlines, bottlenecks, deliverables;
  • Maintaining the web page, the virtual centre of transnational access, and ensuring smooth communication within the project, to users, and to the general public;
  • Administrating the process of selecting users of transnational access;
  • Organising internal reviews, organising or supporting in organising meetings;
  • Overall administrative and financial management;
  • Management of consortium-level legal and ethical issues;
  • Implementing knowledge management and innovation-related activities, intellectual property issues and Gender Action Plan.

 

Work Package Leaders (WP leaders)
 

Each work package (see Figure) is lead by the work package leaders:

WP1: Paolo Simonelli (UiB, Bergen NO)

WP2: Ulf Båmstadt (UmU, Umeå, SE)

WP3: Paraskevi Pitta (HCMR, Crete, GR)

WP4: Paolo Simonelli (UiB, Bergen NO)

WP5: Frede Thingstad (UiB, Bergen, NO)

WP6a: Ulf Riebesell (IFM-GEOMAR, Kiel, DE)

WP6b: Ulrich Sommer (IFM-GEOMAR, Kiel, DE)

WP7: Behzad Mostajir (CNRS ECOLAG, Montpellier/Sete, FR)

WP8: Paraskevi Pitta (HCMR, Crete, GR)

WP9: Ulf Båmstadt (UmU, Umeå, SE)

WP10: Hallvar Gisnaas (KBML, Svalbard/Spitzbergen, NO) since Sep 2010

WP11: Ulf Riebesell (IFM-GEOMAR, Kiel, DE)

WP12: Behzad Mostajir (CNRS ECOLAG, Montpellier/Sete, FR)

Previous Work Package Leaders

WP1: Jens Nejstgaard (UiB Bergen, NO) from Mar 2009 to Dec 2010

WP10: Bendik Eithun Halgunset (KBML, Svalbard/Spitzbergen, NO) from Mar 2009 to Aug 2010

WP 1,4: Anita Jacobsen (UiB, Bergen NO) From Jan 2011 to Feb 2012

 

Responsibilities of the Work Package Leaders

  • Coordinating and integrating the activities of the research groups within their work package
  • Contributing to planning and integration between work packages so as to fulfil the overall MESOAQUA integrated scientific objectives
  • General management and coordination of the work packages according to time schedule for work tasks, milestone achievement and potential risks
  • Communication within their respective work package

 

Scientific Advisory Board (SAB)
 

This group of independent international experts in the field aquatic science is constituted to provide advice on the project, and is especially be responsible for selecting users for transnational access. Its members coming from different European areas are integrated in the project communication process via the web site and participate in annual project meetings where they meet formally with the Project Office and Steering Committee to review the progress of the project and preview the coming period. The members of the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) including their own chair are independent from the project's management.

Members of the Scientific Advisory Board

Benni W. Hansen (SAB chair, Roskilde University, Department of Science, Systems and Models, Roskilde, DK)

Roger Harris (SAB member, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, UK)

Cèlia Marrasé (SAB member, Institut de Ciencies del Mar, Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Barcelona, ES)

Responsibilities of the Scientific Advisory Board

  • Advice on the project’s scientific approach and orientation
  • Evaluate and recommend and rank users for transnational access based on the selection criteria (see Application Assessment)
  • Provide a link to related activities
  • Give recommendations for new actions and activities